A different spin on things.

[KenWittlief]

Originally Posted by Dylan

What I find stupid is that this is really all over a patch of barren desert, just because both sides say that their god gave it to them. Perhaps they should consider the following:

1. Isn't it possible that if their god gave it to both of them that they are supposed to share it?

2.It's desert. IMHO, if god gives you a big patch of barren desert, he doesn't like you too much. Why couldn't it have been a lush forest, or a prairie?

maybe we can turn this thread into a historical review.

For as long as I can remember, I have never heard any representative of the nation of Israel state the land is theirs because God gave it to them. From what I have read only a small percent of the Israeli people could be classified as extreemly religious (the ones who want to rebuild the temple, re-institute ritual animal sacrifices like the days of Moses and David...) 95% of the Jewish people in Israel hold their religious beliefs much like we do here in the US - People believe in God, and have religious convictions, but we dont start killing people because of our religion.

Before it was Israel (1946? 47?) it was Palestine. Not the nation of Palestine, the British colony of Palestine. The UN took control of the land away from the British, and formed a new independent nation: Israel.

and everyone lived happily everafter... Ok, it was not all cut and dry - there were many Palestinian people who lost land and homes when this happened in the late 40's AND the surrounding (Arab) nations banded together and immediately attacked the new nation of Israel. It was a mess from day One.

To say that this part of the middle east is a barren desert is absurd. You mostly only see video of the desert on TV news, or the ancient parts of the cities like Jerusalem - but modern day Israel is one of the most advanced, most agriculturally cultivated, most productive nations in the world. Its not because God made it one way or another, its because the people living there made it that way.

With water and energy you can turn the desert into a resort. Need a local example: Las Vegas.

Having said all this, I believe 99% of the people in the middle east, on both sides of the conflict, would be happy to live together in peace. Its the 1% who can only stay in their positions of power and control and self-importance, who keep pulling the situation down to the lowest denominator. People like the leaders of Iran, who publicly call for the nation of Israel to be wiped off the map - the extremist who think that strapping a bomb to yourself and murdering men, women and children is what God wants you to do.

As long as people keep listening to these lunatics, the conflict will never end. This conflict has nothing to do with God, or what God wants

you got a bunch of people running around who are not interested in being students, or business people, or engineers or farmers or production workers - not when they can be the leader of "freedom fighters" or do-it-yourself religious leaders, or you can become a martyr in a glorious "religious" war.