You know everyone,
I have stayed out of discussions on violence within religion for one major reason... if we are all very honest, we all know that all religions have in the name of God committed atrocities, to other religions and even to members of their own religion who do not share the same "doctrinal views".
As I type, I am watching "The Diary of Anne Frank" and seeing what evil was done in the name of "God" to an entire population. I have stood in the house where she was hidden, I have been to the museum in Amsterdam dedicated to the memory of the one and thirty thousand Jews killed from the Netherlands alone and believe me, I left there sobered and shamed and shocked that the world did nothing whilst this was going on under their very noses.
I have seen the same happening in places like the Sudan and Indonesia, where Muslims have gone in and decided to Islamize those who do not follow Islam.
I've seen Hindus fight each other and call a complete group of their own people as untouchables to die in the name of religion
I've this past week seen car bombs in Iraq, seemingly the work of one Muslim group against another Muslim group.
I've seen so called Christian crusaders go and try and christianise entire people groups by the sword.
I've seen Catholics and Protestants fighting in Ireland in the name of a religion, but which is totally political.
I've seen inquisitions, where in the name of Christianity, either Catholic or Protestant, it's convert or be killed in horrible ways.
...and so the story goes on.. it's not a nice history we look at.. neither in the past or in the recent days.
I've got in front of me a book I bought from Anne Frank Huis, and on the cover, it says what I believe deeply from the heart regardless of whatever religious creed anyone chooses to follow.
One day this terrible war will be over. The time will come when when we will be people again and not just Jews. We can never be just Dutch or just English, or whoever, we will always be Jews as well.
For a teenager, Anne showed more sense than most of the world put together. Regardless of what we believe, we are all people first, we are all humans.. and in the end we will all stand before the Judgement seat of God.. not as Jews, not as Christians, not as Muslims but as people..We will all give an account before a Holy God on our actions and our beliefs. In the meantime, no matter what creed we follow, we all hurt when others are killed, we may not cry for the same reason, or for the loss of the same people, but we know the pain of losing loved ones in atrocities.
I am in no way condoning atrocities.. on the contrary, that anyone of any religion could state, that as they are done in the name of God, or Allah or whoever they chose to worship they are somehow justified in their actions is for me is impossible to understand.
In the OT, judgement was always preceeded by plenty of warnings and always with the chance to repent and escape judgement... this is the character of God. Then again, even in His dealing with Israel, he didn't show preference. If Israel stepped out of line, they were punished. Four hundred years of slavery at the hands of the Egyptians or in exile in Babylon was no fun for anyone.
God's judgements were ALWAYS with one plan in mind.. to bring people to Himself... to bring people to a point of worship, to a place where He could bless them and they could enjoy Him forever. The atrocities done in the name of religion do not have that as their basis of activity.. it's to bring submission to a religious creed or theology, and this must bring God the greatest pain of all.. regardless of who does what to whom.