The Bible's Vindication of Obama's Middle East Strategy

Some West Bank settlers think Barack Obama is defying God's will. Obama wants to stop the growth of the settlements, whereas (according to these settlers) God wants the people of Israel to populate all of the promised land; it says so in the Bible.

I have a different take on what the Bible says. If you read the Bible carefully, and are mindful of its historical context, it offers a kind of support for Obama's position on the settlements and for his approach to the "Muslim world" broadly.

At least, that's one implication of my new book The Evolution of God. In it I follow the changing moods of God, as reflected in ancient scripture, to see what circumstances brought out the best in religion in the past. The hope is that this knowledge can help us bring out the best in religion today.

One thing I found is that some of the most belligerent, vindictive scriptures in the Hebrew Bible were written when Israelites were in roughly the mindset that Palestinians are in today. And some of the most tolerant, benevolent scriptures emerged after a change in Israel's political psychology much like the change Obama is trying to engineer in Palestinian psychology.

For much of its early existence, Israel was a small nation in a tough neighborhood. It got pushed around by such superpowers as Assyria and, most famously, the neo-Babylonian empire, which in 586 BCE destroyed the Jerusalem temple and exiled Israel's elites. Like Palestinians today, Israelites felt humiliated and dispossessed; they weren't in control of their destiny.

The result was a thirst for revenge. Parts of the book of Isaiah thought to have been written during the exile dwell on the payback that Israel's God will someday give to nations that have tormented the Israelites. God says, "I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine." As for the rulers of these nations, "With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet."

But Israel's God didn't stay in that mood forever. Circumstances changed. The Babylonians were conquered by the Persians. The leader of Persia, Cyrus the Great, returned the exiles to Israel, where they were allowed to govern their own affairs and worship their God.

Now Israel's past tormentors were no longer in a position to dominate. Indeed, many of them, such as the Assyrians, were now fellow members of the Persian empire. Bad neighbors had become good neighbors.

And this made a big difference. Parts of the Bible thought to have been written after the exile strike a warm tone toward past enemies. (In the book of Jonah God shows compassion for residents of the Assyrian city of Nineveh, explaining to Jonah why they should be forgiven for past misdeeds.) These post-exilic passages also feature more internationally communal language than pre-exilic scripture, and mention not just God's covenant with Israel but "an everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."

The moral of the story is simple: When people see their interests threatened by another group, this perception brings out the most belligerent parts of their religion. Such circumstances are good news for violent extremists and bad news for moderates. What Obama is trying to do--make Palestinians feel less threatened, and make Muslims generally feel more respected--is what may now, as it did in ancient times, bring out the tolerant side of a religion.

This pattern in the Hebrew Bible--the pattern that explains the shifting moods of God--is mirrored in the Koran (as I argued in an essay recently published in Time magazine). Indeed, all three Abrahamic faiths proved in ancient times that the tenor of their religion can adapt to changing facts on the ground. The Abrahamic God has shown the capacity for great moral growth, if also for backsliding, and President Obama is increasing the chances that God will see a burst of growth in the future. It says so--if you read between the lines--in the Bible.

Robert Wright is a senior fellow at the New America Foundation and the author of Nonzero, The Moral Animal, and, most recently, The Evolution of God.

Comments

[NYC123]

Somehow, “Mankind” has made it into the 21st. Century and what have we learned? Nothing!!

We cannot go forward by licking the wounds of the past! We learn from the past and take the good and invest it wisely in the future. Throughout history, man’s inhumanity toward man is well documented without a franchise! Mankind, without exception, has been on both ends ( good and bad) of this equation.

The young people of the world understand the looking forward message delivered by President of Obama! Why? Easy answer, their stake for peace and happiness in the future rest in harmony and finding common ground with all peoples of the world. Everyone wants the same thing: peace, prosperity and respect of individual worship!

Our job as earthlings, imperfect sinful fools, is simple! Just two things are required and at both we fail miserably! “First love God Almighty! And secondly, “love our neighbor (important) like ourselves!” Another words “treat our neighbor the way we would like to be treated!” For one cannot see God, let alone love Him, without having love of neighbor! Cannot happen!! A main doctrine in Judaism, the Muslin faith and Christianity!

[DonCosenza]

Please. The last thing we need is to rely on more biblical vindication for any political or foreign policy, whether we happen to agree with the conclusions or not.

