Pray for Israel

I love Israel and pray for the day that they will be able to live in peace.
On that day, I think the world will be at peace and the angels will cheer in Heaven.
The details of how we get there though, I surely believe is up to God, and the people of Israel.

Reading the news can be hard these days for sure...
But who am I to question God and His methods?

So, I just sit back and take it all in.
It's never boring, that's for sure.

reply to post by aboxoftrix


I'm not gonna lie. It takes a lot of balls for someone to post something like that here on ATS, so props to you. You'll discover that there is a vast array of people here that will agree and disagree with you for various reasons so be prepared to face mass support and mass argument.

As for me, I do believe Israel must find peace, but in that they must be active participants in that peace. Iran and Israel must work together to overcome their differences before they tear each other apart. The entire east needs to get over themselves and embrance their differences. Not everyone is going to be a Christian and not everyone is going to be a Muslim, end of story.

However, surely you do not think that war, violence, bigotry, racism, and blood-shed are God's ways? I would digress. In fact, I'm sure God would love to see us act Christ-like as a people and vouch for love and peace as opposed to desolation and war. War and death is not God's method, not now anyways. Not for non-believers and not for believers either.

Originally posted by For(Home)Country
reply to post by aboxoftrix

 

However, surely you do not think that war, violence, bigotry, racism, and blood-shed are God's ways?

I do not believe that all that you say is Gods ways. I do believe God wants us all to live in harmony together.

Originally posted by For(Home)Country

However, surely you do not think that war, violence, bigotry, racism, and blood-shed are God's ways? I would digress.

Oh no my friend, all of those are the ways of MEN.
As the OPer said, the ways of god is only to love.
I also pray that one day I will see peace in this nation, till then I have nothing more to do but plan my move to a different country where there is relative peace.

Harmony would be wonderful. There are many paths to harmony. The peaceful path generally requires great personal and national sacrifice. For example, marriage. In marriage, compromise and sacrifice make a marriage last a lifetime. If the two parties are sane and have common sense, not to mention at least like each other somewhat, then the marriage may last if they have these qualities.

Let's look at the Israel problem by comparison. We have two parties that do not like each other. There is a beginning point. Let's get them to like each other first. After that, then in comes the compromising and sacrificing.

How do we get them to like each other? Same way we do with other countries that hate each other. Put them in the same room together so they see that they are more like each other than different from each other.

How is this done? Remove the restrictions in place in Israel for living quarters and the discriminative programs that exist. If there is a law that says, for example, that Palestinians can only live in Spot A, I say get rid of that law. Mix it up a little. Everybody live in Spot A. Let them all go to the same schools, have the same community centers, etc. Forbid all discriminatory and inflammatory laws, locations, etc. For example, no designated churches...let them use common areas.

After all, they are all Semites. Israelis are anti-Semitic if they hate Palestinians. They can't point the finger at others being anti-Semitic.

I understand the reason for the restriction on the citizenship for Israel is that you must be a Jew to be a citizen. That's because we, the world, created a Jewish state. We created a location for a nation for people that no one wanted. That being said, we have therefore created a discriminatory atmosphere to begin with. That will not change as long as there is an Israel, so any solution for the Middle East Problem will have to allow that situation to exist.

That being said, they could definitely start the plan with a good mixing of the neighborhoods. Later on, compromise and sacrifice.

People need to see that others are like them. It's the only way it will work.

You know, I really dont understand whats really going on around the world, As much as i'd like to think that I DO know, I just dont.

How/Why will the Angels cheer in heaven because Israel is at peace.

As much as many people around this planet want peace, and I have faith that one day, maybe not in our time, will be certain, I just dont think it'll happen during our time.

The longest thing any person on this earth could do is "live". Even though, it still isnt enough time.

Imagine, if all the land mass on this planet was not seperated by any ocean, or obstacle. And all the land mass was just as one.

Its only distance that keeps us apart, and seperates our values and viewings of eachother.

reply to post by aboxoftrix


Good to find someone who believes in a god of love and harmony.

