Father and Son in Scotland

SINCE OUR CONVERSATIONS IN OCTOBER ON THE TRAIN RIDE UP TO ST. ANDREWS AND SITTING IN THE PUB AT THE OLD COURSE , I HAVE OFTEN THOUGHT ABOUT OUR DIFFERING VIEWS ON THE WAR IN IRAQ AND THE AMERICAN PRESENCE THERE.
I AM WRITING TO TELL YOU THAT YOUR VIEWS AND KNOWLEDGE LEAD ME TO CHALLENGE MY OWN.
DIFFERENCES OF OPINIONS ARE COMMON EVERYDAY EVENTS. THE WAY YOU EXPRESSED YOURSELF MADE ME REALIZE THAT I WAS OVERLOOKING IMPORTANT INFORMATION OR MAYBE NEVER QUESTIONED MY AGING POINT OF VIEW.

READING “GODS POLITICS”, THE BOOK YOU GAVE ME FOR CHRISTMAS, I DISCOVERED THAT I HAD FALLEN IN TO A TRAP. THE TRAP IS: IF I BELIEVE IN GOD THEN GOD MUST BE ON THE SIDE OF WHAT I BELIEVE.

I'M PRETTY SURE THAT YOU SEE ALL OF THE RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE IN THE WORLD THROUGH OUT HISTORY AND IT RAISES SERIOUS QUESTIONS FOR YOU ABOUT THE NEED OR EVEN THE COMMON SENSE OF BELIEVING IN GOD IF THAT IS WHAT IT CAUSES PEOPLE TO DO.

MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF CHRISTIANS, JEWS AND MOSLEMS AROUND THE WORLD BELIEVE THERE IS ONE GOD…THE SAME GOD. HOWEVER THEY HAVE DIFFERING VIEWS OF WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO HERE ON EARTH.

NO HUMAN BEING IN THE PAST OR THE PRESENT KNOWS ALL THE ANSWERS. UNFORTUNATELY SOME OF US THINK WE DO KNOW THE ANSWERS AND EVERY ONE THAT THINKS THEY KNOW THE ANSWERS FALLS INTO THE TRAP I MENTIONED. ‘IF I BELIEVE IN GOD THEN GOD MUST BE ON THE SIDE OF WHAT I BELIEVE.

FAITH IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL HUMAN FORCES. SO, WHEN A PERSON WHO BELIEVES IN GOD BELIEVES THAT GOD IS ON THE SIDE OF WHAT THEY BELIEVE, SOMETIMES RADICALLY WRONG THINGS HAPPEN.

THAT IS WHY GEORGE BUSH IS DOING WHAT HE IS DOING.
THAT IS WHY SUICIDE BOMBERS ARE DOING WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
THAT IS WHY ISRAELI LEADERS ARE THE WAY THEY ARE.

AND I KNOW THAT I’M NOT ALONE IN THE WORLD AS ONE OF THOSE BELIEVERS WHO HAS TAKEN THE SIDE OF MY RELIGION AND SUPPORTED IT.

IT GETS A LOT MORE COMPLICATED WHEN VERY BAD PEOPLE EXPLOIT PEOPLE WITH STRONG BELIEFS TO FURTHER THEIR OWN QUESTS FOR POWER, NO MATTER WHAT THE HUMAN COST.

I DON’T WANT THIS TO BECOME LONG WINDED. WITH ALL MY HEART I HOPE TO EXPRESS THE VALUABLE, INTELLIGENT INSIGHTS THAT I HAVE RECEIVED THROUGH THE DOORS THAT WERE OPENED BY YOUR VIEWPOINT.

WHEN I UNDERSTOOD THE TRAP I HAD FALLEN INTO I INSTANTLY RECOGNIZED HOW HORRIBLY WRONG SOME OF GEORGE BUSHES ACTIONS HAVE BEEN ALONG WITH ALL THE REST OF THE ‘LEADERS’ WHO ARE CAUSING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO DIE.

I’M NO EXPERT ON THE BIBLE BUT I DO KNOW THAT JESUS TALKS A LOT MORE ABOUT LOVING OTHER PEOPLE AND HELPING POOR AND DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE THAN HE DOES ABOUT IMPOSING VIOLENT SOLUTIONS TO THE WORLDS PROBLEMS.

THE BIBLE ALSO EMPHASIZES THAT THERE ARE NO PERFECT PEOPLE ON EARTH. THAT CERTAINLY MAKES SENSE TO ME BECAUSE THERE’S SO MUCH EVIDENCE TO BACK THAT UP.

I NOW BELIEVE A BETTER POINT OF VIEW IS MORE ALONG THE LINES OF YOUR WAY OF THINKING. JUST BEING A CHRISTIAN OR A JEW OR MOSLEM DOESN’T MAKE ME ‘RIGHT’ AND DOESN’T GIVE ME THE RIGHT TO IMPOSE MY ‘RIGHT’ ON THE REST OF THE WORLD.

THANKS FOR READING THIS KES.
I HOPE I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WRITE IN A WAY THAT MAKES SOME SENSE.