Rules of engagement

When two clerics of the same faith debate a fine point concerning the faith (any faith) they are able to apply their reasoning and intelligence to interpret the books and look for precedents in the scriptures to support their point of view.

This is the way of pretty much all religions. One agrees to a basic constitution, then debate and discussing refine the specifics.

When such a discussion is between people of different faiths the discussion is often pointless.

Seeing as both participants don't agree on the basics, nothing that would be meaningful in the previous debate can be useful.

One says immaculate conception other replies no way.
One says, unseen benevolent God, the other no way.
One says God is all seeing and knows the future.
Other. You must be shitting me.

You have to agree on the rules of engagement be able to get anywhere.

So what went wrong. Why are all the great faiths at odds with each other.?

Each of these religions preaches peace and tolerance, but seemingly all have lost their way.
At the same time.
It's too much of a coincidence to expect a thinking man to accept.

Could there be more to this than meets the eye..?

The media uses slights of hand and distraction all the time.

Politicians do it.

When Monica Lewinsky proved it was the presidents DNA on her clothing, the country, and the world was in turmoil.
Then the US launched 8 cruise missiles at Afghanistan and we were all over that.

Nobody cared about carpet burns in the white house.

How did the religions get polarised and all take up a martial stance?

It can't be the battle for souls, as nobody has time for fighting for people's eternal souls.
So what is it for?
Land perhaps.?
Or control.?

Seems man can be ruled by his anger. It clouds his judgment and makes him putty in the hands of a manipulator. He can be easily led to battle, by the nose with blinkers on, if you can get him mad enough. And if you get his community mad enough they will even pay for your war.

Anger, that evolutionary relic that made us brave enough to fight the lion also had to make us dumb enough to fight the lion.

M Parak. 2017.


A few nights ago I heard a two-hour debate between two respected scholars who represent two factions of the Muslim faith. The Sunni (Berelwi) and the Deoband. They spent the entire time arguing over the rules of engagement and their titles and in the end abandoned the debate because they could not agree on anything.

M Parak Jan 2018