Gaza: Is Religion the Last, Best Hope for Peace?

So what can we say about Gaza, except that it's a humanitarian heartbreak? First off, you can't have a neighbor continuously lobbing missiles into your back yard. It's bad enough to have a neighbor who denies your right to exist, but to have one actively pursuing your destruction by acts of terrorism is intolerable. There is an age-old right to self-defense. Even essentially pacifist and non-violent Buddhism does not deny this right. And did Jesus's injunction to "turn the other cheek" envision a situation of this kind?

That said, we get into the territory of the "disproportionate response." The killing of large numbers of civilians is equally intolerable, and the heart condemns especially the violent death of children, even unintended. The argument that the combatants, insurgents, call them what you will, choose to hide themselves and their weaponry in homes and schools, while likely true, rings hollow beside the images of suffering innocents. The Israeli war machine seems cruel indeed when measured by the destruction that it causes.

At this point, the who's right and who's wrong have ceased to matter. We have reached the point where they effectively cancel each other out. On the one hand, it seems clear that the Palestinians received the short end of the stick when the state of Israel was carved out of the land that was their home. On the other, their leaders have persistently chosen violence and rejection over any negotiated settlement offer that has come their way.

It seems that in this situation, the most basic of human -- one might almost say animal -- instincts prevail: territorialism, mutual distrust, hatred, rage. The veneer of civilization shows itself to be thin indeed when everything that separates us from the animal world is thrust aside in favor of brute vengeance, prejudice and inflexibility. (And there are good arguments to be made that animals are more humane than we!) As in most human discord, the assignment of blame matters less than the resolution, and the urgent question now is how to put an end to a cycle of violence that does no one any good.

The wisdom here suggests the practice of mutual forbearance, the suspension of all violence on both sides, and the creation of a breathing space in which both Israeli and Palestinian leaders can reappraise the true interests of the people they serve in the context of the teachings of their respective religions: the simple, shared injunction to do unto others as you would have them do unto you would surely provide common ground. But I fear that in the current situation, this simplicity is too much to hope for.

Comments

[me again]

No, religion is the opiate of the masses and the root cause of hate and violence in much of the world...all in the name of the invisible man......

[Michale32086]

@MoeB

}}}}
Hamas is NOT cutting off basic supplies to the people of Gaza. You should place that blame where it belongs.
{{{{

Actually, by choosing to smuggle in weapons and other military hardware instead of enough food, HAMAS IS responsible..

It's not Israel's responsibility to feed and clothe the Palestinians. It's HAMAS' responsibility...

Israel is simply blockading it's own border, AS IS ISRAEL's RIGHT to do so. Just as Egypt is blockading it's border with Gaza. AS IS EGYPT's RIGHT to do so...

The Palestinians did not elect Israel to take care of them. That is HAMAS' job..

And HAMAS is failing miserably.. HAMAS is more interested in killing Israelis than it is interested in helping it's own people.

These are the facts....

Michale......

[ANGEL53545]

hamas is taking the food and supplies that were being brought into gaza by humaturian group and selling them to the highest bidder. so check your facts before you type.

[PeterAtLarge]

I think some readers missed my point. It was not that "religion" is the answer to the problems in that part of the world, but rather that they'd be better off if they listened to those teachings of their religions that inspire peace and mutual tolerance, not hatred and war.

[Zanti]

Neo-atheists hear "religion," and the fangs come out. Besides, your point was a tad too nuanced for them--they communicate in loud and pompous absolutes that double as put-downs. Anything more subtle than "x is evil; y is good; z are a bunch of idiots" doesn't penetrate their understanding.

[Dave24]

I'm worried about the supervolcano under Yellowstone. Natural disasters will always be more devastating to the Earth and its inhabitants than humanity's squabbles over the "validity" of fairy tales.

[itsthemedication]

You can't starve people and expect them not to fight back. As for religion, may I recommend "the god delusion," on sale now at your local bookstore.

[Michale32086]

It's HAMAS who chooses to "starve" the Palestinians..

This is fact..

Michale...

[MoeB]

Hamas is NOT cutting off basic supplies to the people of Gaza. You should place that blame where it belongs.

