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NOT TO BE POLITICAL, BUT I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND

As I said. Politics are the natural outcome of a particular society. And any society is the natural outcome of their religion. When your religion commands you to kill a certain group of people by any means possible. You use any means possible. If you believe that bringing infants to the fray will gain you, say, International sympathy and make your adversary look evil. Then why not? If we are looking for answers and understanding here. We can't do it by leaving universal facts off the table.

I agree somewhat. What about non-religious societies such as Russia?
 
Is that why the Israelis used live ammunition to control the riots? That their religion commanded them to kill the Palestinian protesters at the border?

I don't believe religion is the reason for this conflict. I think it's pure politics and that's all I'm going to say about that.

Politics = the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power.
 
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with the protest/riot in palestine about the new embassy location, what do the protesters hope to gain? fire, throwing rocks and other
such things what is there to gain and why bring little little children?
BTW, thanks for the way you phrased the question. We tend to forget about the individuals involved when viewing global conflicts like this one.
 
It is an emotional response to an emotional issue. Logic and reason don't apply. And then......you can't fix stupidity.
I agree with the bolded portion of your statement.

The rest of it seems 'illogical and unreasoned'.:thumbup:
 
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Is that why the Israelis used live ammunition to control the riots? That their religion commanded them to kill the Palestinian protesters at the border?

I don't think you actually believe this is why they used live ammunition. Israel, and many nations around the world, have tried in many, very expensive ways to help the Palestinian people remove themselves from self destruction. They just won't have any of it.

The Israelis used live ammunition because, again, the stated purpose of those rioting was to overwhelm and breach the border to gain access to Israel and kill as many Jews and do as much damage as possible. Israel believed the treat warranted the reaction to protect their citizens from invasion.

They could have held a peaceful protest. They could have stayed home. Just about any alternative action would have brought them a much better outcome.

I agree somewhat. What about non-religious societies such as Russia?

The truth is. There are no 'Non-Religious' societies. Atheists 'Believe' there is no god. They can't prove their position so they must live by faith that their belief's are correct. They certainly proselytize just as any religion might do.
 
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The truth is. There are no 'Non-Religious' societies. Atheists 'Believe' there is no god. They can't prove their position so they must live by faith that their belief's are correct. They certainly proselytize just as any religion might do.

Hmmm. I don't think that is true. Russia (and other) societies just don't even consider religion as relevant to society. That doesn't mean that individuals are non-believers, but as a society religion doesn't factor into their thinking.

I spent a month in Russia and met many ordinary Russians. We talked about everything (politics, sex, you name it) but religion just never came up. Not that they are not proud of their Russian Orthodox cathedrals and museums, but it has nothing to do with a belief or non-belief in God. I also visited a Tibetan Buddhist temple in Siberia that was being re-activated and rejuvenated after a 50-year hiatus. The Russians are too pragmatic to be religious, but that doesn't mean they don't revere their culture and arts, including great buildings, icons and the like.

So, my question remains; in a non-religious society like Russia how could religion factor into their antagonistic world view?
 
The truth is. There are no 'Non-Religious' societies. Atheists 'Believe' there is no god. They can't prove their position so they must live by faith that their belief's are correct. They certainly proselytize just as any religion might do.

Incorrect. The absence of religion is not religion. And I have yet for an atheist to come to my door trying to sell their beliefs.
 
It's easy to put this conflict on religion, but... add in territory, power, etc

Jerusalem is the key centre for three religions, christian, jewish and muslim. It is the historic capital of Palestine (pre 1948). It is also claimed by Israel. That is what the last few decades of peace talks have had as a key focus. One other nation - one only - has unilaterally decided to move its embassy from tel aviv, saying, again unilaterally, that Jerusalem should be Israelis capital. To add insult to injury they pick a historically significant date for the opening... Violence was always going to ensue. Tear gas into tent protest camps has killed babies - so we blame the parents for living in a tent protest city? or those who sent the tear gas in? or the political scenario? or decades of frustration by all sides at this seemingly insoluble problem? or all of the above?

