Deliver Us from Religious Clergies!

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To answer some comments on my previous post, I’m absolutely NOT subtly or openly urging people to become Muslims. Even as I’m not suggesting we should all become Jews or Christians. But if “enough people” (whatever that number must be) embraced the three religions’ COMBINED revelations about God and the Messiah He promised to send us, they could end the Religious War that is currently emerging throughout the world, in which militant Muslims seek to cleanse the earth of "infidels" (another name for “unbelievers”). Still, there remains the sad thought that no one with the slightest knowledge of religious history can reasonably expect “believers” to bring peace on earth!

To make “real peace” among themselves, members of all three religions would each have to alter some portion of their own manmade beliefs. But, in a typical example of “religious unity,” Muslims, Christians and Jews, alike, have always been unwilling to alter any part of their own beliefs! So, each embraces their own clergy’s interpretations of their own Sacred Book — interpretations that have provoked hatreds and wars throughout their shared religious history. And those are the same interpretations that are now driving us into a “shared” nuclear war.

Of course, so many self-centered Christians are so convinced they will be “whisked away” before violence consumes the rest of the world that they have no incentive to alter their own understanding. And stubborn Jews are so accustomed to being persecuted and ostracized, they have long since closed their ears and their minds to the beliefs of “outsiders.” And self-satisfied Muslims believe, so thoroughly, that the whole world will someday be “Islamic”— in whatever way they define “Islam” — they can scarcely bring themselves to denounce the violence their “extremist” members are wreaking. After all, what the “fanatics” are doing could be “God’s Will.”

So, here we are with each religious family too convinced their understanding is too right to be altered. Each convinced the others should change. Each “deep-down” resigned to enduring whatever happens or gladly anticipating their own “deliverance.” And each convinced that all they can do is urge their fellowmen to “convert” or urge them to practice “tolerance” — as though “believers” have ever proven truly tolerant of other beliefs for more than an occasional public minute!

All the while, Jews need to recognize the world’s Messiah, rejected by their presumptuous clergy, because Jesus did not do what they expected the Messiah to do for them -- as though the Messiah had to perform his propheised acts on their schedule! And Christians need to recognize Abraham’s One and Only unseen God, revealed throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, which introduced Him to the world. Instead, Christians are taught by their brazen clergy to say "God" but mean "Jesus," instead of revering the God to Whom Jesus prayed! And Muslims need to recognize that they have not become God’s “chosen people,” whose “Holy Land” has been usurped by Jewish “infidels” supported by Christian “infidels,” as their egotistical clergy declares!

A Note to Sara

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Dear Sara and all who agree with her comments on my previous post "To Iran & Co."
I've decided to reply to Sara with a new post, because her comments are worthy of special attention.

I’m really glad you (Sara) “stumbled on” my blog and wrote me. Your comments are particularly thoughtful. My reference to “nuclear armed Muslims” is certainly not well phrased! And, to be sure, the same expression—-poor as it is-—could be applied to others as well. I could have better expressed myself had I used common
phrases such as “militant” or “extremist” Muslims.

I am actually speaking of those Muslims who sincerely believe it is now their “God-given duty” to cleanse the earth of infidels (unbelievers). They identify “infidels” as everyone who does not worship God as they do—-which includes many of their fellow Muslims. So, of course they don’t represent all Muslims. But they are deeply sincere in their beliefs and willing to use WMDs in their “holy mission.” That, in itself, differentiates them from other “nuclear armed” nations, at least for the present! So far, those nations are reserving nuclear arms for their own defense.

As for the President of Iran’s remark, which you believe is a “mistranslation”—-to the Jews in Israel and to a vast number of people elsewhere, “wiping Zionism off the map” means to destroy Israel. Again, it depends largely on what people “see” in words. You do not equate “Zionism” with “Israel,” but historically, many people always have.

In the same vein, I need to make clear that I am not stressing “a commonality in the message of peace between all three monotheistic religions.” I am urging people to listen to the teachings about God and the promised Messiah, as they were delivered by all the Prophets, from Abraham through Muhammad. Their messages reveal the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent Creator of everything, far better than the individual religions do. If we are to avoid the nuclear war, which will descend upon us if we continue to pursue this very real Religious War that we’re only beginning to recognize, we need an enlarged understanding of the God that all three religions embrace. The clergies have turned believers against each other, in their effort to prove their own religion superior to all others; a better understanding of the God they all worship can turn their hearts to each other. The only way to gain that understanding is through the teachings of ALL the Prophets.

While you refer to this “war” as a political struggle, it is actually a Religious War, which could result in the fulfillment of precisely described ancient prophecies. If too many people deceive themselves into thinking this is all about “politics,” we will not even begin to enlarge our thinking about God—-which I suspect is what will really happen! But, I have to keep trying to awaken us to the real teachings of the Prophets, as long as I have the strength. If you, Sara, or others, don’t agree with what I’ve said, I certainly hope you express your thoughts—or any other thoughts you have on the subject.