The problem with the Middle East and the world is that the God's of Islam and Judaism (and Christianity to some extent) have a tendency to damn people or smite them and sometimes send their "chosen people" to war... It's really messed up but these religious differences give them an excuse to shed blood for eons...

Not sure what good praying is going to do, all the praying in the world won't get through the thick skulls of those locked in this unending conflict. Even words directly to their faces would do little. Human beings can be so petty and heartless, fighting for centuries with no real reason to speak of other than ancient empty hatreds rekindled anew with each generation.

Click here for more information.

reply to post by aboxoftrix


What the? Are you delusional?

Peace in the middle east? Not in your lifetime, sorry. Radical Islam is a very unforgiving belief system and they will NOT yeld on matters involving infidels (Israelis and anyone else). As long as Islam is prevalent there, which it alays will be thanks to all the do-gooders of the world, there will never ever be peace. Unless of course Israel is destroyed and one islamic power takes over the whole area so no one is left to fight with.

reply to post by aboxoftrix


I suppose peace in that region would be easier to envision if Israel gave back the land that it annexed from Palestine.

That would probably be a huge step towards peace.

But at the end of the day Israel and Palestine are just two terrorist states pushing and shoving each other because they simply cannot understand any other way of resolving disputes.


[edit on 13-4-2010 by noonebutme]

Originally posted by nevermindme
reply to post by aboxoftrix

 

What the? Are you delusional?

Peace in the middle east? Not in your lifetime, sorry. Radical Islam is a very unforgiving belief system and they will NOT yeld on matters involving infidels (Israelis and anyone else).

What about radical Zionism?? You seem to let that aspect slip your mind.


Israel doesn't want peace. Peace does not give them an excuse to take more and more land. Do you REALLY think that Israel wants a 2 state system?? NO, of course they want, but they might have to reconsider because the Muslim population will soon out-number them, and they would have to cease to be a democracy to keep their power.

Israel is happy having one citizen killed every few months, so they can use it as an excuse to demolish thousands of homes, drop hundreds of bombs.

Moreover, you forget the fact that there are millions of Christians and Jews CURRENTLY living in Islamic republics NOW.

I suppose this "radical Islam" isn't even very good at killing all the "infidels" in their own country.... Probably because the reality of the situation is that you made it up in your own head. Before the Zionist terrorist came in guns-a-blazing, Jews, Muslims, and Christians were living in Palestine in peace.

You people are brainwashed.

[edit on 13-4-2010 by denialofignoranceattack]

[edit on 13-4-2010 by denialofignoranceattack]

reply to post by aboxoftrix


I think it is a very nice and loving gesture you are making.
I've lived in Israel for quite some time and love it, as my homeland. However, I don't see peace coming at any point. As long as there are human beings with opposite religious and political beliefs, we're not getting anywhere.
I think this doesn't apply only for the middle east, but for all country's in turmoil.
I think peace is not in the human design. But I certainly appreciate your beautiful gesture, and I wish for the same, but I would expand it to peace on a global scale. But that's a utopia, I'm afraid.

Originally posted by denialofignoranceattack
What about radical Zionism?? You seem to let that aspect slip your mind.


Israel doesn't want peace. Peace does not give them an excuse to take more and more land. Do you REALLY think that Israel wants a 2 state system?? NO, of course they want, but they might have to reconsider because the Muslim population will soon out-number them, and they would have to cease to be a democracy to keep their power.

If Israel didn't want peace, it wouldn't have stated this in their Declaration of Independence:

We appeal - in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us now for months - to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions.

We extend our hand to all neighbouring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighbourliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East.

Official Link

If the Arabs had recognized the State of Israel, instead of launching an all-out war just hours later, Israel would not have as much land as it has today. Also, if Israel didn't want peace, then it would not have signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan.

As for this "land grab" that you're fantasizing about... If that were true, the Sinai would've never been returned. The Gaza Strip and the West Bank would've been annexed by now. And of course, Southern Lebanon would still be under Israeli occupation.