[boredwell]

What really pushes the Israeli agenda for settlement is not the bible but fear. The land grab is insulation providing strategic and agricultural benefices. According to 2008 population statistics there are 2.4 million arab palestinians living on the West Bank vs 187,000 Jewish settlers. In the contested Golan Heights there are 19 Israel "moshavim" and 17 kibbutzim totalling 16,000 vs 22,000 Syrian Druze, Muslim and Israel's project called The Settlement Watch Report part of the Peace Now movement states accoriding to the authors, Dror Etkes and Hagit Ofran, that "it is difficult to assess all of the political and legal implications" of their findings. But "it is clear," they write, "that the settlement enterprise has, since its inception, ignored Israeli law and undermined not only the collective property rights of the Palestinians as a people, but also the private property rights of individual Palestinian landowners." The report states that the settlements occupy a total of 15,271 acres of private Palestinian land.

[KatarinaNolte]

The Old Testament was written between 3,200-2,200 BP in Mesopotamia in a time when a nation could not form without a new religion. These new religions were usually hybridized native and neighboring religions which is why YHWH, the first Abrahamic god, was never depicted in art. The new nations were formed through violent occupations and massacres of native people who would object the new rule and religion. The god himself is an angry vindictive one who dispises and threatens his followers and who loves them only if they strictly follow his rules. Sounds a lot like a fanatical dead despot who continues to find followers amongst the masochists who believe themselves unworthy of unconditional love and therefore have to earn conditional love through sacrifice.

[Idiocracy]

Sand and heat make beautiful glassware..

Nuke the entire region and lets sell nice glassware on ebay.

[Adam Neiman - Huffpost Blogger]

Robert, that's a very thoughtful piece and the comments very depressing. what the seculars don't grasp about this conflict is that it is at least as much between the people of faith and the seculars within societies as between the different faiths. Reconciliation involves understanding & validating ALL the narratives. At least Obama gets it. Would you comment on my recent....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-neiman/watch-out-what-you-pray-f_b_212550.html

I'd be curious whatcha think.

thanks for putting your neck out w/the seculars in the public pillory!

[malzor]

Um, I think Robert is "a secular", he's analyzing ancient texts so helping the non-seculars get a grip.

[ruth606]

oh yeah because the non-seculars, and especially the extremists are going to read this and suddenly say, "ohhh of course, why didn't we think of this?"

[iLLogicaL]

I hope this is a parody piece.

[snoopjohnny]

Cobbling together a new religion-based remedy for peace in the middle east is akin to devising a recipe for a new kind of gasoline with which to put out fires. The intentions are good, but.....

How can the US can continue viewing the situation through Israeli glasses that see only "Israel is right!". Yes Israel is the more consistent, organized, democratic and I suppose, more civilized force in the mix. But until Israel assumes an unconditional approach to peace, there will be no change. We know that now. Israel has the military might and superpower allies; only when they make sacrifices that demonstrate an unquestionable goal of peace will the world (and Arab nations) be compelled (or shamed) to live up to the ideal of peace. Is this fair to Israel? Maybe not. Will lives be lost? Inevitably, but how many more will die on the current "road to peace"?

Right and wrong, good and bad, Christian, Jew and Muslim; these things have worn out their welcome at the table, in my opinion. It's time for those with the real power to start making real changes.

Can the US facilitate this process? Maybe, but not by trying new mixtures of gasoline.

[batguano]

Religious psychosis or bible fantasy should not be the basis of political arguments, nor should the US support people who claim the "god-given right" to steal the lands of another by brutal aggression, destruction, murder & oppression. Our “founding fathers” wisely saw the destructive nature & propensity of religious extremism to subvert government & deny secular society its rights. For us continue the immoral political (military & billions in aid annually) support for extremist Israeli ethnic cleansing & racism to fulfill biblical promises is tantamount to allowing slavery or fill-in-the-blank. The extremist “settlers” have illegally colonized the West Bank backed by Israeli state apparatus & US aid, & must be stopped. OUR national integrity & morality are at stake & they have been too long ignored in favor of pro-Israeli positions pushed by agents like AIPAC. I see that the settler posters have been on this story in force with their specious revisionist history & religious drivel. Our congress & senate, & thus foreign policy, have been subverted by the pro-Israel­-at-any-co­st crowd & we must put an end to that. God used to justify the abuse of others should be anathema to all people of good conscience. To attempt to justify theft from another by using the words of the bibles fiction is the height of hypocrisy. Keep your fantastic beliefs to yourself & do not steal from, kill or treat others in vicious ways. One should not need the bible to see the truth or morality in that.