The Colors of Hate

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We’re told that Iran is now preparing to enlarge the Nazis’ “dress code for Jews,” by ordering Jews to wear a yellow stripe on the front of their clothes while Christians wear a red badge and Zoroastrians display a blue cloth. That is one colorful prelude for a nuclear war that will envelop the world in “gross darkness” (Isa. 60:2).

I suppose some Muslims agree with the Iranian government’s desire to identify and thereby “protect” Muslims from interacting with “infidels,” through a rainbow of colors on their streets. But I’m sure not all Muslims approve, which means the rest of us have yet another way to differentiate between “friendly” Muslims and “hateful” ones — an impossible task that will cause even more personal misery to all involved.

Still, while the United States is trying to eliminate its own “white, black, brown, yellow and red” skin prejudices, Iran is ready to bring us an enlarged and colorful display of superiority, based on religious beliefs. What a preoccupation with color hatreds embrace! But when the prophesied “darkness” envelops the world, because too many people refused to enlarge their own understanding of God, no one will be able to see skin colors or cloth badges, to identify who is inferior! And I suspect that all who survive will be grateful for the sound of any human voices, without thought of anyone’s “color.”

A “Catch Up” Session

Today, to help new visitors quickly understand what I’m “getting at,” I’ll summarize some previous posts, beginning with my first entry:

“Let’s Hear It From the Koran”
When Islam emerged as the third monotheistic religion, Muslims, obeying Muhammad, became dedicated to reducing the number of “unbelievers” in the world, by peacefully introducing Islam to idolaters — or by killing them if they broke their peace treaties. Today, “extremist” Muslims devoutly believe it is time to cleanse the earth of all unbelievers. And they now identify “unbelievers,” or “infidels,” as everyone who does not strictly adhere to their particular “version” of Islam, an identification that includes all Jews, Christians, heathens, skeptics and even some of their fellow Muslims.
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To Begin With, We Must Choose our Weapons
During the war in Afghanistan, some Muslim extremists left a message for everyone, everywhere, on a blackboard in a school where they had trained. They warned us: “We will continue our jihad until the end of the world.”

Because the extremists sincerely believe that God is “with them” in their jihad,their "struggle", to convert or destroy all infidels, they will use whatever weapons they must to accomplish their goal. Therefore, they WILL use nuclear weapons, if needed and when they are able, even if those weapons will ultimately destroy the world as we have known it. After all, they perceive the destruction of today’s “degenerate” world to be their “holy duty,” which they must accomplish one way or another. So, the rest of the world’s population must now “choose their weapons.”

We could try to eradicate an ever-growing coalition of religious fanatics, scattered anonymously throughout the world, by using the conventional tactics and weapons of war. But, to succeed, we’d have to identify and destroy all of them before some of them acquire the nuclear weapons they are willing to use! That method doesn’t look promising.

Or, we can use nuclear weapons against nations that support the extremists, while desperately hoping we won’t destroy the world in our frantic effort to keep them from doing it!

OR, in this time of unprecedented danger, the world can answer the religious fanatics with an unprecedented understanding of religious teachings!
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What Am I Doing?
In effect, I am telling the clerics of Judaism, Christianity and Islam that their divisive interpretations of their own Holy Scriptures have incited every Religious War throughout monotheism’s history, including today’s “Holy War.” All the while, the teachings of the Prophets, themselves, provide a unified knowledge.

The Prophets of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, whose messages are preserved in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Christian Bible and the Koran, provided knowledge of the Lord God of Abraham and the Messiah He promised to send us. The combined teachings of all three Books could greatly enlarge our understanding of our omnisicient, omnipotent, omnipresent Creator. But the clerics of each religion have never combined those teachings. Instead, they’ve each interpreted their own Prophets’ messages and declared their interpretations, alone, to be “the truth, as best man can know it.” The “truth,” however, as the clerics see it, has only managed to persuade Jews, who traditionally believe in a coming Messiah, to reject Jesus as the Messiah, which makes Christians hate Jews, which convinces Muslims that Islam has supplanted both religions, which incites Jews and Christians to hate Muslims!
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The Coming War, Part II
Ironically, the essence of monotheism’s never-ending argument is concisely expressed in two of Muhammad’s teachings. First, Muhammad denounced the Jews for denying “the Messiah, Jesus.” Second, Muhammad severely warned the Christians: “Do not say three…God is but one God…The Messiah Jesus does not disdain to be a servant of God” (Women 4:171-172).

Jews and Christians have not only argued over the Messiah’s identity, they have despised each other because of their opposing beliefs about the “One God” or a “Trinity.” But both “families” became enraged by an “illiterate camel driver” who dared to correct their beliefs about Jesus. Forever after, both the Jews and the Christians, each for their own reasons, have imperiously dismissed Muhammad and his religion as “frauds.” And forever after, the Muslims have hated Jews and Christians.
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Of Course I’m Dreaming
The Prophets described a world bathed in “...blood and fire and pillars of smoke...” (Joel 2:30); a time when “...the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light...” (Matt. 24:29); when “...darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the peoples...” (Isa. 60:2). In other words, a time we can now recognize as the “nuclear winter” that scientists tell us would follow a nuclear war.

