Paulson Post

To a large extent our behaviour is genetically conditioned. People who belong to certain ethnic groups have common physical and even emotional characteristics because of the genes that control biological and emotional aspects of their life. Certain groups of people are prone to certain diseases while other groups totally immune to these because of their particular genetic structure. This also means that human behaviour is predictable and to a large extent unchangeable unless there is genetic modification. Paul talks about another factor that overrides genetic conditioning that decides human behaviour. That is grace. Paul was intolerant, violent and possibly a psychopath too. He could not tolerate a group of Jews who considered themselves as followers of Jesus of Nazareth. He considered this new faith called Christianity something that should be destroyed. He resorted to violent means of arresting them and killing them. To achieve this aim of annihilating the all the Chris...

Terrorists who have some religious associations give religions a bad name. Recent events like the attack on Mumbai (26/11) make us think if religions promote violence only. However, the picture is far from truth. There are narratives of conflicts, violence and bloody battle accounts in the Bible. This makes some think that Bible promotes violence. However, they miss out the many visions of peace that the bible have. One such vision is found in the prophecy of Isaiah in the second chapter. Part of this vision is inscribed on the walls of the UN building in New York: "They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore" (Isaiah 2:4). This probably was a very popular vision about the future in those days since another prophet by the name Micah also has this in his book (Micah 4:3). Thus it should rather be called a shared vision of the prophets of the Bible in the eight...