Theocratic conflict 020413

For over five hundred years Protestants and Catholics have battled.  With no one else to fight for its first 700 years, Catholics fought among themselves.  During the 2000 years of Christian power both Protestants and Catholics have beat up on Jews.  About 1300 years ago they began to demonize and slaughter Muslims.  The stated issue in all this death and destruction is who has the inside track to paradise.   These religions profess to worship the same God but can’t even agree on how. 

Interestingly enough until the establishment of a Jewish state in the 20th century, Muslims respected Judaism in their lands and protected Jews from Christian pogroms.  Here is a hint of understanding of religious warfare.  It is not about worshiping on Friday Saturday, or Sunday.  It is not about who is a prophet and who is a savior, nor is it about icons, singing, doctrines or visions of an afterlife. 

Theocratic conflict is a struggle for power.  Who is in control of the most land, wealth and perceived correct thinking masses that are merely chips to be played by governing oligarchs.  Henry the VIII switched sides for a divorce and England suffered a Catholic pogrom.  Priest and preachers can still stir up violence in Ireland.  Fundamentalist Christians, Jews and Muslims incite their followers against the more moderate of their own faiths.  Jews and Muslims struggle over a strip of land no one wanted until the other side claimed it.  East and central Asia was desert to be crossed as quickly as possible until oil was discovered and it became the battleground for the major faiths.

To understand the differing perspectives one must walk in the other fellows’ shoes for a while and see through their eyes.  From the Muslim perspective the crusades weren’t about religion, the crusaders killed more Christians and Jews than Muslims.   The crusades were all about politics, a Roman Pope wanted to gain control of all of Christendom and Crusade leaders wanted kingdoms, not for God, but for themselves.  The 20th century crusade is still about politics but is being sold to the masses as a struggle over faith.  The Muslims see Christian invasions of their lands for natural resources and destruction of their culture. Christians’ proclamations call for destruction of an Islamic “cult.” Christians view any resistance to their divine right as terrorist activity and untold thousands of Muslims have died in the growing conflict, resulting in spreading insurgencies as proving of both perspectives.

Organized religion is not a prerequisite for theocratic warfare; oligarchs can establish themselves as an object of worship.  They rewrite history proving their superiority and build a new faith that eventually becomes a totalitarian regime designating “enemies,” proper conduct and disciples to control the masses.  Disciples and the masses must be fed on a steady diet of sacrifice and warfare in defense of this new faith. 

Caution must be exercises when religions and regimes demand that the masses “get on board,” with buzzwords and xenophobia. Religion is philosophy some times good, some times bad in the hands of politicians.  Political warfare is counterproductive, theocratic war is an ultimate waste of humanity.

Quotes:
The futurist George Orwell said, “A totalitarian state is in effect a theocracy, and its ruling caste, in order to keep its position, has to be thought of as infallible. But since, in practice, no one is infallible, it is frequently necessary to rearrange past events in order to show that this or that mistake was not made, or that this or that imaginary triumph actually happened.”  “Orwell, Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell Volume 2 My Country Right or Left 1940 - 1943”

"This Republican Party of Lincoln has become a party of theocracy."
U.S. Representative Christopher Shays, R-CT, (New York Times 3/23/05)