Put another way, when you have a blogger, who in appalling ignorance, fixates on the "OT" (Tanakh), who week after week comments upon it, who is, in fact, a former Hindu(!), knows nothing of Tanakh, who refers to Abraham as "pond scum," he is telling you religion will not help bring peace.

Reply:

Please enlighten us all Ms. Professor-know-it-all-NOT when did religion bring peace in these past 6000 years.
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When such a blogger, brings up out of context, every week, often several times a week, vilifications of this text, with no knowledge of Christian typology vs. Judaic levels of interpretation, reads from mistranslations, and, fails to do any of the recommended reading simply in order to spread hatred, religion is not the answer.
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Same old drivel mis-translations and contexts. Same old bull I heard from Hindus, Muslims, Christians & you. I generally do not hear much of this from Jews, except you.
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And let me add, that the enslavement of two hundred fifty million people, the Dalit, ignored by the world, is also underwritten by religion, Hinduism. This can change, but will require rereading of sacred texts, which some Indian Hindus have begun.
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Of course it is under written in Hindu scripture what do you expect from religion some kind of morality, ethics and compassion. You have seen one you have seen them all musty old tomes should have been cast in to the dust heap of history.
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In the meantime, the Christian West befriends Apartheid India (literally, Apartheid) because there is money in it.
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Lady you have no clue what "literally" even means. What the hell do you know of Indian constitution and statutes. You come to this blog with skull full of mush. One pf the first thing Indians did once gaining independence is abolish all castism and made provision for affirmative action. If there is continued discrimination it is because of religion not because of secular law. In apartheid south Africa ruling elite codified everything into law not just religion. All this venom from you is because I described your OT heroes in stark terms. Whatever explanations you may have the character of Abraham is nothing but pond scum. In your book the whole world was over flowing with honey & milk, especially the holy land till Gentile Romans came along. And then the whole thing went down the tubes for last 2010 years. Why don't you write book and see how many will under write it.

Put another way, when you have a blogger, who in appalling ignorance, fixates on the "OT" (Tanakh), who week after week comments upon it, who is, in fact, a former Hindu(!), knows nothing of Tanakh, who refers to Abraham as "pond scum," he is telling you religion will not help bring peace.

When such a blogger, brings up out of context, every week, often several times a week, vilifications of this text, with no knowledge of Christian typology vs. Judaic levels of interpretation, reads from mistranslations, and, fails to do any of the recommended reading simply in order to spread hatred, religion is not the answer.

You are dealing here with a blogger who is militantly ignorant, has decided to remain so. Will learn nothing of Judaism of which Tanakh is a founding text. And he is not alone. There are Muslims who view NT in the same way.

I should add that there are Christians and Jews who have read and well understand the essentialism and racism in the NT, understand that the bodies of millions of Jews have been strewn in unmarked graves in the wake of the NT. Not to mention Muslims, animists, and HIndus. And atheists and agnostics. However, when an ignorant, bigoted coward, finds it easier to deal with a text not his own, religion is not the answer. He is following those Christians who wish to cast off the "OT" though they have used it to authorize their "NT," and somehow leave the "NT" in tact.

In so doing, of course, they cannot recognize the hatred in that latter text, the essentialism that underwrites it. Then there are those who are simple cowards. And there are the brave, the academics, clerics, including ministers and priests who have taken the Jew hating NT to task and demanded its recognition.
Former HIndus are not among them.

And let me add, that the enslavement of two hundred fifty million people, the Dalit, ignored by the world, is also underwritten by religion, Hinduism. This can change, but will require rereading of sacred texts, which some Indian Hindus have begun.

In the meantime, the Christian West befriends Apartheid India (literally, Apartheid) because there is money in it.

Blind, haters and blind religious nation states, including Apartheid America, which relegates its native Americans to "reservations," demonstrate well that religion in the public domain undergirds not a "peace process" but a "War Process" and this it has always done. Religion underwrites slavery and genocide. Thus Hindus use their sacred texts to oppress the Dalit, and Adolf Hitler quoted liberally from the NT (sic) to eliminate on third of the Jews in this world.

Middle East problems (read Isreali-Palestinian conflict) are best solved by Israelis and Palestinians. Not secular Indian Americans, not Indonesian-Malaysian Muslims among others.

Posted By: Jihadist
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Let's not kid ourselves that we are solving this conflict. We are all commenting because the thread is Washington Post and not in some mid-eastern subscription only newspaper. The title of this thread is "Can religion solve conflicts in the Middle East?" Lets not go off the deep end and discuss everything else such as Hinduism or US involvement around the world. If you wished to share your opinions about US there is never a dearth of that topic on this blog. Likewise, if you wanted to share your opinions about Hinduism there were 3 or 4 threads just this past week. If you cannot stick to title of the thread, it is best you keep out.

Please go on bishop...
I believe you're starting from a reasonable foundation.

Another thing, Bishop, as you know. In Jordan, though Palestinians are the majority, you among them, Bishop, they continue to face discrimination. See the problem?

Christians need to solve their own problems. The first would be getting out of Aghanistan and ending their endless interference in Iran, Pakistan, and other nations.

Hinduists need to stop enslaving two hundred fifty million Dalit, get out of Kashmir where the new roaming young men do not want them. REcently more mass graves were discovered in Kasmir. The Kashmiri want an end to the checkpoints, and the one hundred thousand Indians OUT.

The Hindus also need to get out of Bangaladesh and stop interfering. Finally, they need to stop treating Indian Muslims as second-class citizens, as now even Indian Hindu elite academics are joining that discussion.

There is no way I can see for John to figure in this, given his attitude toward Jews. I think some Christians are well intended, but they really should butt out. The answers if they come at all, which I strongly doubt, will come from Palestinians and Israelis, the Muslims and Jews, and it would probably be best if those who negotiate have strong secular voices.

The biggest problem remains Hamas. Hamas and Fatah conflict, often armed, will undermine everything. Syria is the wildcard. It's starting to get confused. Has moved women wearing hijab out of public view, is beginning to get paranoid about "extremists," while supporting Hezbollah and Hamas. It does need Iran to support Greater Syria (formerly Lebanon), but being left out of the "peace process" makes Syria nervous, as Iran is beginning to. Iran is too "religious."

Middle East problems (read Isreali-Palestinian conflict) are best solved by Israelis and Palestinians. Not secular Indian Americans, not Indonesian-Malaysian Muslims among others.

After all, certain Indian American secularists have too many chips on their soldiers against religions and believers, including the Abrahamic faith groups to grasp, among other things, the religious rationale for the creation of Israel too.

After all too, some Indians, both Hindus and seculars, in and outside still can't get over Muslim invasion and occupation of "India" on their land, never mind the Aryans were also invaders to India and occupiers of Dravidians, putting in place and/or perpetuating the caste system.

We never see parallels in history. Nor care for them much. After all, each and every people's country and situation are held to be unique and particular to them.

Religion has been the source of the current situation. Your evangelical brethren of last century wanting to hasten the second coming floated the notion of a Jewish state in Palestine. Some Zionists, who were really secular with noble cause to ameliorate the European Jewery's plight jumped on the only plausible chance, which later taken advantage by the bigots such as begin and others caused the problem. The islamic jihadists, who instead of making the best of the bad situation got into their bigoted heads that they can throw the Jews into the sea and such blunderbuss have been prolonging the suffering of the innocents. And you now claim religion will be the solution. We had enough of your religion stuff.