Friday, September 29, 2006
Answers!
Even while prominent people are telling the world that we must fight the "Muslim extremists" with new "ideas," not military weapons, we hear nothing new being discussed! For instance, I ended the previous entry with two questions, but I haven’t received any answers. The questions were: After all these centuries, are we ready to learn from ALL the Prophets? Or are we only ready to kill each other on a large enough scale to wipe out our past?
I suspect that most people, whether they are Muslims, Christians, Jews, members of heathen religions, agnostics or atheists, won’t even consider enlarging their own beliefs, much less altering their negative opinions of other beliefs! And that reaction to the "new idea" of "learning from all the Prophets" makes the answer to the 2nd question an emphatic YES, whether people would actually express it aloud or not. In short, if we won’t enlarge the beliefs that have always made people hate and kill each other, sooner or later, the narrow beliefs we cherish are going to erupt in a nuclear war.
It amazes me to hear people in the United States casually talking about how nuclear weapons are bound to be used "over there, one of these days." They speak as though "over there" has nothing to do with them. But clouds of smoke from a nuclear attack in the Middle East won’t stay "over there!" And nuclear "fallout" will encompass the earth. I don’t know if such thoughts are also being voiced in other nations, but the way people speak of it here — as though it won’t really touch them — is horrifyingly unrealistic. Where oh where are the people who are willing to pursue new ideas, to try to avoid a full-fledged 21st century "Holy War?"
Even while prominent people are telling the world that we must fight the "Muslim extremists" with new "ideas," not military weapons, we hear nothing new being discussed! For instance, I ended the previous entry with two questions, but I haven’t received any answers. The questions were: After all these centuries, are we ready to learn from ALL the Prophets? Or are we only ready to kill each other on a large enough scale to wipe out our past?
I suspect that most people, whether they are Muslims, Christians, Jews, members of heathen religions, agnostics or atheists, won’t even consider enlarging their own beliefs, much less altering their negative opinions of other beliefs! And that reaction to the "new idea" of "learning from all the Prophets" makes the answer to the 2nd question an emphatic YES, whether people would actually express it aloud or not. In short, if we won’t enlarge the beliefs that have always made people hate and kill each other, sooner or later, the narrow beliefs we cherish are going to erupt in a nuclear war.
It amazes me to hear people in the United States casually talking about how nuclear weapons are bound to be used "over there, one of these days." They speak as though "over there" has nothing to do with them. But clouds of smoke from a nuclear attack in the Middle East won’t stay "over there!" And nuclear "fallout" will encompass the earth. I don’t know if such thoughts are also being voiced in other nations, but the way people speak of it here — as though it won’t really touch them — is horrifyingly unrealistic. Where oh where are the people who are willing to pursue new ideas, to try to avoid a full-fledged 21st century "Holy War?"
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Don’t Convert. Expand!
"Mark" asks how he can get started "dealing with the crazies" in a "different way," without giving up his religion and without having to "kill anyone."
It certainly seems that life would be much simpler if we could just kill all the so-called "crazies" and go on with the endless verbal fights and hatreds we had, before the "fanatics" began to tell the world to "convert or die." The truth is, Muslims have been using that "battle-call" on individual groups throughout their history. But now they can speak to the whole world via television, so everyone is finally hearing them!
I will answer Mark and the people he calls "crazies" with the same advice—because it holds true for both sides of this explosive argument! I urge you to EXPAND your understanding of God by listening to ALL the Prophets. (The quickest way to do it is to read my book, "Of Promises and Previews: Urgent Old Messages for a New Millennium.")
If you will become acquainted with all the Prophets, you’ll learn:
The Prophets of Judaism introduced the world to the One and Only Creator of everything, the Single Source of all the energy in the universe.
Jesus and his disciples introduced the world to the promised Messiah, who will, eventually, rule the world with wisdom and justice, which humans are finally beginning to realize we simply aren’t able to do for ourselves!
Muhammad introduced billions of idolaters to the Lord God (which Christian "missionaries" could not persuade). But, he also corrected the erroneous interpretations of the Jewish and Christian clergies. The Jewish clergy had refused to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and the Christian clergy was calling Jesus "God." Of course, those "corrections" only made Jews and Christians hate Muhammad and call him and his religion "frauds."
The question is, after all these centuries, are we ready to learn from ALL the Prophets. Or are we only ready to kill each other on a large enough scale to wipe out our past!
"Mark" asks how he can get started "dealing with the crazies" in a "different way," without giving up his religion and without having to "kill anyone."
It certainly seems that life would be much simpler if we could just kill all the so-called "crazies" and go on with the endless verbal fights and hatreds we had, before the "fanatics" began to tell the world to "convert or die." The truth is, Muslims have been using that "battle-call" on individual groups throughout their history. But now they can speak to the whole world via television, so everyone is finally hearing them!
