From: Ogbazgy A.Asmerom (ogbazgy@gmail.com)
Date: Thu Sep 03 2009 - 16:38:34 EDT
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Eritrea’s Culture of Tolerance is Sacrosanct
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By Ogbazgy Abbay Asmerom
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History is full of instances where religion, in this case, Christianity was
used to oppress people, and as a result, many wars were declared in the name
of the Almighty God. *The Crusades Wars [1095-1291] were such vivid
examples. The wars that followed the Reformation and Counter Reformation
[1524-1674], the Thirty Years War [1618-1648], and the War in Northern
Ireland [1969-1997] could be cited as other examples of religious wars*. We
also know organized religion was used as a tool to spread European
colonialism and imperialism into Africa, Latin America, The Middle East, and
southeastern Asia. For the sake of "evangelization," and "civilized
missionary activities," natural resources were plundered, and different
groups of people were annihilated. At one time, an African politician was
quoted saying, "when we closed our eyes and raised up our heads up to heaven
to pray, our natural resources were looted away."
Slavery was justified by quoting Biblical texts; so was the pseudo
scientific racist underpinning of "Manifest Destiny or Providence of God."
European and American "Christians" were the main slave traders and
slave-owners. Religion was also used as a tool by colonialists to implement
their "Divide and Conquer" or "Divide and Rule" strategies. As a result, the
cohesiveness of many African societies was undermined. South African and
American Apartheid systems were also championed by "Christian" leaders. On
one hand, the world was told that "Christianity teaches that there is
neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free in the eyes of God," On the
other hand, those who claimed to "trust in God" saw no contradictions as
they practiced slavery, committed genocides, scrambled to colonize
territories, and to dehumanize other races. To practice Apartheid, and to
acquire and use "Weapons of Mass Destruction," they used the name of
Christianity and the name of God in vain. In this way, true Christianity was
defiled by people who did not want to live up to the vows of the teachings
of true Christianity, but wanted to use it as a tool for their evil designs
and machinations.
According to a prominent American scientist, Francis Collins, religion was
given a bad name by those who did evil things. He stated, *"It is not
difficult to identify examples where the church [Christian church] has
promoted actions that fly in the face of principles its own faith should
have sustained ... frequent examples of gross hypocrisy among religious
leaders .. cause many skeptics to conclude that there is no objective truth
or goodness to be found in religion."* If religion is to be used as a
credible tool of love, mercy, and justice, all of the negative actions taken
by organized religion and religious leaders must stop. Men and women should
not seek to dehumanize their fellow human beings because of certain
religious beliefs or lack thereof.
In a similar vein, "true religion" is also being defiled by the actions of
few individuals who had taken it upon themselves to be spokespersons of
"religion". These individuals have been waging a shameless "war" on Eritrea,
the Eritrean government, and the Eritrean people. This war is primarily
being conducted from the UK and the USA, and is done for individual gains,
for personal power, vanity, and aggrandizement. Groups without genuine
religious credentials are at the forefront of this campaign against Eritrea.
Many of these very same individuals were directly or indirectly against
Eritrea’s war of independence, and they had said nothing against Ethiopia’s
atrocities against Eritreans. Yet, now when Eritreans are charting their own
independent path of development, they are "crying wolf" by saying there is
"religious persecution" in Eritrea on regular basis. They have been
appealing to every foreign power and organization they thought could help
them bring damage to Eritrea. This should make everyone ask: "Who is really
behind this false information? What is the real motive? What is that they
want to accomplish? Who has hired them, and to do what?"
Is this how the followers of "true religion or the disciples of the
Almighty" are supposed to conduct themselves? Is it morally and ethically
right to work as "hands in gloves" with Eritrea’s enemies so that the poor
people are being denied of proper education, health care, food, and means of
transportation? This is very absurd! It is unchristian!
These "self-declared defenders of religious freedom" do not have any
religious truth to share or impart. They are only religious imposters! They
may have a form of religion, not its power and spirit; they are not
manifesting any evidence of religious conversion. By sounding false alarms,
they are in the service of some interest groups who are operating through
clandestine circles to wreck havoc in Eritrea as they have done in many
neighboring countries. These individuals are like whitewashed tombs; they
are like what the Bible speaks of the Pharisees of the 1st century, a
self-serving religious group. Christ rebuked them during his ministry in
this earth by saying "*Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are
full of greed and self-indulgence. … You are like whitewashed tombs, which
look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones
and everything unclean*."
