Believing But Not Seeing


Sunday, for most Christians, was the "2nd Sunday Of Easter". Usually the Gospel for this day is one of the accounts of an appearance by Jesus to the apostles, but is more likely known as where the figure of speech "Doubting Thomas" came from. For Thomas refused to believe until he saw for himself. I personally think Thomas has gotten a bit of a "raw deal"; he did not betray or deny, he simply wished proof.

One can only speculate about Thomas' frame of mind. His mentor and friend had been treated like a common criminal, and then to probably hear again and again that he had risen from the dead, that he walked among them. He may have thought it was a ploy of the Romans or the Sanhedrin to try and draw Christians out for persecution.

Of course, with so many strains of Christianity requiring a near "blind faith", it shouldn't surprise anyone that Thomas is held as bit of an object of ridicule.

Is it any wonder, based on this, that the Fundamentalists are among the most ardent supporters of the "War On Terror". Now a case can be made that this has to do with a desire to accelerate the "2nd Coming", but the same "total faith" that many fundys demand is no different from what Bush demands; "Just trust me Iraq has WMD's", "Just trust me, the Iraqis will welcome us as liberators", "Just trust me . . . ."

But what happened when reality set in, not doubt, but denial.

But what can't be denied, and there can be no doubt about. Is that this "War against war" has been waged by an army of "Doubting Thomas's". Who saw and believed in the reality of insurgency and occupation.