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Dear Mr. Falwell,
Was not Moses a violent man? According to the biblical literalist it is written
of Moses to have instructed the Israelites to, "Kill every man, woman and child," with other exceptions
as "you may keep the virgins for yourselves" (Num. 31:17).The actions of Moses, such as in the case of
Caanan was to murder every man woman and child, from a land claim that may have not been legitimate.
And what about King David? Did he not slay hundreds of innocent men?
One must consider both Nehemiah and Ezra who both instructed and enforced a human
genocide, with the removal and murder of all non-Jews up to ten generations to die out in the desert, including
women, children and the elderly, all in the name of the God you attempt to worship in a literal sense, the book
you attempt to follow by the letter. For this reason, those such as the writers of Jonah and Ruth perhaps wrote
their figurative protest literature to speak against such fundamental viewpoints.
It is not Mohammed nor Moses that present a problem, for they were both holy men
in their own right. Rather, it is the fundamentalist mentality in reading their words that brings harm to others.
Neither Mohammed, nor Moses, have any substantial claims to peace and war, and
subsequently, the issues of territorial disputes, political control, and ultimately hate, that face the nation
of Israel and surrounding Islamic neighbors.
But it is the fundamental thinking of these people, and that of yours, that brings
such unrest. We would do far better as humans and in spiritual development, if we promoted peace and love, ceasing
all accusations and name-calling attacks.
Very truly yours,
Richard Schwartz
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Falwell: Mohammed Was "A Terrorist"
° Interview To Air On Sunday's 60 Minutes
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CBS
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Jerry Falwell
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Oct 3, 2002 11:25 am US/Eastern
(CBS)-(NEW YORK)-The Rev. Jerry
Falwell calls Islam’s founder and most sacred figure, Mohammed, “a terrorist,” while affirming the Christian Right’s
steadfast support for the state of Israel against its Islamic enemies.
The interview with Bob Simon, in which Falwell hints that the Christian Right influences U.S. government policy
toward Israel, will be broadcast on 60 Minutes, Sunday Oct. 6 at 7 pm on CBS 2.
“I think Mohammed was a terrorist. I read enough, by both Muslims and non-Muslims, [to decide] that he was a violent
man, a man of war,” Falwell tells Simon. “In my opinion…Jesus set the example for love, as did Moses, and I think
Mohammed set an opposite example.”
Falwell sent a personal protest to President Bush and the White House received 100,000 e-mail protests from Christians
when Bush urged Israeli to remove its forces from Palestinian towns earlier this year.
Falwell believes Bush is well aware of the Christian constituency. “There are 70 million of us, [and] there’s nothing
that would bring the wrath of the Christian public in this country down on this government like abandoning or opposing
Israel on a critical matter,” Falwell tells Simon.
Falwell and conservative Christians support the Israelis and condemn their enemies because they believe the triumph
of Israel is God’s will. The Jews’ return to their ancient homeland – and sole ownership of the territories Arabs
and Israelis both lay claim to -- is a precondition for the second coming of Christ, according to Evangelical Christians’
interpretation of the Bible’s Book of Revelations.
The Biblical scenario is not a savory one for many Jews. “God save us from these people,” says Israeli political
analyst Yossi Alpher. “When you see what these people are encouraging Israel and the U.S. to do, ignore the Palestinians,
kick them out, they are leading us into a scenario of out and out disaster,” he tells Simon.
But disaster is part of the scenario. Evangelicals believe there will be catastrophic events on earth, some occurring
already, including the turmoil in the Middle East, culminating in the Battle of Armageddon in which Christ will
triumph and begin ruling the earth. At this point, they believe, non-believers will be destroyed, good Christians
saved and any remaining Jews will be converted to Christianity.
Says Ed McAteer, a founder of the Moral Majority and known as the Godfather of the Christian Right, “I believe
that we are seeing prophecy unfold so rapidly and dramatically and wonderfully, and without exaggeration, makes
me breathless.”
(© MMII Viacom Internet Services Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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The crusades of Christianity, the domination of the church, the semi-collective
control of the Christian religious society of the medieval era are reminders of fundamental thinking and examples
of religious bigotry, the result of biblical literalism and the failure to see the universal spirit
that lies far beyond
all letter and has validity of the whole. Is it any different today when religious leaders and organizations literalize
their scriptures, their interpretations and exclusive claims to divine channels?
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