What’s the deal with holy wars? Not to come off sounding like Jerry Seinfeld, but really – why do religious beliefs so often incite fighting?
People have been dying in God’s good name for far too long and He’s likely pretty sick and tired of it.
From the perspective of a native Houstonian, I cannot claim to have known much about the Gaza Strip before December 2008. Given that it’s been less than two months since the Israel-Gaza cease fire expired and the conflict again gained news coverage, I’m still a bit unsure of all the details; however, what I am sure of is that the whole situation is ridiculous.
According to a report from the New York Times, Israeli rockets hit a warehouse, which was in use by the United Nations. Needless to say, the U.N. was not pleased. Israel defended its action, claiming that Hamas militants fired mortars from near the warehouse then ran inside for shelter. The U.N. denies this.
Ethan Bronner, a New York Times correspondent, spent a day with an Israeli unit in Northwest Gaza. Bronner said that houses in the area, taken when the ground-war began, were filled with rocket launchers, booby traps, and even mannequins – all set up to draw Israeli soldiers in and capture them. Tunnels were dug in the homes, where the soldiers were to be taken into after being kidnapped.
On the other side of the fence, Palestine’s elected leaders entered into a truce, hoping to receive relief goods for their battered country – supplies that never came close to their borders.’ They fought the blockading group and wrought some damage, but in return Israeli rockets leveled Parliament, the ministry of Justice and various cabinet buildings.’ The Hamas attacks killed 13 Israelis. In return, they lost more than 1,300, many of whom were civilians.
There is blood staining the soil of the supposedly ‘holy’ land, all in the name of a just and kind god.
‘ Who cares if you call Him God or Allah? Let the afterlife, assuming it exists, decide who is right and who is wrong. At that time, whichever sect is up in the clouds can point down to their ill-fated counterparts and laugh. In the meantime on earth, during life, leave each other alone.
