I was a bit disappointed in last week's response. I mean, it was a softball. Apparently there was not that much interest in teaching the world to sing.
But it is once again Thursday, and time for a survey. If you wish to comment on the question, or if you now know which song you would like to teach the world to sing from last week's question, click on "comment" below, type your comment in the comment box, click on anonymous, then click publish. If you wish to remain anonymous, disguise your handwriting. Give us your name if you want the world to know. Today's survey topic:
The news, talk radio, and the religious books racks contain an increasing amount of opinion about the Israel/Palestine conflict (fueled by the argument of whether the political entity known as Israel is the same Israel as the chosen people of God of the Hebrew Testament), and the perceived takeover of the world by Islam.
What's the answer? Or at least, what do you think about these propositions?
Now doesn't that make you want to teach the world to sing? If so, what song?
I have to say that I am fairly ignorant about the goings on in Israel/Palestine. Max has done a lot to stimulate my interest but I have lacked the time to research further into the issue. In a lot of ways it embarrases me to admit that. I should pay more attention to what is going on in the world outside of "my world." At the same time though I think that is a lot of the problem with the world today to begin with. We are so caught up in our own lives that we do not stop to think about the lives of others. We listen to the daily news, read our newspapers or check our online news and we leave it at that. We do not stop to question or delve further into what we are told. I know that is not the case with everyone but from my experince it seems to be the norm. I hope I am wrong.
ReplyDeleteI've got two comments.
ReplyDeleteFirst, it's risky to suggest -- even in a calm and qualified manner -- that Israel might be wrong about anything. Even a thought exercise about whether Israel's outstanding show of force against Hamas was warranted can cause otherwise rational, intelligent, and well-thought-of people to start labeling you anti-semitic. I watched it happen to Andrew Sullivan (blogger for the Atlantic) during the Hamas thing, and just recently as well. See also: Jimmy Carter.
All that to say, it's kind of dangerous to try and think objectively about the Israel-Palestine issue. Anything short of near-total support to Israel is in many circles considered heresy. I understand the sensitivity of the issue, especially when a surprisingly large percentage of the world thinks the Jews perpetrated 9/11.
So I'll try to say this as plainly as possible: I think that every day, Israel is moving farther and farther away from a two-state solution. I think Palestinians have a good reason to think they deserve some part of Israel. Israeli settlements are encroaching further and further into formerly Palestinian territories.
As 60 Minutes noted several months ago, many of the new settlements aren't explicitly being encouraged by the Israeli gov't. They're being led by fringe groups who believe in Israel's right to the territory, and, in some cases when Israel has asked them to (and even threatened military force to make them) move, they've threatened to fight to stay.
Nationally, Israel is politically becoming more hawkish, especially when it comes to Iran.
I don't think these are healthy prospects for the future of the mid-east peace process.
With all that said, Islamic terrorism is obviously a serious threat in Israel. You can't have Hizbollah and Hamas lobbing missiles at your citizens, or terrorists blowing themselves up in your country. And Hamas's tactics (putting missile bases in schools, etc) are disgusting and difficult to deal with in a humane manner.
However, I don't think blind support of Israel is healthy. The U.S., as an arbiter, must look at the Palestinians and Israel a bit more fairly, and demand more from both (that governing parties in Palestine not militarize, for instance, and that Israel control its settlers).
I'd just like to see peace. I don't really know how to get there, though. Who does?
Did you ever a guy in your neighborhood that we small and totally unintimidating, but he slowly became the biggest bully in town because his big brother stood behind him nodding while he talked?
ReplyDeleteThats how I feel about the American/Israeli relationship right now. I am glad that we have stood up for the Israel and done our best to help them protect their sovereignty. That said, we can't continue to follow them blindly if they are not working toward a lasting peace. At some point we have to step closer to the middle and resolve these differences.
I think that the support of Israel by mainstream Christians is almost laughable. Especially from the theological right. We have begun this campaign to set up the independent and pure Israeli state because we are being told over and over by televangelist that it will automatically trigger the Last Days. We send dollar after dollar so that we can liberate these people and the "reign of God" can begin.
But wait, these same televangelist will tell you on their next broadcast that these same Jews are going to burn in the pits of hells as soon as that reign of God begins.
We can't use the literal Bible to resolve this dispute. Especially when the book is only authoritative for one group and not the other. We must remember that even the Palestinians are people whom God love. They are deserving of a place where they too can live and prosper.
It is important for the Jewish people to have a state of their own. But what is accomplished if we then isolate and remove another race of people. What was the point in the first place?
It always bothers me when people start talking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict like there is a right answer, an easy fix, or a clear side that should be taken. The truth is that not all issues are black and white, right and wrong, good and evil. Without history and perspective there is no understanding of the conflict. With history and perspective there is still no simple solution or quick fix. Some questions in life offer only more questions. Many people, myself included, have trouble with uncertainty in life, shades of grey, and the reality that not all questions have easy answers. This conflict is an example of how cruel the world can be. Israelis aren't bad people. Palestinians aren't bad people. They both want the same thing, and unfortunately, right now, they can't both have what they want.
ReplyDeleteIt's complicated. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't pay attention. I am against any people subjugating or exploiting another people. We get hamstrung by the thinking, or more accurately, the teaching -- that Israel is God's chosen people. I suspect this is another area in which we just don't get it (what God meant/what it's all about) largely because all the perspective we have written was written by humans. Think about how objective things would been if YOU wrote the Bible. I love the Jewish people -- people of the Jewish faith or heritage that I know and Jews collectively as a religious/ethnic group, when we have to designate things that way. I do not think there is anything that says a country called Israel can do no wrong. That certainly wasn't the picture I got from the Old Testament (Israelites/Jews were sort of a microcosm of all of humankind - not perfect). Islam as a religon is not necessarily the problem, and we should not persecute or fear those who are of the Islamic faith. We get into Old Testament-era feuds in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that I hope we can mediate rather than fuel. We have not been given a "spirit of fear but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." We should use that spirit in a complicated world.
ReplyDelete