Have you noticed that a lot of nice Christians become absolutely merciless when it comes to the plight of Palestinians? They will defend Israel to the death no matter what atrocities the country may commit.
Well, Israel just slaughtered 300+ Palestinians in Gaza as punishment for lobbing rockets into the former. And Christians are again vocal in supporting Israel's right to genocide and ethnic cleansing. Yes, even Christians in Malaysia!
I guess you have to thank the Old Testament of the Bible for this phenomenon. Here are two interesting passages that mention Gaza and the Philistines who lived there. Gaza is part of the Promised Land the God of the Old Testament set aside for the Jews.
Zephaniah 2:
4 For Gaza will be abandoned And Ashkelon a desolation; Ashdod will be driven out at noon And Ekron will be uprooted.
5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, The nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; And I will destroy you So that there will be no inhabitant.
Jeremiah 47:
4 On account of the day that is coming To destroy all the Philistines, To cut off from Tyre and Sidon Every ally that is left; For the LORD is going to destroy the Philistines, The remnant of the coastland of Caphtor.
5 “Baldness has come upon Gaza; Ashkelon has been ruined. O remnant of their valley, How long will you gash yourself?
6 “Ah, sword of the LORD, How long will you not be quiet? Withdraw into your sheath; Be at rest and stay still.
7 “How can it be quiet, When the LORD has given it an order? Against Ashkelon and against the seacoast— There He has assigned it"
The Old Testament God seems to have nothing but hate for the Philistines. The legacy is the present day Christian's contempt of the Palestinians. Why be merciful when God has already ordained that they be slaughtered to make way for the Chosen People, the Jews?
[First image by Carlos Latuff. Second image from stevenfeuerstein.com]