But the Prophet Malachi offered a “way out.” He told us that if “the fathers” and “the children” turn their hearts to each other, God will not “…smite the land with utter destruction” (Mal. 3:23-24/4:5-6.) The “fathers” of monotheism are the Hebrews and their descendants, the Jews. The “children” of monotheism are the Christians and Muslims.

Yet, deliverance from a nuclear holocaust does not have to depend solely on the proud, self-satisfied “fathers” and “children” of monotheism. If enough skeptics and heathens would acknowledge the looming fulfillment of monotheism’s most horrifying prophecies, they would reconsider their total rejection of the Prophets. If, then, they embraced the God Who precisely foretold what could now befall us, their “conversion” would severely shake the self-satisfaction of the “know-it-all” believers of all three religions — including the “fanatic” Muslims!

Muslim extremists are not ignorant, unthinking people! They sincerely believe it is time for the world, as we have made it, to end. And they could be right.

The Prophets spoke of an “end of days,” but we have no reason to believe the world will physically end, since there are also glorious prophecies of God’s “kingdom” on earth. So, we can reasonably anticipate the end of the hate-filled “days” we have known throughout human history. And it now appears it could be the “hateful Muslim fanatics” attacking the “hateful Christians and Jews” who will bring on “the end!” Yet, we’re also told we can end these days without horrific destruction — and I dream of that happening, though my common sense tells me it won’t! Still, I’d rather dream of awakening us than sit idly and watch it happen.

To the 12 Students Who Are “Willing”:

A commentator on my last post, speaking for “12 students” of Christianity, didn’t leave a name. But I’m hoping those students epitomize many students of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in their willingness to listen to what all the Prophets tell us about God!

To be sure, I realize that those “12” are probably more unique than typical of “believers.” But I’m sort of hoping the students are young! Lately, I find myself “wishing” for youth to hear me, because, too often when I speak of a nuclear war and its winter aftermath to “older people,” especially my fellow “seniors,” they don’t want to even think of the war that could be coming. Youth must be more realistic — and even the “middle-aged,” since they know it could really happen to them. We “seniors” like to believe we won’t be here to endure it!

In truth, every single one of us urgently needs an understanding of the Muslim “fanatics” and the “Holy War” they believe they must wage against we “infidels,” as the extremists describe everyone who does not embrace their faith. But the word, "Islam," means “submission to God,” and in one way or another, billions of people try to lovingly ”submit” to Him, regardless of the Name they use for Him and their particular religion. So, I’ll keep on dreaming that the young, the “in between,” and even the old will not be afraid to learn about God from all the Prophets. We have nothing to lose by trying to improve our understanding, except a little of our time, which, after all, isn’t ours to keep anyway!

To Begin With, We Must Choose our Weapons

In the beginning, there was the World Trade Center horror. Then came the war in Afghanistan. During that war, some Muslim “fanatics” left a message for everyone, everywhere, on a blackboard in a school where they had trained. They warned us: “We will continue our jihad until the end of the world.”

If you are wise, you will believe they mean what they said! Phrases in the Koran tell us that someday everyone in the world will be a “Muslim.” The word “Muslim” means “one who submits” to God’s Will. Therefore, Muhammad’s words in the Koran can simply mean that someday everyone in the world will believe in and submit to the Lord God of Abraham. But, to the “fanatical” sect of Muslims, it means that everyone in the world will worship God exactly as they do. Today, that rapidly growing sect honestly believes it is their God-given duty to establish an “Islamic world.” To do so, they must cleanse the earth of infidels. They define “infidels” as everyone who does not worship God as they do, which includes Jews, Christians, and even some of their fellow Muslims.

Because the fanatics sincerely believe that God is “with them” in their “Holy War” to convert or destroy His “enemies,” they will use whatever weapons are needed to accomplish their goal. Therefore, they WILL use nuclear weapons, when they are ready and able, even if those weapons would ultimately destroy the world as we have known it. After all, destruction of today’s world, one way or another, is their “sacred goal.”

So, the rest of the world’s population now has to “choose their weapons!” We can try to kill an ever-increasing horde of religious fanatics, scattered throughout the world, by using the conventional tactics and weapons of war, in the hope we can destroy enough of them to end their threat BEFORE they acquire the nuclear weapons they are willing to use. But, killing fanatics who are sincerely eager to die in “God’s cause” will definitely breed more fanatics seeking to become martyrs.

Or, we can fight them with nuclear weapons, wherever we can find them, before they can retaliate in kind, while hoping we don’t destroy the world in our frantic effort to keep them from doing it.

OR, the world can answer their thinking with new, improved ideas!
In my next post, we’ll begin to examine the “new, improved” thinking that could actually persuade the fanatics to rethink their own beliefs!

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