This is a little unusual for a political blog but it will include political thoughts along with a non-denominational prayer.
The crises in Egypt and Syria and most wars in the Near East are not only political but have a religious component to it.What is the problem? Theocracies don"t work and never will! Governments that operate on religious ideas can never serve all it's citizens because some citizens that belong to a different religion then the government is based on will never have all their rights protected. Having said that, I am proposing that it isn't fair to that the most draconian ideas are usually the ones that are defining most religions now days. This is most evident in two examples, The Taliban and Evangelical Christians. Both of these extremes create wars and produced 911.
What we need to do is bring a sense of unity in the World. And to do this we must adopt the fact that we all pray to the same God, whether we are Muslim, Christians, Jewish, or Buddhists! We may give him different names like Jesus, Allah, Yahway, or Buddha, The Crusades of old and Jihhads are both based on religious intolerance! We must all realize that we must learn to tolerate each other's religion! Christian, Muslim, and Jewish children must never be taught to demonize people of a different religion then there own! NEVER! This is the cure for many wars and to preserve our planet wars need to be STOPPED!
I propose a new way of life for a more peaceful World is that we must mingle more with people of all races and religions. People should learn to reach out to people of other faiths and become friends. I see Muslim women huddled together at restaurants and not hanging with non-Muslims. It isn't healthy to be over religious. In the global business World that we live in we should learn to be comfortable with all types of people. All religions have to trim away ideas that are outdated and keep traditions that don't stifle creative thinking! I am a cafeteria Catholic, I take what I need from my faith and dismiss the ideas that don't compute in a modern society.
I will go further, we should date and perhaps marry people of other faiths. A Muslim man should be able to date a Christian woman and if they decided to marry both should be able to keep their own faiths. If they have children, let their kids be exposed to both faiths and when they are about 16 or 17 let them pick what religion works better for them. Another thing, forced prayer and making the image of God to be spiteful and mean is a disservice to having healthy and open children. The God I believe in is a kind God that is here to help His Children! How can one adore a mean God?
Finally, I have decided to work at bringing ALL RELIGIONS TOGETHER I was a Lay Minister in the Catholic faith but now I think my talents are better served by building bridges and tearing down walls that are preventing religions from joining hands together and having a group prayer to God:
God, please grant that all faiths will join together and start the healing process.
Grant that we all respect the humanity of all our sisters and brothers.
May we see what unites us and not what divides us!
LET THE BELLS RING OUT AND SPREAD THE PEACEFUL JOY THAT HAS COME!!!