LoPar,
You ask an interesting question in a cogent way. Is there a difference in motivation between the terrorist and the politician?
No doubt the terrorist and his partisans and the politician and his partisans will vehemently claim a difference but if one listens closely he will find that they both are saying very nearly the same things, sometimes even using the same words, such as protect, defend, way of life, values, and many others also. They both regularly claim that what they want most is peace and security yet they feel motivated to shatter both by fighting; to the casual observer it may not make any sense! But even to the casual observer it is self-evident that the true cause or motivation is not revealed in what they think and certainly not by what they say but only in what they actually do. Regardless of their protestations otherwise their motivation is the same; their actions prove it!
Unfortunately the terrorist, et al., the politician, et al., and even the vast majority of casual observers, those that refuse to be grouped with either of those groups, do not care to know the true motivation, the actual cause. Again their actions, their repeating of history proves that this is the case and, any minute now, they will again make it clearly evident. The question is, why? What is really behind it?
Jesus gives us an answer at John 8:43-45. There we find Jesus talking to a mixed group of his followers who did believe and community leaders and their followers who did not believe in him and he addresses these words to the latter saying: Why is it you do not know what I am speaking? Because you cannot listen to my word. 44 You are from you father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a manslayer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of [the lie]. 45 Because I, on the other hand, tell the truth, you do not believe me.
There may be individuals reading this that are not familiar with the historical references contained in Jesus statement, so for their benefit let me explain. Jesus is referring back to the garden of Eden and to the actions of an angel who, up to that point, had been faithful or in the truth but then took actions which demonstrated that he did not stand fast in the truth. That rebellious angels actions of telling lies that led to the death of his younger siblings is how he began his life as the Devil. That is an extremely brief explanation but it should be enough to enable all to understand what Jesus is saying and meaning and so understand the true cause or motivation.
Genesis 3:1-13 details those actions and starting in verse 14 we find provided for our edification Gods response, judgment, and solution to the situation recorded as the first prophecy of the Bible at Genesis 3:15: And I shall put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise you in the head and you will bruise him in the heel. Depending on which version you use the word enmity might be rendered hatred, hostility, war, among others. Please do not run ahead and start jumping to conclusions. The first thing you should know is that with those words God begins, in the order of responsibility, to pass judgment, the death sentence, on all the rebels. The Serpents death sentence is to be executed by the seed of the woman. The next thing you need to know is that the woman is not human nor even an individual. So do not jump to the wrong conclusion: God did not put war between humans but rather put war between you [the one behind the serpent, viz. the Devil] and the woman [Gods heavenly organization that mothers the seed(s)] and between your seed and her seed.
So did the Devil quietly resign himself to his destiny and go away to sulk? No, not at all! He continued his angry, murderous, and rule or ruin ways and set the precedent for all that knowingly or unknowingly follow him. 1 John 3:11-12 describes the result of his next move this way: For this is the message which you have heard from [the] beginning, that we should have love for one another; 12 not like Cain, who originated with the wicked one and slaughtered his brother. John is referring to events immediately following the events Jesus referred to and that we find recorded in the fourth chapter of Genesis; only partially quoted here: And after a time, Cain gave to the Lord an offering of the fruits of the earth. And Abel gave an offering of the young lambs of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord was pleased with Abel's offering; But in Cain and his offering he had no pleasure. And Cain was angry and his face became sad. And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? and why is your face sad? If you do well, will you not have honour? and if you do wrong, sin is waiting at the door, desiring to have you, but do not let it be your master. And Cain said to his brother, Let us go into the field: and when they were in the field, Cain made an attack on his brother Abel and put him to death. (Genesis 4:4-8) Again Jesus words explain and tell us that your terrorist and politician wish to do the desires of [their] father. That one was a manslayer when he began. The Devil first caused the death of Abels parents and then he induced Cain to kill Abel making Abel the first casualty of that war even though he was not a direct party to the hostility and was only an innocent bystander. We now begin to clearly see the Devils desires and that he acts according to his own disposition which is angry and murderous and clearly displays a rule or ruin mentality. Down through time much but certainly not all war has been religiously motivated just as the first murder was. And who has been behind it all?
The point of Jesus statement that answers your question and the connection to your terrorist and politician becomes crystal clear when we read the following:
Then the Devil said [to Jesus], " I will give you the right to rule over all these countries. They will be yours in all their splendor to serve your pleasure. I am in charge of them all and can turn them over to whomever I wish. (Luke 4:6)
The god [the Devil] who rules this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. They cannot see the light, which is the good news about our glorious Christ, who shows what God is like. (2Corinthians 4:4)
So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him. . . . Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time. (Revelation 12:9, 12)
And back again to John 8:42-47 and Jesus words: Jesus said to them: "If God were YOUR Father, YOU would love me, for from God I came forth and am here. Neither have I come of my own initiative at all, but that One sent me forth. 43 Why is it YOU do not know what I am speaking? Because YOU cannot listen to my word. 44 YOU are from YOUR father the Devil, and YOU wish to do the desires of YOUR father. That one was a manslayer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of [the lie]. 45 Because I, on the other hand, tell the truth, YOU do not believe me. 46 Who of YOU convicts me of sin? If I speak truth, why is it YOU do not believe me? 47 He that is from God listens to the sayings of God. This is why YOU do not listen, because YOU are not from God." Your terrorist and politician cannot listen or see the light because they are allowing themselves to be misled or blinded and may not yet have realized where their loyalties lie and who it is that is in charge of their lives, religions, and countries; their actions prove it!
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