Jews, Arabs need another God

Ever since I took on my role, I have seen Him in that quiescent state. 

Indeed, I only entered my contract with Him by the wilful leap of a stubborn man determined to be the dog of a God who was resolutely silent.

Whether exhausted or overwhelmed by the sheer scale of a universe that could not be controlled by an erratic supernatural invention, the Big Divine remains motionless, indifferent.

One of our self-glorifying pastors recently squandered almost half-an-hour of radio/TV talk-show time listing the challenges of life he had survived and become rich. 

Although there was nothing extraordinary about his story, and many monstrous sinners have lived longer and got richer, the gentleman concluded that his survival would have been impossible if God had not specifically preserved him so that he might claim to be a prophet.

In The Insect Play by the Brothers Capek, Chrysalis thinks its little cocoon is the centre of the universe!

Such self-deception requires an ego as big as a whale.

Rulers – especially despotic rulers – also have such egos. They imagine that God is out there, working round the clock, constantly tinkering with the cosmic system and shaping all human activities specifically to enable the rulers to get power over us.

Being dunderheads, we sometimes buy that crap.

But now there is something bigger than bread-and-butter pulpit artistes masquerading as prophets and tin-pot chiefs claiming to be chosen by God.

I am contemplating the very cradle of God, the region where God was invented by Abraham’s forefathers.

When God was young, in a manner of speaking, and knew little of this planet beyond the small kingdoms that His prophets could reach on foot to proclaim His presence, and knew even less about the infinite universe, war was His forte.

As if invented to simultaneously mimic, mask and justify both man’s benign self-centeredness and ugly monstrosity, God was never far from bitter rivalry and ethno-tribal supremacist prejudice. You refused to worship Him or bow to his chosen tribe at your peril.

When He hated, He really hated. He believed in collective and even post-generational punishment.

He could be kind and cruel in equal measure. Death sometimes meant nothing to Him.

It is therefore not a paradox; it is consistent with His nature that the descendants of Abraham, Jews and Arabs, have been kept almost constantly at war, or in exile, or under the threat of extermination.

But God now sleeps, with no active role in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Look. Palestinians have spent huge material resources and reserves of energy to dig tunnels like primitive war rodents.

The Israelis have committed huge material resources and incredible futuristic technical talent to redefine a divinely inspired ancient barbarism.

Each has a strong wish that the other did not exist.

But with God now asleep, you would think they could tiptoe past the fanatical rabbis, the fanatical imams and their political collaborators, sneak to God’s chamber and seal it forever.

They could invent another god, another myth, with a different covenant.

No irrational destinies. No temples, no mosques, no churches. No holy places, except the seats for the hearts of their common humanity.

Unfortunately, that will not happen. They prefer to bleed and die; for land, for identities, and for their old myths.

Mr Alan Tacca is a novelist, socio-political commentator.
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