[TheGuide]

The Bible is only fantasy to you because of bad teaching you may've received for pastors, parents or whoever. What's applicable in today's life is found in the New Testiment, which is the book we should read before drawing any conclusions-- "Study to show yourself approved." I suggest the gospels of John on to the first chapter of Revelations as a start.

Now the Bible is not a book for intellectual absorption but, rather, for spiritual absorption. Like our physical minds we also have a spiritual mind that needs to be fed. So say a short pray for understanding prior to reading the Bible.

[pepenero]

Last night I heard God's voice and He said that He was giving me Tahiti. I've written to the president of the French Polynesia Government to let him know of God's will and this recent turn of events.

[DonCosenza]

So only the New Testament is useful to understand God?

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” -- Matthew 5:17

'Now the Bible is not a book for intellectual absorption but, rather, for spiritual absorption.'

Baulderdash. The Bible (both old and new testaments) makes tons of factual claims, most of dubious veracity. It is upon these claims that any spiritual merit to the texts rely. The spiritual value of the Bible is therefore only as strong as its intellectual value (intellect being the property with which we distinguish truth from falsity)... and that is not very strong at all.

[grooveygrover]

the bible was created by a bunch of men at the council of Nicea at the behest of constantine, they kept the gospels that were convenient for the time and try to destroy the others. The purpose was to impose constatine's version of christianity on the masses. worked for the most part.

[JamesHenry]

9/11 what happens when somebody dials 911 think and grow rich

[edwcorey]

I'm wondering what Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy have to say. If we're going to take into account any mythic entity's opinions on important matters, let's get them all on the table.

[flyjet787]

Agreed.

And let's not forget Apollo and Zeus.

[RiyazGuerra]

Thanks man, I needed that good laugh.

Recc'd

[Bompa]

I just love it when these religious wingnuts... of any stripe.. start telling us what "their gods" will is.

[flyjet787]

Nice way for the writer to plug his new book.

There goes that god of theirs again acting all "moody" - like a two-year-old testing its parents with big tantrums. How can people believe that something omnipotent and perfect created the massively vast universe we're in and created millions of different forms of life on Earth - and at the same time believe that this something (someone even!) would behave so ridiculously???

[NewArtz]

"I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine." As for the rulers of these nations, "With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet." -quote attributed to God

The only people who could say "Praise to Lord" to this "God" are Osama Bin Laden and Dick Cheney

[numenprof]

This essay is rather bizzare. It starts by apparently challenging the claim of conquerors (namely Israeli fundamentalists) to the right to inhabit what they've conquered, and to justify their confiscation of the property of the dispossessed by divine right. But despite the fact that the language of persistent Israeli settlement expansion is both belligerent and expressed by the conquerors (not the conquered), the writer then, inexplicably, suggests a causal relationship between such belligerent rhetoric and the situation of oppression that produced the belligerent language attibuted by dispossessed ancient Israelites (the conquered) to God. Then, Wright draws a parallel between that language and the rhetorical situation of Palestinian extremists in the present. Given this convolution (the fact that proposition one is not actually parallel to proposition two), how is this essay not self-contradictory? By the way, just to be clear; no person can demonstrate objectively that God has actually ever done or said anything at anytime. The most anyone can say, with integrity, is that humans constantly attribute actions, ideas, and words, more often than not their own, to God. But God can't be shown to have done or said anything.

[grooveygrover]

the isrealis didn't conquer isreal/jeruselam, they were given land that others were living on as retribution for the halocaust
they may have conquered it in the time of moses when god "led" them there and they had to kill the people living there in order to claim it

[balrog221]

All people with political aspirations the world over should be vetted with these questions and similar.

TRUE or FALSE Quiz (2nd edition)
1. Noah loaded up the Ark 2 by 2 ...True or False? 2.Jonah lived in a whale... true or false?
3. Other miraclous events (eg. virgin birth, talking snake)in the Bible Torah and Koran ... true or False?
4.Suicide Bombers get free virgins in heaven... true or false
5. Joseph Smith the prophet was the second coming of Christ... true or false
6. Jews are especially chosen by a creator ... true or false
7. Man descended from lower forms of Primates... true or false
8. The way you answer these questions says alot about your education and intelligence..true or false?

Take it it's fun... ever wonder why othe religions than your own are complete howash?