Conflict Resolution – is it a fanciful notion or is it possible? Is it worth the effort? Can those who claim Historical precedent allow for any compromise? Should we expect and/or require people of conscience, principle and conviction to compromise? The advocates of Conflict Resolution state: “by resolving conflict successfully, you can solve many of the problems that it has brought to the surface, as well as getting benefits that you might not at first expect: (1) Increased understanding: The discussion needed to resolve conflict expands people's awareness of the situation, giving them an insight into how they can achieve their own goals without undermining those of other people; (2) Increased group cohesion: When conflict is resolved effectively, team members can develop stronger mutual respect, and a renewed faith in their ability to work together; (3) Improved self-knowledge: Conflict pushes individuals to examine their goals in close detail, helping them understand the things that are most important to them, sharpening their focus, and enhancing their effectiveness.” Are these advocates correct?
A news story in a Reuters Report for May 13, 2010 by Dan Williams has this headline: “Netanyahu Turns To Bible In Tussle Over Jerusalem.” This is in reference to the ongoing “Peace Talks” and the issue of “Jewish Settlements” that continue to be built. The article includes: “Beset by questions about Jerusalem's future in talks with the Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached for the Bible on Wednesday to stake out the Jewish state's contested claim on the city. Netanyahu told a parliamentary session commemorating Israel's capture of East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 war that 'Jerusalem' and its alternative Hebrew name 'Zion' appear 850 times in the Old Testament, Judaism's core canon. As to how many times Jerusalem is mentioned in the holy scriptures of other faiths, I recommend you check, he said. Citing such ancestry, Israel calls all of Jerusalem its ‘eternal and indivisible’ capitol -- a designation not recognized abroad, where many powers support Arab claims to East Jerusalem as the capitao of a future Palestinian state. The dispute is further inflamed by the fact East Jerusalem houses al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third-holiest shrine, on a plaza that Jews revere as the vestige of two biblical Jewish temples.”
An unexpected and fascinating moment occurred. The article includes: “Heckled by a lawmaker from Israel's Arab minority, Netanyahu offered a lesson in comparative religion from the lectern. Because you asked: Jerusalem is mentioned 142 times in the New Testament, and none of the 16 various Arabic names for Jerusalem is mentioned in the Koran. But in an expanded interpretation of the Koran from the 12th century, one passage is said to refer to Jerusalem, he said.” How should a Palestinian Negotiator respond to the use of the Bible and Comparative Religion reference? The article includes a pathetic and hollow retort: “Responding to Netanyahu's citations, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said: I find it very distasteful, this use of religion to incite hatred and fear. East Jerusalem is an occupied Palestinian town, and East Jerusalem cannot continue to be occupied if there is to be peace.” There is no counter-point from the Koran. No Palestinian interpolation from the Bible. Just of personal indignation.
If one wishes to experience what “inflamed” means, get a group of “Christians” to discuss the Second Coming of Christ.” Will Israel and Jerusalem be prominent? Is there going to be a literal Battle of Armageddon in the Valley of Megiddo? Will Jesus Christ be in an actual battle with the Antichrist? Will Gog and Magog resurface as nations of influence and power? Or, will Russia be identified as the nation of influence in the Middle East? If one attempts to get “Christians” to agree, the primary result will be learning about what it means to be inflamed. Jesus stated what would be occurring when he returns and what is important for one to know. In Luke 21:33-36, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." Consider these things with me!
A news story in a Reuters Report for May 13, 2010 by Dan Williams has this headline: “Netanyahu Turns To Bible In Tussle Over Jerusalem.” This is in reference to the ongoing “Peace Talks” and the issue of “Jewish Settlements” that continue to be built. The article includes: “Beset by questions about Jerusalem's future in talks with the Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached for the Bible on Wednesday to stake out the Jewish state's contested claim on the city. Netanyahu told a parliamentary session commemorating Israel's capture of East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 war that 'Jerusalem' and its alternative Hebrew name 'Zion' appear 850 times in the Old Testament, Judaism's core canon. As to how many times Jerusalem is mentioned in the holy scriptures of other faiths, I recommend you check, he said. Citing such ancestry, Israel calls all of Jerusalem its ‘eternal and indivisible’ capitol -- a designation not recognized abroad, where many powers support Arab claims to East Jerusalem as the capitao of a future Palestinian state. The dispute is further inflamed by the fact East Jerusalem houses al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third-holiest shrine, on a plaza that Jews revere as the vestige of two biblical Jewish temples.”
An unexpected and fascinating moment occurred. The article includes: “Heckled by a lawmaker from Israel's Arab minority, Netanyahu offered a lesson in comparative religion from the lectern. Because you asked: Jerusalem is mentioned 142 times in the New Testament, and none of the 16 various Arabic names for Jerusalem is mentioned in the Koran. But in an expanded interpretation of the Koran from the 12th century, one passage is said to refer to Jerusalem, he said.” How should a Palestinian Negotiator respond to the use of the Bible and Comparative Religion reference? The article includes a pathetic and hollow retort: “Responding to Netanyahu's citations, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said: I find it very distasteful, this use of religion to incite hatred and fear. East Jerusalem is an occupied Palestinian town, and East Jerusalem cannot continue to be occupied if there is to be peace.” There is no counter-point from the Koran. No Palestinian interpolation from the Bible. Just of personal indignation.
If one wishes to experience what “inflamed” means, get a group of “Christians” to discuss the Second Coming of Christ.” Will Israel and Jerusalem be prominent? Is there going to be a literal Battle of Armageddon in the Valley of Megiddo? Will Jesus Christ be in an actual battle with the Antichrist? Will Gog and Magog resurface as nations of influence and power? Or, will Russia be identified as the nation of influence in the Middle East? If one attempts to get “Christians” to agree, the primary result will be learning about what it means to be inflamed. Jesus stated what would be occurring when he returns and what is important for one to know. In Luke 21:33-36, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." Consider these things with me!
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