As the Middle East erupts in discord, it is to be hoped that more people, especially Americans, will seek understanding not only of the backdrop for that conflict but the broader issues discussed in this forum. I respond to the several comments addressing my blog as follows:

Stereoman:
Thank you for your gracious and insightful observations. I would differ with both of the views of Christianity you relate. The idea that we are saved through faith is accurate (good works are a product of faith, not an entry fee to heaven). However, the view that we can do no wrong once we're saved is an erroneous extrapolation. Since we will never be perfect, we will surely sin after our salvation, but this does not mean we can continue in evil behaviors with no consequence -- the Bible instructs that such people will be spit from God's mouth, and many Christian commentators (C.S. Lewis, A.W. Tozer, Oswald Chambers) observe that there is nothing worse than a luke-warm Christian. In fact, this (mis)perception is what has led to the travesty of what passes as modern Christianity -- that America's Christians can openly support unjust (genocidal) war, the use of torture, or the apathetic treatment of the poor and still gain entry to heaven. The question arises whether such people are truly saved, for if no positive action follows from accepting Christ, there are ritualistic words with no resultant action, and Jesus is not being honored. This is the question I repeatedly raise with regard to George W. Bush. Conversely, it is not required that certain ceremonies be performed, and baptism is not a requirement to be with God -- such interpretations are formulaic and miss the greatest point -- God is not interested in religion or ritual, but in relationship.

I share your concern about those praying for Armageddon to occur. While many wish to see such events unfold as an affirmation of Christ's Second Coming, to do so reflects a lack of faith -- we must never pray for war or death, for God has a plan which we cannot alter. For the same reason, it is futile to pray for Armageddon not to occur, because God keeps His promises, and we cannot change His plan. However, to follow Christ is to always pray for peace, to love one's enemies, to seek mutual understanding and the diffusion of conflict: in this regard, one is implicitly seeking to forestall Armageddon. I am deeply dismayed by those Christians who are so eager for war, or who wish to provide carte blanche authority to the Israelis because Jews are God's chosen people. The Israeli government must not be supported where it engages in ungodly action, nor Jews regardless of what they do -- God's laws are not suspended for such ungodly exceptions. Jesus said "love your enemy," not "love your enemy, but decidedly crush the enemies of Israel." Killing in self defense is acceptable to God, for He would have us protect our families. But killing "preemptively," or killing because we "judge" Arabs or Muslims to be heathen or Godless, is directly contrary to Jesus' teachings. This modern travesty is an unfortunate consequence of the fact that most of America's Christians have no idea what their Bibles say, let alone truly walk the walk that Jesus admonishes us to undertake. Again, witness George W. Bush's consistent hypocrisy.

Jason White:
Thank you also for your courteous response. I agree fully that in overcoming fear, we fuel love. In fact, worldly fear is sinful, and impedes our spiritual growth and consequently our relationship with God. By surrendering fear to a higher power, Christians live life more richly and can more trustingly embrace love (God). You will notice the contrast between this view and the spiritually immature posture of George W. Bush and his handlers, who instead of telling Americans "the only thing to fear is fear itself" are constant fearmongers, drumming up fear to advance their corporate (profit-driven) agenda -- red light, orange light, waving around vials of fictitious biological agents, conjuring worst-case scenarios of terrorist attacks -- Christians do not fear death, and try to avoid such falsehood. Fear is used thusly for evil ends, and to foment war.

I do not mean to devalue mankind when I say that "man has failed," only to devalue the hype that because of our technological or artistic accomplishments that we can grow and survive in a positive direction. Mankind's technological advances, like its expansionist acquisitiveness, has offered short-term solutions and comfort, but created greater long-term problems. I am not a pessimist but a realist when I recognize that modern man has not even begun to allocate the technological resources necessary to alleviate the growing pollution of the planet, or the lack of sustainability of our agricultural methods, our oil dependency, wealth disparity, or (in America) our looming national bankruptcy. Indeed, I devalue man's success at spreading pornography and pedophilia (there are estimated to be over 200,000 pedophilic websites active today) through modern technology, or the crippling effects of commercialism and technology on the family and community ties that make us human. There are great secular writers who have observed what is occurring (e.g., George Orwell, John Lukacs, John Kenneth Galbraith, Allan Bloom, Richard Goodwin) in today's America. We pat ourselves on the backs for all our "advances," but we have a terrible health care system, a deteriorating morality, and increasing wealth disparities -- if humans are evolving, we're not doing so at a pace quick enough to save us from the age-old problems of greed and gluttony. In fact, by placating ourselves with our technological advances, we may be deluding ourselves into avoiding acknowledgement of our numerous failings.

I differ with your assertion that "we are compelled to act in earthly ways." Those earthly ways (survival of the fittest?) lead to war and famine, a decay of human compassion, and growing alienation. You are correct about our individual spiritual journeys, but if those don't translate into collective action, if they fail to exert influence on the levers of power, then they are spiritual islands that will be drowned by the earthly fear and selfishness of others. This is why we need faith, and guidance from our creator, who has addressed all of these failings in His holy word, and implores (commands) us to behave in ways that are not "earthly," that demand more from us, even while those around us try to see who can collect the most toys and "win," and tell us we're fools for surrendering wealth to help those with less. Was Mother Theresa a survivalist? Was she "compelled to act in earthly ways"? We say we admire those who sacrifice for others, but our culture teaches us to consume and hoard in individualist extremism. This is why I observe that mankind is failing, not because I wish it to be so but because it is a simple enough critical conclusion to reach. I devalue the illusion of progress.

As to a department of peace to organize noble intentions socially, I admire the idea, but I submit it is a weak effort if those forces rallying for war and the maximization of profit are not deterred. It would not make sense to organize an arm of government to disseminate free needles to drug addicts to stem the spread of aids, and then create another to bust them when those addicts showed up to collect their clean works (as was done in NYC in the 80's). My point isn't that we should not aim for peace, but that to do so we must effect change which challenges the forces which favor war for personal gain. Otherwise, all we will have is more bureacracy, a token department -- if the President's Cabinet, the State Department, the Pentagon and the CIA are all orchestrating war or imperialism, the Depatment of Peace would serve as an Orwellian mouthpiece, pacifying the people with promises of peace, while the hands of real power crush babies and starve nations.

Rainbow Brain:
I see grains of beauty shining brightly in humanity, but I just don't see "the silent blossoming of tolerance, compassion, and love which is the true growing power..." to which you refer. If this were the "true growing power," wouldn't it act as a counterbalance to Bush's imminent invasion of Iran? Where was it when the United States overthrew the first and only democratically-elected government in Iran in 1953 (Mohammed Mossadegh), and installed a brutal dictator shah? Where was it when Americans didn't understand (or have compassion for) the seizure of the American embassy in Iran in 1978 (which the Iranians undertook when the Shah fled to the United States, to prevent America from putting him back in power yet again)? Where is the compassion, love and tolerance in believing that Muslim extremists "hate us because we're free," when in fact they hate us because we install dictators while we parrot slogans of equality and human rights, because we don't respect their culture and way of life, because we plunder their resources while their children suffer in squalor, and while we support Israel with our military-industrial profiteering while we treat Arabs as subhuman?

I would delight to see a "true growing power" of goodness in today's world -- please show me. In the meantime I see Jesus and His truth as that power, despite the admitted failings of a large number of His modern followers. But fortunately, I don't judge Him by their actions. To do so would be to extinguish our last and only hope.