When a cleric speaks, his flock tend to listen. When that cleric then deliberately speaks via the media, he gains a wider audience.
Now some may listen to the words coming from the mouth of an apparently respectable cleric, and take note of those words, and believe them. A small minority will take the words into their hearts and treat them as though they were the words of their God, and not just one man’s interpretation of them. This can cause some people to act upon those words, without fear of consequence as they believe they are doing the right thing for their faith.
Others that hear the words hear not the word of a God, but the words spoken by a man that is either misunderstanding their faith, or deliberately manipulating their faith to achieve their own ends.
In many cases those words incite hatred, and hatred is a not a two way street, it’s more of a complicated multi-junction high speed accident black spot.
Rev. Terry Jones pastor of Dove World Outreach Centre in Gainesville, suggested burning the Koran, the Holy book of another faith as an act of remembrance for those killed in the 9/11 attacks.
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the current spiritual leader of the Shas political party in the Israeli Knesset, said in a sermon that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas along with all Palestinians should perish from the world.
Feiz Muhammad, an Australian Muslim cleric has called for the beheading of Dutch politician Geert Wilders.
What do all these people have in common?
They are all spiritual leaders, and they all speak to their flock and the media. The other thing that they all have in common is that they are dangerous men.
They all claim to be religious, yet not one shows any sign of godliness.
They all claim to be spiritual, yet not one shows any signs of spiritual behaviour.
They all claim to be men of peace, yet denigrate people and speak of violence.
They are all in a position where people listen, and in all cases a small minority of people will take their words as gospel, and act upon their teachings.
What I see, and I hope that many more see, are three media savvy, manipulative and dangerous men, intent on causing havoc in this world.
Unfortunately there are many more people of this ilk around, not just clerics, but many politicians, and other leaders speak of peace yet practice destruction and war.
I live in hope that the silent majority starts speaking, and practicing peace.
i just feel obliged to write something cos no other bugger has. maybe this is a sign from god to lay off the religious subject and let the misguided fools get on with killing one another.
ReplyDeleteto Quote from an old master (Who is the most foolish the fool or the person who follows him )
Obi Wan-was a bit of a dude
I think the Catholic paper hat that said the UK is a Third World country needs to be strung up
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