As someone could say, very sad.
 
It's easy to put this conflict on religion, but... add in territory, power, etc

Jerusalem is the key centre for three religions, christian, jewish and muslim. It is the historic capital of Palestine (pre 1948). It is also claimed by Israel. That is what the last few decades of peace talks have had as a key focus. One other nation - one only - has unilaterally decided to move its embassy from tel aviv, saying, again unilaterally, that Jerusalem should be Israelis capital. To add insult to injury they pick a historically significant date for the opening... Violence was always going to ensue. Tear gas into tent protest camps has killed babies - so we blame the parents for living in a tent protest city? or those who sent the tear gas in? or the political scenario? or decades of frustration by all sides at this seemingly insoluble problem? or all of the above?

As someone could say, very sad.
:agree: I think what is sad is that with all the progress mankind has made in every other important discipline that benefits humanity, we still live in a tribal system where the common man has to pay the price of the ambitions of the tribal chiefs. And the tribal chiefs are continually at war with other tribes because of their obsession over gaining more power and wealth at the expense of the other tribe. They view the world as a pie to be fought over rather than bounty to be shared for the benefit of all. Differences of religion, race, culture, ideology really don't matter to most people but are used by leaders to whip tribal members into the fury needed to sustain the constant hostilities that keep the leaders in power and privilege.

We still kill each other for no good reasons whatsoever.
 
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It's easy to put this conflict on religion, but... add in territory, power, etc

Jerusalem is the key centre for three religions, christian, jewish and muslim. It is the historic capital of Palestine (pre 1948). It is also claimed by Israel. That is what the last few decades of peace talks have had as a key focus. One other nation - one only - has unilaterally decided to move its embassy from tel aviv, saying, again unilaterally, that Jerusalem should be Israelis capital. To add insult to injury they pick a historically significant date for the opening... Violence was always going to ensue. Tear gas into tent protest camps has killed babies - so we blame the parents for living in a tent protest city? or those who sent the tear gas in? or the political scenario? or decades of frustration by all sides at this seemingly insoluble problem? or all of the above?

As someone could say, very sad.

so they claim jerusalem as their capital it doesn't mean they are claiming ownership. if i claim Thor as my god it doesn't mean no one
else can do so or claim any other norse god.
 
There will never be peace between Israel and the Palestinians. To end the violence, one group would have to wipe out the other completely and that will obviously never happen.
 
The protesters don't hope to accomplish anything. They're just blowing off steam, and because this isn't supposed to get political, I'm not going into the reasons WHY they're angry. And it's also not political to state my disgust with the Israelis for shooting them with live ammunition instead of using nonlethal methods to defend the border. Have the Israelis ever heard of things like barbed wire, rubber bullets, and tear gas? How do they ever expect to resolve the situation at the border when they needlessly escalated it like this?


The entire protest by the Palestinians is orchestrated and guided by Hamas.
Those poor protesters are, in fact, not just "blowing off steam". They are bent to destroy the fence and breach it to allow them to enter Israel to destroy it.
Perhaps the protestors should have used flashlights instead of molatov cocktails and the kites they flew with them attached to set fire inside Israel should have instead been used them to carry pinatas filled with candy.
Forty thousand who have a goal of causing destruction are doing much more than "blowing off steam".
 
Blind hatred bred from infancy. It has popped up in many if not all cultures in one form or another. Few have taken it to this level, however. Yet it has been coming from this same source for over 1,000 years. With this kind of consistency and longevity. It's difficult to hope that it will be resolved anytime soon. Politics is an outgrowth of the culture. And the culture is simply religion externalized.

Why do we, who have no direct interest in this conflict, either as individuals or as a country, align against an oppressed people who are 'yearning to be free'? Why are we aligning ourselves with the oppressor rather than the oppressed?
 
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