[Chilly TX1]

May I recomment zero religion. People can have their faith, but religion 100% means people will start to add to it and then begin to beleive that, if you dont beleive you should die.
Islam is the perfect religion. I mean, they go to countries and start teaching that if you do not agree you will die. And then they back if up with some kids that are told about 70 virgins if they blow themselves up in public places, to make their point. But it is not all bad, usually the family of the child that blew himself up will get a little money for their trouble, so that family turns it into a business plan. And the base of it all? religion.
Point I am trying to make is, just look at things like they are, and if someone starts screaming Ala in reference to why they are doing something, with no with other point of veiw accepted, you may have a virus.

[Zanti]

And may I recommend John H. Haught's brilliant "God and the New Atheism" as the thinking human's response to dawkins' idiocy. One caveat, though--the literarily challenged won't get anything out of it. I think it's only fair to note this.

[ANGEL53545]

if the palestians would stop the rocket fire, they would have enough food to buy. so the rockets and the food and supplies would go in. its up to people to stop their elected government from firing the rocket. if they cant fight for what is right than they dont have a right to live there.

[JohnFromCensornati]

If religion is the last, best hope, then all is lost.

[MoeB]

Exactly...I mean, isn't the elephant in the room religion? I mean even the establishment of Isreal in terms of geography was religious in nature...which is why this problem persists today, IMO.

[Michale32086]

For people who TRULY care about the Palestinians, the only logical course of action is to support Israel in it's attempts to wipe out Hamas..

HAMAS is the threat to the Palestinians.. Not Israel...

Michale.....

[SiberianRat]

This has nothing to do with the topic about religion. You're more extreme than many Israelis.

[Michale32086]

No, but it DOES have to do with the "Last Best Hope" for peace..

And that "Last Best Hope" is to eliminate HAMAS...

Michale.....

[nevernine]

Are you serious?
Religion is the best hope for the mideast situation?
Religion is primarily why it has gotten to where it is today.
People will use their religion and its scriptures with carefully
chosen verses and interpretations to justify whatever it
is they want to do, regardless of who or how many people
suffer and die. Religion has a very long and bloody history
in this regard.

In fact, what would work in bringing peace would be people
being able to let go of their religious beliefs and be forced
to relate to each other as equal human beings.

Wow, imagine that MIRACLE.

J

[Zanti]

Do you guys keep these cliches written down and close at hand so you can instantly post them the moment the word "religion" shows up in a blog title or text? Just asking.

It's kind of mind-blowing to see the same words and ideas again and again in essentially the same form. Is this the phenomenon known as "freethinking"?

[ButImNotSureAboutU]

Nice blowoff, here's one: Religion is the problem, not the answer.

As long as one tribe thinks that their imaginary friend gave them the land that the other tribe had been living in for hundreds of years there is probably not going to be peace. And since the tribe that has been living there for years built mosques to their imaginary friend in the same place as the old occupants claim as their temple to their imaginary friend, well, I think you can see the scope of the problem.

Here's another one: NO god, KNOW PEACE.

More and more people are beginning to realize that all the talk about god does not match up with their life experience and the sooner we realize that we are responsible, not some sky god, the sooner this world will start to become a better place.

[SiberianRat]

So true. Religion is the most destructive man-made concept in all of history. However, I can't help but hope that in all of this madness, an awakening will happen, and that religion will be shed and that we will embrace our undeniable connectedness and spiritual unity.

[Lon]

Israel controls all movement of goods into and out of Gaza. To refer to the Gazans as bad acting neighbors seems to be a cruel joke under that context. I don't want to overstate the Israeli's culpability. We behaved worse towards the Indians. There are plenty of countries today which remain worse. But to talk as if Israel is minding its own business and the Palestinians started lobbying rockets is to paint a pretty bizarre description of the situation. Even if it is a common one in this country.

[Michale32086]

{{{{
Israel controls all movement of goods into and out of Gaza.
}}}}}

This is factually inaccurate...

Egypt also has control of a border with Gaza..

Israel does not control Egypt's border with Gaza...

Look at it logically. Two countries have borders with Gaza. Both countries impose strict controls of those borders.

What is the common denominator??

GAZA

So, perhaps GAZA is the problem and not Israel or Egypt...

Michale.....

[JohnFromCensornati]

Yep. Gaza is the problem. It's an "indian reservation".

[MoeB]

First, Hamas was the problem. Now you've morphed it into all of Gaza. Real nice...another one of those 'Israel is always right!' folks.