JERUSALEM (CNN) -- An unusual sight greeted Jerusalem police as they entered one of Christianity's holiest sites Sunday morning: dozens of monks punching and kicking each other in a massive brawl. Monks from the Greek Orthodox and Armenian denominations were preparing for a ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City when a disagreement led to a full-fledged fistfight. The fight began when Armenian clergy were holding a procession to commemorate the finding of the cross believed to have been used in the crucifixion of Jesus, according to The Associated Press. The Greek members of the clergy wanted one of their monks present, the AP reported, for fear that the procession would undermine their claim to an ancient structure built on what is believed to be the tomb of Jesus. The two sides could not agree, and when the Armenians tried to begin the procession, the Greek monks stepped in and the fighting began, the AP reported.
From the "My Imaginary Friend Can Beat Up Your Imaginary Friend" Department comes this sorry tale, which really should be subtitled "And Jesus Wept...." Two groups of monks, who apparently each have dedicated enough of their lives to the study of Christianity to have completely lost sight of the true meaning of their religion, made like the fourth lines at a Flyers-Rangers game at Madison Square Garden. Man, when the most divisive thing you can come up with is whose flavor of imaginary friend tastes better...well, perhaps ya'll might just be obsessing over things other than religious doctrine. Hmm??
TASTES GREAT!! LESS FILLING!!!
God God, ya'll (pun thoroughly intended); did you ever stop to think that both of you are allegedly worshipping the same imaginary friend? Didja stop to ask yourself one very simple question: What would Jesus do? Eh, apparently not...ergo, someone went to Jerusalem and a hockey game broke out.
I'm not an atheist. I'm a Buddhist, which technically makes me closer to an agnostic. I don't believe in God or the existence of a Higher Being- at least not in the conventional Christian sense. Having been raised Lutheran, there are still vestiges of the fear of a vengeful God rattling around in the recesses of my brain. While Christianity as a philosophy is a wonderful thing (What's so funny about peace, love, and understanding? [Apologies to Elvis Costello....]), the execution in the modern sense frankly sucks. Modern Christianity is far too often employed as a bludgeon, a means of exercising social and ideological control over a sheep-like populace who think that their spiritual needs are being addressed. In fact they're being forced into a narrow ideological and theological box designed to foster and facilitate the political power of a class of people willing to use it to their advantage. It's really not about peace, love, and understanding; it's about power and control...and that represents everything that's wrong with modern Christianity...and Judaism...and Islam.
All three faith traditions, if the adherents of each were willing to actually follow their teachings, could be tremendous forces for good in this world. All three, at their most basic, are about love, charity, and peace...oh, and understanding, tolerance, and acceptance fit in there somewhere as well. Of course, an observer could be forgiven for not realizing that these things were basic tenets of these religions, given the crusades and jihads and all manner of murder and violent repression conducted in their name. When Christian monks from different faith traditions make like NHL enforcers in the third period of a meaningless November blowout, you have to know that this train has completely left the tracks.
Jesus, save me from your followers...and your enforcers....
