I believe that Franco-German animosity probably stretches back at least 1,000 years, unless I am mistaken. Churchill even commented on this in his wartime memoirs, which by the way, were an excellent read. What I was doing was using examples that even some of the worst enemies in history have eventually made peace after decades, and sometimes centuries, of warfare.NeonVomit wrote:miditek, are you aware for quite how long Germans and French had been at each other before WWII? And before that, the English and the French? Everyone didn't just become friends overnight. And that was within Europe, where people are pretty much the same and belonged to the same religion, pretty much.
The Arab-Israeli conflict, however, has not been resolved for thousands of years. Christians believe that this has set the stage for a new peace treaty between the Arabs and Israelis; one that will be brokered by none other than the Antichrist himself. It is written that "through peace, he will deceive many."
Already, there are calls among many politicians for a nuclear-free Middle East, and I suspect that the UN Security Council will eventually demand that Israel disarm herself of nuclear weapons. This would in effect eliminate Israel's strategic deterrence, and embolden the enemies of Israel to launch an all-out conventional offensive- with their numerical superiority.
Everyone is welcome to their opinion, but I find it difficult to believe how anyone could not see that this is a clash of religions, and the Christians and Jews are certainly not the only people that are at risk. I disagree that religion is purely a political tool. I have seen God change the lives of many that I thought were unchangeable, and indeed, those that I thought would simply not make it.NeonVomit wrote:I feel it is far more a clash of cultures than one of religion. Because religion is just a tool for politics, and has always been. Islam is still an immature religion, in that sense.
It goes way back- all the way to Jacob and Esau, and many thousands of years have passed since they walked the earth. [/quote]NeonVomit wrote:And remember, this whole mess is because two sides both believe they have God on their side.
NeonVomit wrote:And if the Jews are God's chosen people, then why will they all go to hell for not accepting Jesus Christ? Nice move, God.
God has stated in the Bible that there is a "stumbling block", so to speak, between Himself and the Jews. That block is called Christ. However, it is not correct to assume that all Jews do not accept Y'Shua as deity. There are at least 200 Messianic congregations in the United States alone. This would have been unthinkable even 50 years ago. It is estimated that there are at least 100,000 Messianic Jews worldwide, and the World HQ for Messianic Jewish Missions is located right here in my city. Many more will come to accept Christ during the coming wars and tribulations. It has been written, so therefore, most Christians accept this.
NeonVomit wrote:Unless, of course, Jews have retained their identity not through the religion, but because of the culture...
There are religious Jews, and then there are secular Jews. Some of the Jews that I have known have been wonderful people, and very caring and kind. I almost married one, many years ago. She is the one that I let get away, and I still regret it to this day.
NeonVomit wrote:I think Wafa Sultan hit the nail right on the head. Islam sees things in a medieval way (look at Afghanistan under the Taleban; not like it's much better now but anyway) while the rest of the world is moving on into the future. If this carries on much longer, Islam along with many other religions will simply become irrelevant. Without such a harsh religion, how will leaders be able to control their people? What authority would the House of Saud have, or the Ayatollah of Iran?
I think that Ms. Sultan is certainly an intelligent woman, and of course, she presents some very good arguments. However, I firmly believe that once God is taken out of the schools, out of society, and out of the family, then nothing but misery and sadness will be the end result. Look at all of the NFL/NBA sports stars, actors, socialites, etc. in the US that should have the world by the tail with their wealth, power, prestige, etc., and do any of them seem to actually be happy? Let's be honest on that last question.
If Paris Hilton, for instance, is so rich and famous, then why is she in so much trouble all the time, and is so unhappy? The short answer is, everything else but God is important to her. However, I do believe that the jail time she served was probably a good wakeup call for her.
Christianity has been under moral and societal attack for centuries. There is an old saying that at least half of the Baptist churches (for instance) in my area were started because of fights and schisms in the congregation. Anyone that does not follow God's laws and make a 100% commitment to Him need to find another religion. Christianity is about pleasing God, and not courting friendship with the world and with public opinion, or following trends or fads.NeonVomit wrote:The thing is, Christianity has evolved and adapted, and is still relevant (inasmuch as any religion can be relevant in the 21st century) and practised in developed countries. I don't see why Islam can't follow the same path.
For example, consecration of homosexuals to server as priests, pastors, or teachers is about to cause a schism in the Episcopalian (Anglican) and Lutheran congregations here in the US. Such practices should never be considered as consecration, but indeed, they are rightly considered to be an abomination. No one in the traditional or conservative wings of the church should give even a passing thought to the ACLU's opinion on this, and I would love to see what would happen to any Imam that would "come out of the closet", so to speak.
Islam should be able to be practiced by people that truly believe that is what their god wants them to do. The jihadists, however, must be destroyed without mercy. I once asked a close friend who is a Muslim where he thought the Saudi hijackers went after the impacts on the WTC- and without hesitation, he said, "Make no mistake about it, those guys are burning in Hell at this very moment."
) about how miserable many, if not all, American athletes and celebrities are, and most of them earned their fortunes in motion pictures, sports, or music, rather than inherited from grandpa. 
That's awesome news!!!