I strongly urge people to do their own research and THINK for themselves. That's extremely important.


Back to the OP, tensions are indeed rising. With recent reports of Syria shipping Scud missiles to the Hezbollah, the situation is only going to get worst. Peace is something that can definitely be achieved in this region, but it requires the removal of religious extremist movements such as the Hamas and Hezbollah. The Iranian influence in Syria is also a problem for the region as a whole and that will definitely create problems soon if it hasn't already.

The Muslim PR campaign has been quite successful making Israel look as evil as possible. The World is beginning to cut or limit their relations with Israel and make her feel isolated. These are indeed dangerous times in the Middle East, considering Israel's Samson Option...

[edit on 13-4-2010 by DJAghetto]

Originally posted by freebourn

Originally posted by For(Home)Country

However, surely you do not think that war, violence, bigotry, racism, and blood-shed are God's ways? I would digress.

Oh no my friend, all of those are the ways of MEN.
As the OPer said, the ways of god is only to love.

And the ways of men are prevalent throughout the world. Peace is a beautiful thought, but in reality it is hard to find anywhere in the world. If you pray, pray for man to learn the ways of peace. I don't think it will ever happen, but we can always hope.

Peace in Israel? What about peace in the entire world? What about all the other people in the world suffering? Surely the angels you speak of surely would not forget about them? What about the millions suffering from war lords in Africa? What about those other parts of the world?

I dare not mention peace for the Palestinians either, because that would instantly label me as antisemitic. Forget about the Palestinian children that were born into a genocidal world.

Yep, surely everything in the world will be just A OK once "Israel" is at peace. Because surely the world revolves around Israel... right?

Do me a favor and include the rest of the world in those prayers. Think you could do that for me? Thanks!

*sigh*


[edit on 13-4-2010 by xmaddness]

Originally posted by aboxoftrix
Reading the news can be hard these days for sure...
But who am I to question God and His methods?

problem with this statement is:
your belief that Israel is acting
on behalf of God.

The way I read the Bible
"Thou shalt not kill"
is one of the commandments
and yet they assassinate people
who oppose their beliefs.

I would have no problem with Israel
if they abided by the same rules they
preach .... or God preaches.

So yes I will pray for Israel
that they turn from their evil ways.

Originally posted by boondock-saint

Originally posted by aboxoftrix
Reading the news can be hard these days for sure...
But who am I to question God and His methods?

problem with this statement is:
your belief that Israel is acting
on behalf of God.

All I meant by that was;
Who I am I to ask God why this person is "In" or why this person is "Out" so to speak.
If Israel were acting in behalf of God, then I think world peace would be only a hands lenght away if it wasn't already upon us.

I find it funny that people have this insatiable desire to believe that some place or people is somehow "holier" than any other place or people. Israel, tibet, the amazon valley, the Na'vi...there is this naive, romantic 19thc-century idea that people "somewhere else" are somehow more in tune with the holy vibes or whatever.

This is largely based on ignorance and lack of travel experience with other cultures.

Go to Israel. Go to Tibet. Go to the Amazon basin. If you spend enough time there, you will see these people/places are no more "holy" than anywhere or anybody else.

God loves and tests all his human beings, wherever their geographic location. To say one group is more or less "holy" than any other is straight-up ignorance and racism, nothing more and nothing less.

I pray for Israel (I was just there last summer for a Madonna concert with my Jewish friends!) but I also pray for every country who faces great strife, including Palestine. I remember watching that HBO special where the Palestinian and Israeli mothers who lost children met and held each other because they share more than this conflict has to offer. I see the light in Judaism and I see the light in Islam. I do not believe in organized religion but I respect what piece of the puzzle each fulfills. I hate this conflict both sides are so wrong and both are so right.
You are right peace is at and arms length for all.

reply to post by aboxoftrix


You are an American. Why are you praying for another country? Pray for your own country the good ole US of A. After all you live here don't you? Why should we as Americans care what happens out there? We have more important issues at home to worry about than to care what happens out there.