War and piece in the Middle East

War and pieces of power, faith and glory.

With the recent news  that Israel bombed a shipment of antiaircraft missiles in Syria that were bound for Hezbollah, an Anti-Israeli Shiite militant group, the Israelis once again seem to be on the verge of launching a ground assault against the Palestinians in Gaza. This is in response to repeated shelling of Israeli cities, including Jerusalem, by militants. This could precipitate a larger war, especially if Iran decides to intervene on behalf of the Palestinians with a nuclear strike against Israel. Iran is thought to be actively developing nuclear weapons.

Having been in Israel doing stories for Good Morning America about the sudden outbreak of peace between Israel and the PLO in the 1990’s, I remember how each side distrusted the other; and how each side thought they had a god-given right to the Holy Land.

A n article in the Wall Street Journal pointed out that both Jews and Muslims were an “Abrahamic” religion, as is Christianity… all are based on the teaching of the biblical prophet Abraham.

There’s no doubt that all three religions consider Israel the Holy Land. Is this continuing conflict just some sort of family feud, or is there more to it? There’s a belief that more people have been killed in the name of religion than any other cause. Is this just a matter of “My God is better than your God,” simple jealousy?

Probably not.  I think it’s because human beings, especially men,  are hard-wired to be competitive – it’s a survival instinct. Unfortunately, it doesn’t manifest itself in proving you can be kinder than the other religions; rather it’s who is more powerful and can subjugate the others to make them worship your God. Of course, all three religions believe there is just one God, most likely the same God. So it comes down to the way God is worshipped and who controls the religion… whose rules the other are forced to play by.

This probably seems like a cynical point of view. As the song says, “The world will always welcome lovers, as time goes by.” But the world also exalts rulers, as time goes by. Maybe that’s why some of the Eastern religions believe in losing your ego to gain freedom, happiness and enlightenment.

In fact, some Christian religious believers seek God by renouncing material things, the pleasures of the flesh, like monks and other aesthetics. This could lead to the conclusion that a great rib eye steak is a gateway drug to Godlessness and depravity.  Maybe that why God created the concept of a well done steak, the idea of the color beige or whole wheat bread – no sensory pleasures there.

Is Boringness next to Godliness? Has it come to that? Although, if being boring is now a good and godly thing, that does explain the popularity of Donnie and Marie Osmond’s music and the sports of curling and dressage.

Maybe the Israelis and the Palestinians should sit down to a boring meal of oatmeal, listen to some smooth jazz music, and hammer out their differences. However, of course,  they might fall asleep first.