All in God’s Name – For God’s Sake

by The Reverend Dr. Britt Minshall

I was writing at an outdoor table at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor when a black woman asked if she could sit down. “Yes welcome” was my reply. In a second, another lady, obviously Pakistan, asked if she could join us. A third seat was filled by a white Dutchman. Noting their dialect, I tried to guess from whence they came; they revealed they were on a tour from the Netherlands.

They asked about my writing, which led to my giving them promotional bookmarks of my latest work “The Jesus Book.” Their reaction stunned me! With one voice, without discussion they snarled and tossed the pieces back commenting: “NO – No Jesus; Yuk, no this is bad.” They continued: “Jesus is a killer of innocent people; Iraq; all over the world, NO!”

They represented a very large, worldwide phenomenon. Non-Christians, Humanists, and nominal church members have mentally married Jesus Christ to the “American Greed – Planet Killing – War Machine.” The Evangelical Church (I am an Evangelical) has shoved the persona and message of the most peaceful, loving, healing man who ever lived into the heart of Ayn Rand’s philosophy: “take all you want, to hell with God and other people!” We call it the “prosperity gospel.” The world calls it “American Imperialism.”

To this the militarists among us have become very “God and Country,” assuring the world over: “our MP5′s and flame throwers have killed several hundred thousand of your citizens but we are the “trampling down” of the wrath of God to make a better democracy.

I attended a CSIS meeting on North Africa (Washington 10-12-12) and heard our Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, say without equivocation: the U.S. is “fully prepared to sacrifice order and instigate chaos” to ensure democracy. The region is “sinking into the sand… we will continue even if stability is threatened.” God and country U.S. style OKs violence and civil war to adjust the world to our expectations. (*)

I might add Islam (Middle East and Africa) and its leaders are just as bad. In its effort to block this American hegemony they have turned Islam (peace) into a nightmare of killing and destruction; more on their fellow believers than their intended enemies. As I write Malala Yousufzai a 14 year-old girl is in serious condition fighting for her life in Pakistan, shot in the head by several male Muslim cowards. Her crime: speaking out in favor of education for girls. These religious fanatics are ripping formally peaceful peoples apart from Thailand to Indonesia to central Africa (terrorizing Christians, Buddhists, and Hindus). The real crime is the weakness of the Islamic faith in the U.S. and the world over refusing to condemn the actions of their fellow believers as I now challenge my own faith community.

SIDEBAR: Have you noticed almost ALL religious types (Popes, Evangelicals and Muslims) concentrate their efforts of prohibition and brutality within their sects on women?

The bottom line: “The three major religions constitute the most destructive force on earth!”

In 2010 (Oct ed.) “The Economist Magazine” dedicated an entire issue to “100 years of Religious Wars.” They predicted a century of extermination and annihilation at the hand of religious groups, literally the torture and murder of mega millions, mostly innocent non-combatants, ALL in the name of God.

As a devout believer in the Lord our God and a disciple of Jesus the anointed One of God, let me assure every person on Earth: “no matter what your Priest, Rabbi, Minister, Mullah, Imam, Bishop or Guru tells you: GOD OUR CREATOR HAS NEVER ENCOURAGED THE KILLING OF ANY HUMAN BY ANOTHER HUMAN – NEVER not even once. What rulers have discovered is people will NOT voluntarily mass kill other people UNLESS God gives the OK. So here you have Iranians (Ayatollahs) on one side telling their people God wants Westerners dead / European on the other side (Bishops) assuring their people their God wants Iran destroyed. Americans sing “God Bless America” (Preachers) as we send our young to Kill Iraqis, Afghans, Vietnamese next North Koreans, Iranians, and soon Syrians. At the base of it all Rabbis the world over muster dollars and support for Israel (Jews) to wipe-out the Palestinians (Christian and Muslim); but remember: it’s “ALL IN THE NAME OF GOD!

Over the past three millennia, Holy Books have been adulterated by sages and corrupted by war lords (sovereigns), convincing our young to throw away their lives in search of oil, riches, slaves, concubines and wealth. Even well meaning but ignorant pastors are lured into this fantasy of murder with a heavenly end and support it fully.

DEAR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS – IT’S ALL A LIE!

Today billions, like my new Dutch friends, have discovered this ultimate truth. As a result, they have abandoned faith. Young people avoid even the name of Jesus because the church (Protestants & Catholic – ALL churches) are corrupt to the core They produce a household of cowards, satisfied with raking in establishment pleasures and comforts off the living corpses of the weak. The American gospel is now: “I want what I want, I want it now and I want as much as I can get – that’s God’s promise to believers. If you can’t get any I don’t care – I want it all.” The only way to satisfy that kind of greedy craving is through the torture, murder and the pillage of other people the world over; all the while chanting: “Thanks be to God.”

The old rule of competition between Godly people of was: “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose – it’s how you play the game. The new axiom is: “It doesn’t matter how you play the game – It’s all about winning.” “Victory” has become the sung word of the hymn, replacing the songs of caring and love. “You deserve it – Tell God,” has replaced: “you don’t deserve it but God has blest you with it – now go and share it.”

I wrote the “Jesus Book” as a last ditch effort to wake clergy and lay leaders of every religion to start creating a Godly world where we can all live together in peace. I demand we stop selling-out our names for the Deity to the highest bidder. There is only one creator and the world is only filled with one people. Look at your fat churches and Synagogues and Mosques surrounded by your big cars and your rich accounts and remember it all came off the skin of another living being. Many of those victims are dressed in rags with no hope or life, listening to their clergy telling them their plight is due to American religious people stealing their sustenance. Unfortunately, they are mostly correct! Soon these victims will abandon their God, as we did ours, and come take their stuff back.

So here comes another round of death and destruction and as ever “All In The Name of God” – what a damnable end for God’s chosen creature – For God’ Sake!

(*) For the full Conference Report: “Building Strength through Economic Growth in the Maghreb,” contact the Center for Strategic & International Studies – www.csis.org/mideast

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Dr. Britt Minshall is an author of several books and a speaker on societal behaviors impacting politics, religion and wealth. He travels and ministers extensively in Haiti. He is a Pastor Emeritus in The United Church of Christ, a Minister in the Full Gospel Fellowship and a regular contributor on Fox Television Network, Public Radio, and National media. He is also a former Security Agency operator and INTERPOL Officer. His police career was compromised when he became a Freedom Rider in the mid- sixties.
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