RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM 

Over the years I've watched the debate about moderate and fundamentalists concerning their religions. When I ask people if they've even read their own sacred books, I generally get, "no, no time." Yet the debate rages on in the newspapers and on TV. Who to accept? What to accept?

So, I read the Koran and some of the Hebrew Bible.

After much reflection, I asked myself, "Are these two sacred books INHERENTLY VIOLENT, especially if they contain the REVEALED WORDS OF GOD OR ALLAH?"

And, do even the MODERATES believe that these words are God's or Allah's literal words?

So, I offer a summary of some of the texts that refer to the violent nature inherent in the books, without adding all the other wonderful words of justice, peace and love.

I hope this will save you some time if you can't read the entire works.

THE NEW YORK TIMES May 4, 2007 In Jihadist Haven, a Goal: To Kill and Die in Iraq By SOUAD MEKHENNET and MICHAEL MOSS ZARQA, Jordan — Abu Ibrahim considers his dead friends the lucky ones.

The Koran

The Hebrew Bible
Is this Sacred Book inherently violent?
(This is a short summary of Arthur Horn's works, with Pollinger's highlights)

New Testament/Christian Fundamentalism

Whether CATHOLIC or PROTESTANT or any branch thereof, it they believe that the New Testament contains the LITERAL words of God or that these are the REVEALED words of God, than they are considered to be FUNDAMENTALISTS (as opposed to those who see the New Testament symbolically, e.g. the Gnostics, or in any other than the literalist interpretation).

See, for example:

Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, by Bishop John Shelby Spong.
The Nag Hammadi Library, by James Robinson.
The Gnostic Gospels, by Elaine Pagels.
The Jesus Mysteries: Was the "Original Jesus" a Pagan God?, by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy.

More about all this forthcoming.

Comments

If anyone cares to send me comments, I'd appreciate it.
How the Christians can think that Yahweh became God the Father is beyond me? But I'm open to discussion

Given the violent nature of these two "sacred" Books, and the history of the Jews and Arabs, is it any wonder that the Mid-East may never achieve peace.