OpEdNews » O'Reilly and Ahmadinejad: We must wipe them off the map

Support OEN
With Your
Tax-Deductible Donation

Tags for This Article:

Populum Tag Cloud Control Panel
	Fine tune your search to access content

Articles	Links
Diaries	Products
Events	All

All time
Last 6 mos
Last month
Last week
Last 24 hrs

From:
Month Day Year

To:
Month Day Year

Alphabet Popularity	Count ON Count OFF
This Level	Sub-levels

Tag(s): Bigotry; Conflict; Democratic; God; Government; Hiroshima; Iran; Iraq; Israel; Jerusalem; (more...) Medina; Occupation; Palestinian; People Ahmadinejad M; People Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (less...)
Add to My Group

May 1, 2008 at 08:57:01

O'Reilly and Ahmadinejad: We must wipe them off the map

by JC Garrett Page 2 of 2 page(s)

www.opednews.com

SAVE FAVORITES

VIEW FAVORITES

View Ratings | Rate It

So in that context, what Ahmadinejad was actually saying was that he was against the Israeli political system and the regime in power, and was stating his belief that Palestinians are suffering an injustice. That sounds an awful lot like the Bush administration's view that the elected government of Iran should be replaced with one that is friendly to U.S. interests.

But let's leave all that aside. Let's pretend that Ahmadinejad really did call for Israel to be wiped off the map. We'll even presume that he advocates the total eradication and genocide of Israeli Jews. That is inarguably despicable. What is the difference between that and the slaughter endorsed by Bill O'Reilly? In either case, the underlying cause of conflict boils down to religious and cultural differences. Israeli Jews and American Christians don't like Muslims, and Muslims don't like Jews and Christians. This is, of course a gross generalization because there are many in each religion who do not feel that way. But historically and now, religious differences are a cause, if not the main cause, of almost every war fought by mankind. Racism and religious bigotry is alive and well in the U.S. as evidenced by this disgusting assertion made by a member of a right-wing group that has the nerve to call itself the "Founding Fathers Party" on their website:

"Once again I ask, why does the rest of the world accept this turd spewing "religion" as valid? Wipe them off the face of the Earth. The only good mongrel muslim is a dead one."

Similar sentiments can be found on countless "conservative" sites and can be heard on talk-radio everyday. That is the un-edited, extremely politically incorrect version of the views of people like Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck. It is the basic platform of politicians like Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, who revealed his true colors when he publicly advocated bombing Muslim holy sites as a "deterrent" to attacks on the United States:

"If it is up to me, we are going to explain that an attack on this homeland of that nature would be followed by an attack on the holy sites in Mecca and Medina. That is the only thing I can think of that might deter somebody from doing what they would otherwise do."

Of course, Mecca and Medina happen to be located in Saudi Arabia - a country considered to be a U.S. ally. But all that matters to Tancredo is that Muslims live there.

O'Reilly called for wiping out an entire religious denomination - one he labeled as "Islamic fundamentalists". We have here in the U.S. several Christian and Jewish denominations and sects whose membership includes a significant number of "fundamentalists" who endorsed and continue to support the occupation of Iraq and are now salivating over starting a war with Iran because they detest anything and everything "Muslim". We have clergy who preach that Islam is a false religion, or an evil religion, and say that it is our duty and God's purpose to rid the world of Muslims.

George W. Bush had the unspeakable arrogance to label three entire countries as an "Axis of Evil". How does one even begin to explain how ignorant and immoral that is? Whole countries proclaimed to be evil, worthless, sub-human. We're not talking about terrorists who actually come to America with an intent to harm us. We're talking about people spread out all over the world, in countless countries. And we're talking about killing them not because they represent a credible, serious threat to us, but because they don't like us. Because they don't support our "interests". Imagine another nation invading America and overthrowing our government because we don't like them. Not because we have bombed them, not because we have enslaved them, but because we don't agree with them. Where is the righteousness in that?

