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 %HOLY WAR SACRED CONFLICT BATTLE WIN LOSE DOMINATE 960616

     There  have  been  many "holy"   wars  and  conflicts
throughout history.  Usually participants on both sides of
such conflicts have regarded themselves as servants of God
in their "holy"   conflict.   It is usually difficult from
the vantage point of centuries following such conflicts to
ascertain without bias who was more nearly on "the side of
God."

     Not  all  conflicts take the form of  organized  wars
between nation states.  Many participants in "holy" and/or
"sacred" conflicts are involved in activities which do not
entail the use of arrows,  swords,  battering rams,  guns,
cannons,   airplanes,  bombs,  smart bombs  or their like.
Often the conflicts use the coercive weapons of economics,
psychological  warfare,  political  warfare,   educational
indoctrination, religious manipulations, etc.

     The disintegrative effects of "holy"  wars occur even
if  there are no organized activities of massive  physical
destruction.      The  fact that the participants  in  the
conflict  view  their participation as an  "holy"   and/or
"sacred"     activity   engenders   many    disintegrative
consequences.  Such people operate within the framework of
a  disintegrative  paradigm which affirms  that  coercion,
violence, dishonest manipulations, secrecy, deception, and
cleverly misleading behaviors can be "holy"  in some  way.
Their views  (in their minds) justify  unlimited violence,
alienation, estrangement, prejudice, and selective vision.
They are playing collusive games of mutual self deception;
and encourage  their  enemies to  likewise  play  opposing
collusive  games of mutual self deception.  "Winning"   is
only   for   dishonesty  and  violence;    not   for   the
participants.

     "Holy" and "sacred" conflicts do not merit respect or
support---for  their  fruits  are  personal  and  communal
disintegration.   Their  promises are false  promises---as
shown by their long history of  delivery  of  personal and
communal disintegration.

     People who are dedicated to "holy" conflicts are very
unlikely  to  respect  any efforts to engage  in  conflict
resolution---for  to them conflict is the means  to  being
"holy".     Since  we are called to be "holy"   and  since
engaging in conflict is the primary means to being "holy";
we are duty-bound to create and sustain conflict in  order
to be "holy".

     Peacemakers  who respond to God's call to be  engaged
in peacemaking need to deal openly  and  honestly with the
convolutions  of  attitudes,   assumptions,   beliefs  and
convictions   of  those  people  who  engage   in   "holy"
conflicts.    Dishonestly pretending that the situation is
simple, will not simplify the task at hand.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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