One of the things I'm often (wrongly) accused of is being Islamophobic or Anti-Islam. It's not true, obviously, much like all the other things.
I've never read the Koran and don't personally know anyone who is Muslim. There isn't a big Muslim community here in Northern Ireland.
I think most of it comes from my absolute support of Israel's right to self defence which I make no apologies for. In some minds that makes me Anti Islam. So be it.
What we hear from the news is only about the Radical and frequently violent form of that by the likes of ISIS, Hamas and the Taliban. Am I against that? Absolutely as I expect the vast majority of Muslims are.
I can't abide those who will frequently lambaste the Koran for saying this thing and another. Some of them don't appear to have read much of the Old Testament lately.
Which brings me nicely to this.
I was at my own Church last Sunday. I'm not really a regular but I do attend once in awhile.
Anyway, Sunday's Old Testament reading was from 2 Samuel, Chapter 11, verses 1-15.
I won't type it all out verbatim but the story goes something like this.
King David, yes as in Goliath, 'Once in Royal David's City' etc has sent his armies off to war. As apparently they do in the Spring. They have destroyed the Ammonites and are besieging another City. So nothing like a bit of Warmongering and Genocide so far. David is up on the roof of his palace and is leering at a girl having a bath in an adjacent building. So some voyeurism here too. So far so good?
He asks one of his servants (slavery perhaps?) to go and find out who she is. He learns that she is the wife of one of his Generals who is currently away killing people. David, naturally isn't leading his troops.
He sends for her, has sex with her and she finds out later that she is pregnant. So some adultery to add to the mix. There is also a pretty disturbing line about 'a woman's monthly uncleanliness' but I won't go there.
When her husband comes back from the War David invites him over. I'm assuming here that the poor man isn't aware that David has shagged his wife and is pregnant? He gets him drunk and plies him with gifts as a sort of pay off I assume?
Next, when the unfortunate man is heading back to the front lines David makes a plan with his top Commander that the man is directly placed in the front line so that he will be killed in the upcoming battle.
Charming.
I fairness I haven't read the preceding Chapters or the one's after so there may be some context I'm missing here but still.....
My Vicar handled this fairly disturbing story quite well. I'm sure it wasn't easy for him to find anything positive to say from that particular segment.
So what's the meaning on this little fable?
That old one about 'People in Glass houses shouldn't throw stones' is appropriate.
Don't condemn religions or texts that you know nothing about. All religions have stuff in them which isn't very palatable. The Bible included.
I'll probably be accused of being Anti-Christian now.
Such is life?
