I hadnt realised before that Meggido/Armaggedon was an actual place before, but the issue of fundamentalist christians seeing war in the middle east as a necessary and desirable step towards God's return is something I've been very interested in lately. Heres a good article about Bush's policies and biblical prophecy.
I too, was raised by fundamentalist christians. My family have most of the left behind series in the house. These books about 'end times' (set in the very near future) are really popular in the USA - check out the deeply creepy website : leftbehind.com
After talking with my father about the Israeli occupation of Palestine, I started looking at what the bible says about these things, and I was reminded of just how vicious the biblical God encourages Israel to be in seizing other people's land. When people represent Christianity as being all peaceful and 'God is love' its easy to forget what the bible actually says. In the context of the Old Testament it seems that "Thou shalt not kill" is a strictly internal rule, covering only other people of Israel :
Deuteronomy 11, 23-25
then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the western sea. No man will be able to stand against you. The LORD your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go
Deuteronomy 2, 31-36
The LORD said to me, "See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his country over to you. Now begin to conquer and possess his land." 32 When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz, 33 the LORD our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army. 34 At that time we took all his towns and completely destroyed them-men, women and children. We left no survivors. 35 But the livestock and the plunder from the towns we had captured we carried off for ourselves. 36 From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the gorge, even as far as Gilead, not one town was too strong for us. The LORD our God gave us all of them.
Deuteronomy 7, 2
and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.
Numbers 3, 1-2
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people."
Numbers 1, 5-18
15 "Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them. 16 "They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the LORD in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the LORD's people. 17 Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, 18 but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.
Numbers 25, 4
4 The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD , so that the LORD's fierce anger may turn away from Israel."
exodus 32, 27-29
27 Then he said to them, "This is what the LORD , the God of Israel, says: 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.' " 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, "You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day."
Deuteronomy 2:12
Horites used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did in the land the LORD gave them as their possession.
Deuteronomy 13 12
If you hear it said about one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you to live in 13 that wicked men have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods you have not known), 14 then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, 15 you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. Destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock.
Ezekiel 9 5-6
5 As I listened, he [the LORD] said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. 6 Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple.
All quotes from NIV
Sorry to post so many quotations, I got a bit carried away.
So can anyone help me on this one ?
Does "Thou shalt not kill" cover Palestinians ?
It seems to me that the modern image of christianity as a peaceful religion is totally incompatible with much of the Old Testament. |