It would be a futile and frustrating exercise I'm afraid. Together mankind could accomplish much good but look around you...where is this good we know is achievable? What is preventing this good from overpowering the monumental evil in this world? The Bible answers very simply....
1John 5:19....
"We know that we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one."
"If, in fact, the good news we declare is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, 4 among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through." (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
The devil rules this world and his kingdom is set up in opposition to God's Kingdom, promoted by Jesus and his true disciples.
The devil has the power to "blind the minds of unbelievers"...imagine what that means? Unlike physical blindness, this lack of sight affects the mind, the centre that processes all the information gathered by the senses. Nothing will penetrate such a mind. They are all led by propaganda that makes the devil often look like the good guy, and God seem like a tyrannical despot, as we have seen from the views of some posters on these forums.
If Jesus said that the 'cramped and narrow road to life' would be chosen by the "few" but not the "many" (Matthew 7:13-14) then what hope is there of humans ever being able to conquer the devil on his own turf?
Luke 13:23-24...
"Now a man said to him: “Lord, are those being saved few?” He said to them: 24 “Exert yourselves vigorously to get in through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will seek to get in but will not be able."
Why would Jesus say this? And who is he addressing in Matthew 7:21-23?
“Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of the heavens, but only the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. 22 Many will say to me in that day: ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them: ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’"
These are people who claim Jesus as their "Lord".....but who seem to want to correct Jesus when he tells them he never knew them. They think that their Christianity is perfectly acceptable to God, but Jesus tells them otherwise. Never would we want those words to apply to us! So how do we make sure that they don't?
You are talking about a long history of resentment and hatred on both sides of this awful conflict....and over what? A piece of dirt. People are suffering and dying over who owns a piece of dirt. But the animosity between Muslims and Jews goes back to the days of father Abraham. His two sons were divided from the time Isaac was born. Ishmael was firstborn but through an Egyptian handmaiden by an accepted surrogacy arrangement. But the promised seed was to come through Sarah. The animosity festered so badly that God ended up telling Abraham to send Ishmael away with his mother. But he promised to also make a great nation out of him. This is why the Muslim faith is also "Abrahamic"...it came through Ishmael.
We have reached the point where, because of Christ's sacrifice, the blessing of people of all nations is now possible (as God promised Abraham). But there were conditions. Just as there were conditions in Eden for continued life and blessings, (obedience to God's command) so obedience to the teachings of the Christ is a requirement...not just the convenient ones, but ALL of them.
There is nothing to prevent people from all religious faiths from accepting Jesus as the doorway to God, but it means relinquishing their previously held beliefs. They must all follow one shepherd according to John 10:1-5.....
"Most truly I say to you, the one who does not enter into the sheepfold through the door but climbs in by another way, that one is a thief and a plunderer. 2 But the one who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The doorkeeper opens to this one, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 They will by no means follow a stranger but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
The Shepherd leads his own sheep out of where they were, and instructs them to follow him in the right path. They follow his voice alone...not the voice of false shepherds who are 'strangers' to God and want to lead them in an opposite direction.
So from my understanding of the scriptures, there is no point in chastising anyone over their past mistakes or forcing them to do things against their will....all God is interested in now is what people do from today onward. Repentance must come from the heart....it cannot be forced.
God is having the "good news" of his Kingdom preached in all the world (Matthew 24:14) so that all may have an opportunity to hear and respond....but realistically, "few" will. We have to concentrate on not only being among those few, but in helping others to do so as well. (Revelation 22:17-18)
Human politics will continue to divide mankind because of who controls them, but God's spirit will unite his people as one in spite of this, because there is no greater force in the Universe.