I will answer Mark and the people he calls "crazies" with the same advice—because it holds true for both sides of this explosive argument! I urge you to EXPAND your understanding of God by listening to ALL the Prophets. (The quickest way to do it is to read my book, "Of Promises and Previews: Urgent Old Messages for a New Millennium.")
If you will become acquainted with all the Prophets, you’ll learn:
The Prophets of Judaism introduced the world to the One and Only Creator of everything, the Single Source of all the energy in the universe.
Jesus and his disciples introduced the world to the promised Messiah, who will, eventually, rule the world with wisdom and justice, which humans are finally beginning to realize we simply aren’t able to do for ourselves!
Muhammad introduced billions of idolaters to the Lord God (which Christian "missionaries" could not persuade). But, he also corrected the erroneous interpretations of the Jewish and Christian clergies. The Jewish clergy had refused to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and the Christian clergy was calling Jesus "God." Of course, those "corrections" only made Jews and Christians hate Muhammad and call him and his religion "frauds."
The question is, after all these centuries, are we ready to learn from ALL the Prophets. Or are we only ready to kill each other on a large enough scale to wipe out our past!
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Comments on my previous posts ask, in effect, why I think that everyone, especially believers in Abraham’s God, need to improve their religious understanding, when, in reality, it’s the "crazies" who lack understanding and need to be "eliminated." But how can nations "eliminate" a widely dispersed, unidentifiable, rapidly-growing "army" of "fanatic Muslims," who believe it is now their "holy duty" to convert the world to their beliefs and destroy the "unconverted?"
Before this "nuclear age," the idea that some people could actually destroy "all unbelievers" would have been too ridiculous to seriously contemplate. Today, "the crazies," armed with enough weapons of mass destruction — AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO USE THEM — could destroy the world as we have known it. Although many "righteous Muslims" would also die in nuclear attacks, if they are "true believers" they are going directly to Heaven, so their deaths cannot deter the attackers!
The only way to effectively combat such beliefs is with "improved beliefs." If enough people the world over embraced the enlarged understanding provided for us by ALL the Prophets, from Abraham through Muhammad, the Muslim "extremists" would hear them! Although you might think that idea is "beyond reasonable expectation," nothing else the world can do will persuade the "fanatics" to reconsider their "mission." Of course there’s no guarantee that even an improved understanding of God will do the job! But thinking we can kill all of them before they set the world on fire is fatally self-deceiving.
Before this "nuclear age," the idea that some people could actually destroy "all unbelievers" would have been too ridiculous to seriously contemplate. Today, "the crazies," armed with enough weapons of mass destruction — AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO USE THEM — could destroy the world as we have known it. Although many "righteous Muslims" would also die in nuclear attacks, if they are "true believers" they are going directly to Heaven, so their deaths cannot deter the attackers!
The only way to effectively combat such beliefs is with "improved beliefs." If enough people the world over embraced the enlarged understanding provided for us by ALL the Prophets, from Abraham through Muhammad, the Muslim "extremists" would hear them! Although you might think that idea is "beyond reasonable expectation," nothing else the world can do will persuade the "fanatics" to reconsider their "mission." Of course there’s no guarantee that even an improved understanding of God will do the job! But thinking we can kill all of them before they set the world on fire is fatally self-deceiving.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Bin Laden—Is He Dead or Alive?
What difference does it make? As I sit here on this Sunday morning, it honestly makes no difference to me whether he is dead or alive, and I’m not understanding why people are so focused on news about him. Terrorism is so much "vaster" than that one man, why should we assign a large number of soldiers and "intelligence people" to pursuing him? If anybody thinks they can explain it, I’d be glad to hear from you.
What difference does it make? As I sit here on this Sunday morning, it honestly makes no difference to me whether he is dead or alive, and I’m not understanding why people are so focused on news about him. Terrorism is so much "vaster" than that one man, why should we assign a large number of soldiers and "intelligence people" to pursuing him? If anybody thinks they can explain it, I’d be glad to hear from you.
Friday, September 22, 2006
A Comment on a Comment
In a posted comment on Muslim fanatics, by a man named Eric, I was asked: "So how do we reason with them so they will stop trying to kill us."
To successfully "reason" with others requires others to "listen to reason." In the case of today’s religious terrorists, they can hear nothing "reasonable" in arguments for "tolerance" of other religious beliefs. That means, no matter the reasoning offered, the Muslim extremists will not suddenly decide "to live and let live." Nor will killing them in large numbers discourage others from joining their "cause," because devout fanatics are truly not afraid to die, while performing their "God-given duty" to cleanse the earth of "unbelievers."
