Out of the Darkness of Conflict, Intolerance, and Strife
Subtitle: Breaking Through the Rigid Systems of Human Separation and Starting over Afresh
Publisher: PublishAmerica
Published: September 5, 2006
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 53
ISBN-13: 9781424153480
Subjects: Self-Help & Practical Interests; Motivational & Inspirational; Fiction / Religious; Self-Help / Motivational; Self-Help; Inspirational
First sentence: It is 5.15 pm in the GreenWise Market section in the Publix grocery store on Hoffner road, Lakeland, Florida.
Description: Publisher Comments:
The story told in this book is a modern morality tale that addresses religious intolerance epitomized by the conflict between Christianity and Islam. This conflict has been going on intermittently since the first crusade at the end of the 11th century, but has become uppermost in our minds ever since the tragic events of September 11, the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the many terrorist attacks around the world. History is quite clear as to the bellicose aspects of both Christianity and Islam, and we may be experiencing a prolonged flare-up of strife between these arch-enemies. Against the background of these troubled times, the two characters in the story, a Muslim woman and a Christian man, take time out to explore the root cause of this millennium-old strife, and why they as children of the same Creator belong to belief systems that articulate worldviews, which are bitterly opposed to each other. They pledge, at least for their part, not to recycle this age-old bitterness that neither Christianity nor Islam seems to be capable of resolving. They explore the foundations of their respective belief systems, project themselves outside the Islamic and Christian boxes that they have been packaged in so as to see their lives more objectively, and conclude that they need to travel a different road if they are to contribute to building a world that is a fitting habitat for all of the Creator's children.
Notes: This is a short story with big implications. It is a fictional story of a Muslim woman and a Christian man, who faced with the conflict and strife between Christianity and Islam decide to look deeper into their respective belief systems. They find them petrified in thought systems of ages past, and incapable of the necessary reforms to resolve the conflicts, and reason their way to break with their spiritual traditions and make a commitment to build new lives of faith, openness, tolerance, understanding, curiosity, love, and harmony with the Creator and all creation.
Table of contents: title: Step One: The Invitation. Step Two: The Invitation Accepted. Step Three: The Rendezvous. Step Four: The Challenge. Step Five: Coming out of the Closet. Final Step: Commitment to Build a New Life Separately or Together.