I have said many times, on here, that I do not think we should take sides with Israel and Palestine, but should instead help mediate to get those hostages back, alive if we can - but instead, we chose to throw gasoline on the fire.
I think this way because I think both "nations" have been terrible to each other - over their faith and their inability to coexist and share the holy land - both before, during an after October 7th.
And yet, when I hear that Shani's body was just found - and that she was previously paraded around nearly naked on a truck of cheering Hamas, on video (her leg tattoos in the video revealing her identity) - I am sickened.
And yet, I have also seen those 2019 videos of Israeli soldiers stopping, kidnapping, and torturing Palestinians, too - long before October 7th.
And yet, you know what my first thought is?
Not that the casualties or victims are either Muslim or Jewish.
It's that the true victims and casualties aren't soldiers - in fact, not only are they often innocent civilians, but usually also women.
In fact, historically, one of the first thing war parties seem to do is go after the women, raping and murdering them - trying to justify what cannot be justified - in the name King and Country, or Allah or Jehovah or God or Jesus.
Then I think why did they pick Shani out of everyone, to kill and parade around like that, when she was an advocate for peace between the two sides?
Simply because she wasn't fast enough running away?
Or was it because she was scantily clad and had tattoos and thus, they thought she deserved it?
And if you think we Christians are above such action, think again.
We've done it, too, over the centuries, in conquest, demanding our faith be the one true faith - to pagans, Catholics vs. Protestants, Native-Americans, Muslims, Jewish people.
All in the name of whatever God, who is actually the same God by different names in all 3 faiths, who tells us to be merciful - and yet that instruction is completely ignored in favor of conquest of this region or that region in their God's name.
And recent Christian nationalists demand their own version of Christianity be in control of government, and twist/flip back on anyone disagreeing with them that just their version of Christianity should be in control into "Christian persecution."
You want to see what real religious persecution actually looks like, my fellow Americans?
Take a look at 23-year-old Shani's half-naked, lifeless body being paraded in the back of a truck by Hamas because she was Jewish.
Take a look at Ireland, just a few years ago, terrorizing each other over Catholicism and Protestantism.
Take a look at even before that at the Crusades, Catholic "knights" marching all over Europe and the Mediterranean, claiming lands in the name of King, Country and Christ or suffer death.
Take a look at the Spanish inquisition, or later Spain up until 1974 under Catholic fascist dictator, Francisco Franco.
In fact, religious zealotism and need for conquest is responsible for the majority of conflict in our world's history - and yet we never learn and continue to take sides.
And though I feel for soldiers having to put themselves in harm's way, just following orders, they still DO make a choice to sign up for military, in this day and age - so my compassion is even greater for innocent people who had nothing to do with it.
We need to evolve, and it starts with a conscious attempt to stop the "tribal" mentality.
Bias may be human and natural, but that doesn't make it truth or fact - and it may be one of those "human nature" things it's high time we rise above.
Because whether you fill in those blanks with "children, family, work, college, or company" - and especially if you fill in those blanks with "race, faith, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status" - then realize that in your arrogant tribalism mentality, YOU are keeping us from evolving into better human beings, as well as blinding yourself to history and extremist factions that exist in your own group.
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