In short, the "reasonable" idea of promoting tolerance of all religions has never even begun to produce worldwide tolerance! So, it isn’t tolerance we must strive for! What we urgently need is a greatly improved knowledge of the God that Jews, Christians and Muslims have been fighting about throughout their mutual history. That "improved understanding" is the only reasoning that could "move" the terrorists—but it would also have to move YOU. Are you ready for that, or do you think that only the terrorists should improve their beliefs?
In a posted comment on Muslim fanatics, by a man named Eric, I was asked: "So how do we reason with them so they will stop trying to kill us."
To successfully "reason" with others requires others to "listen to reason." In the case of today’s religious terrorists, they can hear nothing "reasonable" in arguments for "tolerance" of other religious beliefs. That means, no matter the reasoning offered, the Muslim extremists will not suddenly decide "to live and let live." Nor will killing them in large numbers discourage others from joining their "cause," because devout fanatics are truly not afraid to die, while performing their "God-given duty" to cleanse the earth of "unbelievers."
In short, the "reasonable" idea of promoting tolerance of all religions has never even begun to produce worldwide tolerance! So, it isn’t tolerance we must strive for! What we urgently need is a greatly improved knowledge of the God that Jews, Christians and Muslims have been fighting about throughout their mutual history. That "improved understanding" is the only reasoning that could "move" the terrorists—but it would also have to move YOU. Are you ready for that, or do you think that only the terrorists should improve their beliefs?
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Let’s Hear It From the Koran
In my first post, I’m "jumping into" the current troubles surrounding the Pope’s speech, in which he addressed the Muslims’ long history of violence while pursuing their "convert to Islam or die" doctrine. To understand that doctrine, I believe "outsiders" need to hear some instructions that Muslims receive from the Koran.
For example, the Koran unconditionally denounces idolatry. Muslims are told, "Idolatry is more grievous than bloodshed." Therefore, Muslims should "Fight for the sake of God those [idolaters] that fight against you...Slay them wherever you find them...." "Fight against them until idolatry is no more and God’s religion reigns supreme." But, the Koran adds, "...do not attack them first. God does not love the aggressors" (The Cow 2:190,191,193).
Furthermore, Muslims are explicitly forbidden to attack "...those idolaters who have honoured their treaties with you...." "So long as they keep faith with you, keep faith with them. God loves the righteous" (Repentance 9:4,7).
Muslims are also told: "When you meet the unbelievers in the battlefield strike off their heads and, when you have laid them low, bind your captives firmly...Had God willed, He could Himself have punished them; but He has ordained it thus that He might test you..." (Muhammad 47:4).
Hence, from the start, the Muslims became dedicated to reducing the number of unbelievers in the world, by peacefully introducing them to Islam or by killing them if they broke their treaties. Today, the "fanatic" Muslims devoutly believe it is time for them to cleanse the earth of all unbelievers. They define "unbelievers," or "infidels," as everyone who does not adhere to their particular "version" of Islam, an identification that even includes some of their fellow Muslims and certainly all Christians and Jews. How do you think the world should address this very real "problem?"
In my first post, I’m "jumping into" the current troubles surrounding the Pope’s speech, in which he addressed the Muslims’ long history of violence while pursuing their "convert to Islam or die" doctrine. To understand that doctrine, I believe "outsiders" need to hear some instructions that Muslims receive from the Koran.
For example, the Koran unconditionally denounces idolatry. Muslims are told, "Idolatry is more grievous than bloodshed." Therefore, Muslims should "Fight for the sake of God those [idolaters] that fight against you...Slay them wherever you find them...." "Fight against them until idolatry is no more and God’s religion reigns supreme." But, the Koran adds, "...do not attack them first. God does not love the aggressors" (The Cow 2:190,191,193).
Furthermore, Muslims are explicitly forbidden to attack "...those idolaters who have honoured their treaties with you...." "So long as they keep faith with you, keep faith with them. God loves the righteous" (Repentance 9:4,7).
Muslims are also told: "When you meet the unbelievers in the battlefield strike off their heads and, when you have laid them low, bind your captives firmly...Had God willed, He could Himself have punished them; but He has ordained it thus that He might test you..." (Muhammad 47:4).
Hence, from the start, the Muslims became dedicated to reducing the number of unbelievers in the world, by peacefully introducing them to Islam or by killing them if they broke their treaties. Today, the "fanatic" Muslims devoutly believe it is time for them to cleanse the earth of all unbelievers. They define "unbelievers," or "infidels," as everyone who does not adhere to their particular "version" of Islam, an identification that even includes some of their fellow Muslims and certainly all Christians and Jews. How do you think the world should address this very real "problem?"
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