We are stuck in a perpetual juvenile game of "my God's better than your God". When will we realize that it's the same God? When will we accept the fact that the only difference is the wrapping paper that we artificially package Him in? And when will we come to understand that God does not belong only to certain nations, and that evil does not respect the invisible boundaries of national borders? Only when we accept that we do not own God and realize that He is not to be used as a justification for killing each other will we ever know true peace.

By JC Garrett

1 | 2

	Contact Author
	Contact Editor
	View Other Articles by Author

Bookmark this page: (what's this?)

(More...)

8 comments

Stanimal is ???

I hear cries for freedom elsewhere, while the US becomes less so. I hear support for free markets, then demanding a bailout due to incompetence.
I roll my eyes at those that accuse others being oppressed while the US has and still continues to the same and much worse. Laughing at pinheads who purchase and profit from those they curse.

Every time I return to visit I see a country I no longer recognize. A shredded Constitution, a spineless Congress ...

to see more of bio, click on member name
StanimalStanimal is ???

I hear cries for freedom elsewhere, while the US becomes less so. I hear support for free markets, then demanding a bailout due to incompetence.
I roll my eyes at those that accuse others being oppressed while the US has and still continues to the same and much worse. Laughing at pinheads who purchase and profit from those they curse.

Every time I return to visit I see a country I no longer recognize. A shredded Constitution, a spineless Congress ...

to see more of bio, click on member name

I have asked Christian's, Muslim's,

and Jew's, on 5 continents, if the God they believe in is the same God as the other religions pray to. They all have told me their God is more divine than the others.

When you look at the historical ideals of what the religions profess too, of peace and love and compassion; you see that when either was a majority religion, that war and conquest was/is waged equally by all.

Could the problem lie in affirming a faith in a religious philosophy, and not to God?

by Stanimal (0 articles, 4 quicklinks, 24 diaries, 678 comments) on Thursday, May 1, 2008 at 9:45:14 AM

JC Garrett is a freelance writer and Constitutional scholar from the piney-woods of East Texas. He apologizes to the entire world that the great Lone Star State could have produced the neo-Neanderthal currently occupying the Oval Office.

"I'm not ashamed to be an American. I'm ashamed George W. Bush is an American."

Mr. Garrett owns and operates an independent recording studio, plays several instruments, writes, sings, and produces music.

His stories have ...

to see more of bio, click on member name
JC GarrettJC Garrett is a freelance writer and Constitutional scholar from the piney-woods of East Texas. He apologizes to the entire world that the great Lone Star State could have produced the neo-Neanderthal currently occupying the Oval Office.

"I'm not ashamed to be an American. I'm ashamed George W. Bush is an American."

Mr. Garrett owns and operates an independent recording studio, plays several instruments, writes, sings, and produces music.

His stories have ...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Man-made Tradition

Exactly, Stan. It is the man-made religious traditions that divide us, not God.

We've all seen the self-righteous opinion pieces and comments about how ridiculous it is that Sunni and Shiah Muslims can't get over themselves long enough to build a unified country. It is ridiculous, but no more ridiculous than Catholic and Protestant Christians killing each other for hundreds of years, over stupid stuff like the proper way to conduct church services.

To me, that is the true meaning of Obama's statement about people clinging to religion. Barack didn't mean to disparage people's faith in God, but in religious prejudices. There is a big difference in honoring God with your actions and using religion as a hammer or a crutch.

by JC Garrett (40 articles, 65 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 604 comments) on Thursday, May 1, 2008 at 7:04:11 PM

Just a plain working person that is sick of the lies and our ego driven complacency about those lies.
arlen custerJust a plain working person that is sick of the lies and our ego driven complacency about those lies.

