An interesting essay that touches on many points. Here is one more point that is often ignored. If it were not for British Christian Zionists, part of what is called the Restoration Movement, there would not have been a Balfour Declaration.
The Christian Zionists were much more influential than Herzl ever was, even though he receives most of the credit for an idea that was floating around England for a few hundred years. There is also George Eliot's wonderful work, Daniel Deronda, a work with Romantic overtones. Their motives were part of what is called end times theology, or the return of Jesus is conditioned on Jews being established in their ancient land.
Although Herzl was not religious, he used this knowledge to gain support for such an idea. Britain was all to happy to help with the aim to rid itself of the Jews. As they say, politics makes for strange bedfellows
Yes, to all you added, although I do not know for my own self how I'd weigh the exact ratios of influence. It's neither here nor there...in my thinking...because both elements are present.
The other day I ran into a man to whom I'd recently lent two books on The Doctrine of Christian discovery, both of which are by Christians. We were talking about whether or not things can truly get better on this earth, and he referenced dispensationalism...yet at the same time he was very open to what I was sharing with him about the history of papal bulls starting with Pontifex Romanus that justified what Steven Schwartsberg calls "The Magick Eyes Theory of Ownership of People and Property," - the idea that just having Christian eyes that belong to a representative of the Pope look at a place confers "title" that outweighs any land claims by people who've lived on that land and called it home spiritually and materially for thousands of years.
I will speak about the two religions of which I have sufficient knowledge, Christianity & Judaism, but it might also apply in a more general way.
1. Religion segregates people into Us vs. Them.
2. Nationalism and/or Tribalism does the same under the banner of a nation or ethnic group or a people.
3. Religious Nationalism or Tribalism then always becomes an toxic mix of authoritarianism supremacy, and hatred of anyone and everyone who is not part of and who does not agree wholeheartedly with its ideology. It always leads to violence and destruction, because it is fueled by anger.
I agree. And the lack of authentic connection to Source/Spirit/Oneness/Awe/Love leads to absolute emptiness, atheistic communism and Darwinian Eugenics, just as the lack of authentic Belonging/communion/community/connection is vital for positive growth for humanity. An authentic spiritual path will necessarily be heretical to religion. An authentic belonging will be about resonance and the space to be oneself unapologetically rather than suppress individuality to conform to group checklists or tribal identities derived from conquest or "us v them."
An interesting essay that touches on many points. Here is one more point that is often ignored. If it were not for British Christian Zionists, part of what is called the Restoration Movement, there would not have been a Balfour Declaration.
The Christian Zionists were much more influential than Herzl ever was, even though he receives most of the credit for an idea that was floating around England for a few hundred years. There is also George Eliot's wonderful work, Daniel Deronda, a work with Romantic overtones. Their motives were part of what is called end times theology, or the return of Jesus is conditioned on Jews being established in their ancient land.
Although Herzl was not religious, he used this knowledge to gain support for such an idea. Britain was all to happy to help with the aim to rid itself of the Jews. As they say, politics makes for strange bedfellows
Yes, to all you added, although I do not know for my own self how I'd weigh the exact ratios of influence. It's neither here nor there...in my thinking...because both elements are present.
The other day I ran into a man to whom I'd recently lent two books on The Doctrine of Christian discovery, both of which are by Christians. We were talking about whether or not things can truly get better on this earth, and he referenced dispensationalism...yet at the same time he was very open to what I was sharing with him about the history of papal bulls starting with Pontifex Romanus that justified what Steven Schwartsberg calls "The Magick Eyes Theory of Ownership of People and Property," - the idea that just having Christian eyes that belong to a representative of the Pope look at a place confers "title" that outweighs any land claims by people who've lived on that land and called it home spiritually and materially for thousands of years.
I will speak about the two religions of which I have sufficient knowledge, Christianity & Judaism, but it might also apply in a more general way.
1. Religion segregates people into Us vs. Them.
2. Nationalism and/or Tribalism does the same under the banner of a nation or ethnic group or a people.
3. Religious Nationalism or Tribalism then always becomes an toxic mix of authoritarianism supremacy, and hatred of anyone and everyone who is not part of and who does not agree wholeheartedly with its ideology. It always leads to violence and destruction, because it is fueled by anger.
I agree. And the lack of authentic connection to Source/Spirit/Oneness/Awe/Love leads to absolute emptiness, atheistic communism and Darwinian Eugenics, just as the lack of authentic Belonging/communion/community/connection is vital for positive growth for humanity. An authentic spiritual path will necessarily be heretical to religion. An authentic belonging will be about resonance and the space to be oneself unapologetically rather than suppress individuality to conform to group checklists or tribal identities derived from conquest or "us v them."
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/06/07/germany-namibia-need-rights-respecting-reparations-process