Many of these "religious elements," together with their handlers, are at the
center of the ring of human trafficking, and illegal immigration that is
exposing Eritrea’s youth to dangers in the high seas. They are also the ones
serving as false witnesses at political asylum hearings. Do they really know
the meaning of the 9th commandment? It says, "You shall not give false
testimony"!
Claiming to be "God’s follower" and then misleading innocent citizens is not
a trait of a true believer. These so-called followers of God need to repent
and ask God’s forgiveness. They might think they are doing well by deceiving
people, but they should know better. They cannot deceive God. People who
have not shown a genuine transformation in their lives cannot be advocates
of a good religious life. They cannot be examples for others. Their
deception is not going to bear any fruits. By simply crying we are, "In
Chains for Christ" cannot make a true confession of true faith. Those who
claim they are "being bound in Chains for Christ" need to first unshackle
themselves from their carnal chains, and clean themselves from the evils of
deception that have become the routine and daily activities of their lives.
They need to show "unconditional love for others, provide selfless service
for others, and show a state of purity of thought and righteousness of
action." Their desire as true Christians must be love, service, peace, and
not earthly power. If they claim to be people of "the books," they ought to
dedicate themselves "totally and unselfishly for the good and service of
others."
Those who claim that they are "the sons and daughters of the Almighty" *must
be first for peace, patience, love, truth, kindness, humility, and
justice.*Without having these qualities, they cannot say they do stand
for God or
Christianity. Before claiming to stand for "true religious freedom," they
must first free themselves from worldly desires and manifestations of*: "hate,
contention, jealousy, selfish ambition, dissension, and envy."*
Karen Armstrong, the prolific English writer of religious affairs of our
times, in her book *"The Great Transformation, The Beginning of Our
Religious Traditions,"* concluded, *"If religion is to bring light to our
broken world, we need ... to go in search of the lost heart, the spirit of
compassion that lies at the core of all our traditions."*
Eritreans had accepted Christianity and Islam way before the two religions
were accepted in other parts of the world. The Eritrean people have a noble
culture of religious tolerance. They do not need ungodly elements to show
them how to interpret their Holy Books or to show them how to live a "godly"
life. They have worked very hard to preserve their union, have worked in
harmony, and co-existed in an exemplary way. Where in the world can one find
people with religious harmony that has lasted for centuries? Only in
Eritrea! Where in the world can one find followers of Christianity and Islam
ready to die for each other’s safety? Only in Eritrea! Definitely, this
Eritrean reality has made many "Religious Quislings" who wanted to fish in
troubled waters to shudder and tremble. As a result, they are bent to sow
seeds of enmity and discord. All and everything they want is to see
"religious wars" flare up in Eritrea like those that are being manifested in
some communities in the world. When this happens, then they will come to
manage the crisis that they engineered. This becomes management of a crisis
for them. Such is the reality we are witnessing all over the Third World!
It is evident the "Religious Quislings" who are operating in the Diaspora do
not have the "needed wisdom, humility, grace, or intellect" to lead any
religious movement in Eritrea. It is also very clear they do not have "any
favor with God or man." According to their profiles, they do not command
"any inner beauty or desire to serve the Eritrean people or the country, but
themselves." They are devoid of the "needed courage, good religious
activities, and the integrity to do good for humanity." Their main motive is
to divide the Eritrean people! What does one get out of such a cruel way of
religious idolatry?
Eritrean Orthodox Christians and Moslems have lived harmoniously as brothers
and sisters for nearly two thousand years. Even when the Catholics and
Protestants showed up later in the history of Eritrea, this religious
harmony and tolerance did not change. This age-old religious harmony is
still in its place, and the people and government of Eritrea are doing their
best to keep it that way. However, some "politically motivated religious
movements" are campaigning to sow the seeds of discord and division among
the people. This reckless interference or behavior should not be tolerated
in Eritrea! Eritrea had no place for politically motivated religion in the
past, and it should have no place for it in the future! In short, *Eritrea’s
culture of religious tolerance is sacrosanct*. It should not change in this
generation or generations to come. Any religious war has no benefit!
Self-destruction has no future!
Let Eritrea and the Eritreans continue to live in a religious harmony. Let
Eritrea’s culture of religious tolerance continue without any interruptions.
THE END
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