MNH: 6/11/02
The framers of the American constitution, educated men and well versed in European history did not want the religious conflicts of the Old World to become part of the new one. Therefore the first Amendment reads: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion …” in other words politics is to butt out of religion and religion to butt out of politics. Congress, siding with Israel is in complete disregard of this amendment. Two forces dictate our foreign policy in the Middle East, one is race, the other religion. The Jewish collective with their powerful lobby, AIPAC, supports Israel because of racial identity. The Born Again Christians, alias, right wing conservatives, support Israel because of religion. I hear no voice of protest by the ACLU, the Freedom from Religion Organization or the news media. Race and Religion have combined to make the president of the United States, Bush, pathetically ineffective in dealing with the Israeli – Palestinian conflict.
The religious belief which drives the Born Again Christians to support a foreign nation, Israel, is based on the blood spattered pages of the Old Testament. These Christians do not hearken to gentle Jesus, but to the god of the Israelites. This god is a lord and a master who demands obedience from his subjects. If his “chosen people” keep his statutes he promises them that they will prosper and that their seed will live forever, namely that they are to live on in their descendants. There is no promise to the individual of a life after death. He is only a god of this world and for one tribe.. He is a jealous god who carries a grudge and punishes collectively generation upon generation. Worst of all this tribal God demands genocide. “Now go and smite Amalek …slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass (1 Samuel 15:3).” In short the Old Testament god behaves like an oriental despot. Jesus however showed us God. He is an all embracing, and forgiving father who loves us, his children. He is a just God who does not arbitrarily chose a tribe on whom he bestows favors, designating the rest of us into ill favored stepchildren, especially the Palestinians. We allow a lobby and a tribal god to dictate our foreign policy in the Middle East. God forgive us!