Religious terrorists expect reward in heaven.WHY ? |
The ultimate source of this belief is not the Koran, but the story of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham proved he was willing to kill in obedience to God, and was therefore rewarded. On this foundation was built Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Extremists in each of these religions have killed and died for "God." Civilization cannot afford this view of God in the nuclear age.
The fiction novel Abram provides an alternative interpretation of this story offering all monotheists a righteous God who does not tell people to kill innocents.
Muslims won't convert to Christianity. |
They may convert from an evil version of Allah to a good version of Allah, if they can do it without compromising their understanding of the Quran. But if Jews serve a God who told Joshua to exterminate Canaanites, and Christians serve a God who burns people in hell forever, how can they expect Muslims to find a sensible God? The scriptures of monotheistic religions contain some passages that imply a just God, and some passages that imply an unjust God. It all started with Genesis. God supposedly told Abraham to kill his son. Abraham proved he was willing to obey, and was therefore rewarded. If we don't learn to interpret our scriptures sensibly, we don't have much chance in the nuclear age.
Terrorists aren't evil! Their GOD is evil.
|
Evil people know what is evil and do it anyway. If you think you're doing good, and you're wrong, you're not evil; you're mistaken. People who are willing to kill and die for God are the most sincere people in the world. But they're not good unless their God is good. A good God may tell people to kill evil people, but He will never tell people to kill good people, or innocent people, or people who happen to believe the wrong thing. This perverse idea of God did not start with the Koran, or even with the story of Joshua. It started with the story of Abraham and Isaac. If we don't learn to interpret our scriptures sensibly, we don't have much chance in the nuclear age.
Suicide bombers serve a God who promises eternal bliss for believing in him, and eternal damnation for not believing in him. People who hold this view of God can easily justify killing people who do not submit to their God.
And it's not only the Muslims. The ultimate justification of terrorism is in Genesis. God supposedly told Abraham to kill his son. Abraham proved he was willing to obey, and was therefore rewarded. This act has been the foundation of monotheism for 4,000 years. It has caused a stilted sense of justice and morality, resulting in behavioral aberations from laughable to horrific. We cannot afford it in the nuclear age. If Jews and Christians want Muslims to interpret the Quran sensibly,
Mission Statement |
to help other truth seekers,
and to save the world from nihilists and fools who serve an evil God.
I really enjoy helping truth seekers. But the same arguments that help truth seekers just antagonize worldview defenders, which I no longer find enjoyable.