GOD IS MAN MADE

GOD IS MAN MADE. The fact that egomaniacle humans can't get through their thick skulls is that god is man made. There is not one shred of evidents that indicates anything like a god exists. The entire idea was developed to enslave the masses. And it clearly has worked.

by arlen custer (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 285 comments) on Friday, May 2, 2008 at 9:09:49 AM

Born in 1929 in Sheffield Yorkshire England. Left school at age 14 and worked as a painter & decorator until I was called up for National service in the British Army. Served in the army untill 1973, then worked as an electronics/radio engineer untill 1984 when i retired. Built a boat and sailed around the Med. for 11 years then sold it in Tunisia, returned to the U.K. then to Florida where I've lived ever since.
douglas kayBorn in 1929 in Sheffield Yorkshire England. Left school at age 14 and worked as a painter & decorator until I was called up for National service in the British Army. Served in the army untill 1973, then worked as an electronics/radio engineer untill 1984 when i retired. Built a boat and sailed around the Med. for 11 years then sold it in Tunisia, returned to the U.K. then to Florida where I've lived ever since.

God

Would some believer tell me what this god looks like, I've asked several believers but none would answer, perhaps it's a personal abberition, but if it is i wish these believers wouldn't contaminate everything thing they touch with their personal wishes.

Most societies have moved on from religious doctrines except in the backwoods, Europe has many replicas of that ancient voodooism and many wars to show for it.

by douglas kay (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 83 comments) on Friday, May 2, 2008 at 6:58:17 AM

What God Looks Like

This is what God looks like:

He looks a lot like you and me on the very rarest of our best days.

Those days when at least for an hour or so we actually do put the needs of others before our needs. When we push our prejudices, and our fears, and our selfishness to the furthest corner of our minds and, for just a little while, we allow ourselves to act out of genuine love without expecting anything in return. (In all honesty I have had very few of those moments, but I can never forget the small handful that I have had.)

He looks like the way we felt when we held our first child just after he or she was born into the world, as we gazed down at the fragile miracle that we had created, and we saw without a doubt that it was good, while at the same instant feeling the anxiety of a huge new responsibility.

He looks like times we saw the pain of a complete stranger and tears involuntarily rolled down our cheeks.

He looks like the calming, peaceful wave of relief we feel when we finally bring ourselves to truly forgive a wrong that we have suffered at the hands of the person we love most in the entire world.

He looks like the contentedness on the face of a close friend or relative on their deathbed, having lived a long and fruitful life and knowing that the end is near, yet at peace with themselves and ready to go.

He looks like the deep sense of loss we felt when that loved one finally left us.

He looks like the most beautiful things we have within us - love, compassion, tenderness and strength; patience, forgiveness, truth and humility. He possesses none of our baseness - envy, deceit, greed and arrogance; malice, prejudice, selfishness or pride. His hate is not a self-righteous evil like our hate - His is a righteous hatred of evil. And evil is simply the lack of love for our fellow man.

To condense all of that into a simple sentence:

God looks like the pure love we should all strive to show to each other, no matter the name by which we call Him.

At least that's what I think He looks like.

by JC Garrett (40 articles, 65 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 604 comments) on Friday, May 2, 2008 at 9:09:58 AM

He? I think your talking about

one of the most beautiful black woman you will ever meet.

If there truly is a God/Goddess, they would expect us to love thy neighbor as thyself, which I don't see our self-professed born again self-appointed chicken-hawk, former substance abusing, War criminal Commander in Thief, setting a very good example.

But, I'm not a religious person to begin with.

by Stanimal (0 articles, 4 quicklinks, 24 diaries, 678 comments) on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 8:46:17 AM

Nor am I.

Religion IS man-made, but God isn't. The rituals and traditions of religion very often keep us away from God instead of closer. God could care less whether or not we put on the trappings of piety - he'd rather that we practice piety.

Piety is not attending church or wearing religion on your shirtsleeve to gain attention, just like patriotism has nothing to do with a flag pin or nationalistic rhetoric.

Piety is faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.

by JC Garrett (40 articles, 65 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 604 comments) on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 9:40:22 AM

You Are The Proof of the control

As I have said. You clearly prove how effective the control is. You just can't let go of the twisted concept of god, can you? It's messing with your head and you don't even know it.

by arlen custer (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 285 comments) on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 3:32:31 PM