Early on, the Hebrews differentiated themselves from their neighbors by being more civilized. G-d stopped child sacrifice among the Jews, leading Abraham to the edge of killing his son, Isaac and then pulling back. The lesson learned by the Hebrews is that we don't do that, even though the surrounding tribes did. One wonders if the "surrounding tribes" have changed much, given their proclivity to send impressionable children as walking bombs onto Israeli buses and into jammed public facilities. And don't forget 911 either in this regard.

An even more striking ancient parallel is found in this story, concerning the Phillistines' wanton and purposeless clogging of water wells drilled by Abraham (link):

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When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown, because the LORD blessed him. The man became wealthy. His influence continued to grow until he became very prominent. He had so many sheep and cattle and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. So the Philistines took dirt and filled up all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham.

Then Abimelech (king of the Philistines) said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere, for you have become much more powerful than we are.” So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley. Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug back in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up after Abraham died. Isaac gave these wells the same names his father had given them.

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The reason, for example, that every single "Middle East peace initiative", including:

1. The British creation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan;
2. The attempted UN partition in 1947;
3. Eisenhower's stopping of the Israeli/British/French attempts to safeguard the Suez Canal;
4. The "Rogers Plan";
5. Kissinger's "step-by-step" diplomacy;
6. Reagan's collaring the Israeli offensive that almost wiped out the PLO in 1982;
7. Refraining from retailiation for Lockerbie;
8. The Oslo Accords;
9. The Clinton 2000 negotiations;
10. The "roadmap"
    

Amazing, the world hasn't changed.

[ 22 November 2007: Message edited by: cdncoldfront ]

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Originally posted by cdncoldfront:
Jihad is the Koranic codification and justification of desert raiding . . .

. . .

Blah, Blah, Blah

. . .

This would be contrary tot he [sic] concept of jihad.

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Originally posted by cdncoldfront:
One wonders if the "surrounding tribes" have changed much...

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One wonders how close to outright racism you think you can come without being found in contempt of the conditions you agreed to when you registered here.

ETA:

Never mind. My question was answered in another thread. I'd say "until we meet again" but I suspect we won't have the opportunity.

[ 22 November 2007: Message edited by: pogge ]

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Originally posted by pogge:
Never mind. My question was answered in another thread. I'd say "until we meet again" but I suspect we won't have the opportunity.

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