Religion and War

Nicholas Kristof, an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times, wrote a column titled “The Religious Wars” in which he reviews three recent books on religion that present unfavorable views of God, Judaism, and Christianity.

The following is an excerpt from his column:

Just a few years ago, it seemed curious that an omniscient, omnipotent God wouldn't smite tormentors like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris. They all published best-selling books excoriating religion and practically inviting lightning bolts.

Traditionally, religious wars were fought with swords and sieges; today, they often are fought with books. And in literary circles, these battles have usually been fought at the extremes.

Fundamentalists fired volleys of Left Behind novels, in which Jesus returns to Earth to battle the Anti-Christ (whose day job was secretary general of the United Nations). Meanwhile, devout atheists built mocking Web sites like www.whydoesGodhateamputees.com. That site notes that although believers periodically credit prayer with curing cancer, God never seems to regrow lost limbs. It demands an end to divine discrimination against amputees.

This year is different, with a crop of books that are less combative and more thoughtful. One of these is "The Evolution of God," by Robert Wright, who explores how religions have changed - improved - over the millennia. He notes that God, as perceived by humans, has mellowed from the capricious warlord sometimes depicted in the Old Testament who periodically orders genocides.

(In 1 Samuel 15:3, the Lord orders a mass slaughter of the Amalekite tribe: "Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child." These days, that would earn God an indictment before the International Criminal Court.)

In addition to The Evolution of God by Robert Wright, Kristof also briefly reviews The Case for God by Karen Armstrong and The Faith Instinct by Nicholas Wade. Kristof concludes his article by saying:

I’m hoping that the latest crop of books marks an armistice in the religious wars, a move away from both religious intolerance and irreligious intolerance. That would be a sign that perhaps we, along with God, are evolving toward a higher moral order.

Mr. Kristof’s column is not very positive on Judaism and Christianity. In fact, although his column discusses Judaism and Christianity, religion and war, not once he mentioned Islam and how many of the followers of Islam are deeply involved in most of the religious wars being fought today.

I wonder who truly needs an armistice in the wars fought in the name of religion and who needs to move away from religious intolerance.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary


Tags: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, War

In the News

The following are some of the stories I read this week. These are some of the stories that almost because subjects of a post. However, lack of time did not allow me to blog on them.


Iran envoy defends amputation ‘of the hand that steals’

Iran’s ambassador to Spain has compared chopping off the hands of thieves to a “surgeon amputating a limb to prevent the spread of gangrene.”

Conservative Rabbis to Vote on Resolution Criticizing Pope’s Revision of Prayer

The revision of a contentious Good Friday prayer approved this week by Pope Benedict XVI could set back Jewish-Catholic relations, Conservative Judaism’s international assembly of rabbis says in a resolution to be voted on next week.

The prayer calls for God to enlighten the hearts of Jews “so that they may acknowledge Jesus Christ, the savior of all men.”

God and Politics

Frank Lambert’s “Religion in American Politics,” published last month, traces the interplay between pulpits and the public square through nearly two centuries of U.S. history. Some things, he writes, never change.

Efforts to proclaim the United States a “Christian nation” date at least to 1827, when Calvinist minister Ezra Stiles Ely tried to mobilize a “Christian party in politics” to fight the delivery of mail on Sundays.

The Book of Mormon and Archaeology

Because of many false statements disseminated by members of the LDS Church, such as the one cited above, the Smithsonian Institute was forced to publish a statement concerning these matters. The 1986 statement begins with a denial of the claims put forth by Mormon enthusiasts:

“The Smithsonian Institution has never used the Book of Mormon in any way as a scientific guide. Smithsonian archeologists see no direct connection between the archeology of the New World and the subject matter of the book.” (“Statement Regarding The Book of Mormon.” Smithsonian Institute, Spring 1986).

Enjoy reading.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Archaeology, God, Islam, Mormons, Politics, Pope

Islam and the Jews

In the discussion between Islam and Judaism, what is needed is a voice of reason, that is, a moderate Moslem who can look at the contributions of Judaism to the development of Islam.

Now, at last, there is one. Khaleed Mohammed is an imam and also a professor of religion in California. In a lecture delivered on February 6, Professor Mohammed addressed the issue of the roots of Islam in Judaism.

In his lecture, Professor Mohammed cited the 14th Century Arab scholar and theologian, Ibn Khaldun, who said that if a Muslim needs to have an answer to a religious question, he should ask a Jew.

Professor Mohammed said that the Qur'an speaks of a pact between Jews and Muslims, uniting the two groups against the more numerous polytheists. He also said that when a surah urges Muslims to "Fight those who believe not . . . the religion of truth," the reference is not to fight against Jews, but to fight against polytheists.

Professor Mohammed believes that the popular resentment and jealousy that has developed over the centuries against the Jews is because of the powerful position that some Jews held in many Muslim realms, as advisors and physicians to rulers, including people such as Maimonides.

To me, the most important statement in Professor Mohammed’s lecture is his declaration that “Mohammed [himself] said that he was not starting a new religion.”

The above statements of Professor Mohammed were written in an article by Reuel S. Amdur and published in The Arab American News.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northen Baptist Seminary

Tags: Islam, Jews, Judaism