Northwest Indiana Bible Students

 

HATRED IN RELIGION

January 2004

The recent earthquake in Iran has revealed something very troubling. Earthquakes are not new to mankind. These tragedies are simply much worse in our time because of the number of people on the earth. Some thirty thousand may have perished in this tragedy. The Iran government welcomed all nations to help them in this tragedy, even the nation they call the Great Satan-­the United States. Yes, they could tolerate the Great Satan's help but not its friendship. However, they made it clear that all nations except Israel would be welcomed to help. Israel not only has the world's most experienced crews in quickly finding survivors in bombed or destroyed buildings, it is also a mere two-hours flight from Iran. In other words, no country in the world would come close to Israel in its ability to save Iranian lives quickly. None of this means anything to the rulers of Iran who are religious clerics and apostles of hatred. This Islamic government in Iran has announced to the world that it is better for fellow countrymen and fellow Muslims-men, women and children-to die buried under rubble than to be saved by a Jew from Israel.

That is how deep the hatred of Israel and Jews is in much of the Muslim world.

Hundreds of millions of Muslims-Arab and non­Arab, Sunni and Shiites-hate Israel more than they love life. Leaders of the Palestinian terror organization Hamas repeatedly state, "We love death more than the Jews love life." Now Iran announces that it is better for a Muslim to asphyxiate under the earth than be rescued by a Jew from Israel.

Naive Westerners-which includes most academics, intellectuals, members of the international news media, politicians, and most people just don't understand how deep is the religion of hatred.

Now hatred is something that is taught and learned. No child comes into the world with hatred or prejudice of any kind. It is frightening that such hatred of the Jews is being taught daily and hourly. Now this hatred is going to consume them. This kind of hatred destroys those who teach and harbor it. It is like anger that destroys its possessors.

We like to believe the platitudes such as, "Deep down, all people are really the same," "All people want peace," and the great untruth of multiculturalism that no culture is morally superior to another. Yes, these things would probably be true if scoundrels of the world did not teach with undying passion the religion of hatred.

License to Hate

When hatred is taught as an article of faith the conscience is tranquilized. When Allah can be praised at the most heinous crimes there is no guilt or remorse in doing them. It was so when the Inquisitors burned alleged heretics at the stake or broke their bodies on the rack. Jesus spoke of this time, saying, "The time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service" (John 16:2). When nearly twenty-eight hundred people died in the World Trade Center attack the Palestinians were dancing in the streets for joy. You can understand this only when you realize they were taught hatred as a religious belief.

Iran is the leading country sponsoring terrorism. It is ingrained in their thinking that they must eliminate the Jews. You have to stop teaching hatred before terrorism is going to end. There is no sign that teaching religious hatred is going to end any time soon. You have to cut off the snake's head to stop it.

Whatever Happened to Love?

Moses epitomized the Ten Commandments, reducing them to two. In Deuteronomy 6:5= "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." Then in Leviticus 19:18-"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Jesus quoted the words of Moses in Matthew 22:37-39 to summarize God's greatest commandment to His people. How different our world would be if a sincere effort were made to keep these two commandments?

Love is what makes the world sweet. We know that teaching religious hatred is not from God, but from the human heart bowed down to the powers of darkness. There is enough pain and suffering caused by an imperfect earth such as earthquakes, floods, high winds and drought. Then there is the scourge of disease and physical infirmities. There is also poverty, an inequitable distribution of wealth and even unequal opportunity to secure life's necessities. Men have tried to address these inequalities, but it is still as Jesus said, "Ye have the poor with you always" (Mark 14:7).

All religion claims to teach love on some level. Jesus said, "Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:16). Certainly all Muslims are not terrorists yet most terrorists are Muslims and that makes it difficult for those who are peaceable citizens. Terrorism is threatening the fiber of our society. If some kind of nuclear device or dirty bomb were to fall in the States it has been observed that our government would have to turn into a military state. 

Why Have the Jews Been Objects of Hatred?

The four or five million Jews that died in the Nazi gas chambers were not bad people. They were good and noble people. They were hated and killed because they were Jews. That is hard to explain in a rational way but knowing Satan rules this world we see that he was the author of the holocaust (Eph. 2:2). Not only were the Jews slaughtered but also Hitler had his general Rommel racing across northern Africa in the hope of taking the Suez Canal and the Holy Land. The Third Reich planned the extermination of the Jews in Europe and possession of the Holy Land so it could-prevent a Jewish state. The Arabs were in hearty agreement. Hitler's plan failed.

Since the Jewish state was born in 1948 it has endured repeated attempts on its destruction. The Arabs were certain they could drive them into the sea. However, every attempt to uproot them has failed and will continue to fail.

This blind and bigoted hatred of the Jew will soon bring the world to Armageddon. God says, "I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in siege both against Judah and Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces" (Zech. 12:2, 3). Jerusalem is in the right hands and should be left alone. The driving force of hatred toward Jews will not prevent God from setting up His ruling hill on Mt. Zion. The resistance to God's will must therefore be eliminated. This blind hatred of the Jew is self-defeating. God is setting up the Jewish state and who shall prevail against it? (Is. 55:11) "Salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22). " "The Time to Favor Zion Is Come"

Blind hatred against the Jew seems unending and impossible to satisfy. Yet this very hatred will not move God from His purpose to set up His King on Zion's Hill and have all nations flowing into it. In Zechariah 8:23 we read, "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; in those days [it shall come to pass], that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard [that] God [is] with you." In Psalm 102:13 we read, "Thou shalt arise, [and] have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favor her, yea, the set time, is come." When God has determined to favor Zion and to establish the house of David under Christ, the world has decided to oppose the Lord. No matter, the Lord will triumph gloriously. Love will win in the end.

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Fair Use doctrine of international copyright law                           article posted 1/20/2004