A chance for peace

CNN, quoting "senior Palestinian officials" reports that Yasser Arafat is dead.   

Yasser Arafat was a terrorist and a murderer.  The incessant cries that Israel must negotiate with this "partner for peace" were one of the major obstacles to peace in the region.  That, and Arafat's desire to slaughter all the Jews.

Do I think peace will come over night now?  Of course not.  There's likely to be lots of blood shed.  There's a pretty good chance that this will trigger a Palestinian civil war.  But, for once, there's a light at the other end of the tunnel that might, might, turn out not to be a train.

Comments

[George8]

I saw an interview with an evangilist last year who has talked with Yasser and said he had a good conversation with him, told him that he was praying for his salvation and Yasser said thank you and seemed genuinely touched, when I heard of his illness I remembered that and also began to pray for his salvation. Is God able to save him? Yes he is able, we should not rejoice in yasser's death unless we know he has been forgiven by the Savior, we should also pray for others who have opportunity to present the gospel in love, and especially for those in harms way in lands of spiritual darkness. While there is light we should walk in it, Jesus said, we are the light of the world, we don't have to love the darkness but we do have to shine the Glory of our LORD there...I know it is not easy sometimes, God never promiised it would be easy, but He promised to be with us.

[Jeffrey Collins]

I take no joy in his death. Every death means the end of one of God's creations. However, Arafat has caused the death of hundreds and suffering for thousands. Maybe even hundreds of thousands. He has done every thing in his power to block any peace plan that didn't, in effect, mean the end of Israel as a nation. I think it's very evident that there will be a greater opportunity to reach a peaceful solution once he is gone. I would have preferred for him to simply step aside, but his ego (or something) would not allow that.

[spacemonkey]

Jeffrey, you have an unclosed bold tag somewhere in this post.

[LeeW]

If Arafat was a christain in the same situation your discusion may be about a martyr, this may be difficult to see when your head is submerged in a bucket of holy writing.
So if all religion was taken out of the human equation, what would people fight over next?

[George8]

C.S. Lewis made a lot of sense in his writings.
Up until a certain time the term gentleman was reserved for land owners and had little to do with describing one's character, he goes on to make the point that the world now uses the term christian in much the same way as we do the term gentleman. We need to be christians not just be called christians, I heard that Ghandi said something like, 'I would have become a christian if I had never met one.' We are called to be ambassadors as 2 Corinthians 5...The original meaning of the word martyr is witness, regardless of the life ending in violence. We should all be witnesses even in the face of death, which to a perishing world seems to be the ultimate witness. Philippians 1:21 shows the christian perspective. Though I am not a land owner I could be called a gentleman, I am a christian but do not always shine the glory of God to a dark world, the martyr of God sometimes lives a full life, shedding God's light abroad and showing God's love, mercy and wisdom, influencing those he encounters just as salt preserves and seasons that which it touches. A godly life is a witness that pleases god, not bombastic, 'look at what I can do' people who turn many away from knowing the true God to whom belongs judgement and wrath, a patient yet jealous God who is not fooled by self proclamations and misused words. The only martyrs I see in the muslim world are fools, deceived from their infancy to practice hate and coveteousness.
In a side note, what I witnessed at the Arafat funeral showed me their way of life, undisciplned, selfish...I hope the christian world will be a witness in the extreme opposite. In what name does a person do things? As christians we have been baptised into Christ's death in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Spirit. We need to comprehend what that means and that it means more than the water, it means much more. When people would be cut off from society by stepping forward publicly to be identified with Christ Jesus, that point of crossing that line of invisible insignificance into conspicuous alignment with the God of all truth and mecy, that very act is heroic and that is the act of a martyr in the original sense, someone noticing something that separates you from the rest of civilization. Jesus called us the church, "the called out ones". I understand the nature of how words like martyr are now used though. But God has called all of us to make a difference, be a witness (martyr) for Him and to not fear what man can do to us, even if it means persecution and death. Jesus said, "Dear friends, don't be afraid of those who want to kill you. They can only kill the body; they cannot do any more to you. But I'll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill people and then throw them into hell." Luke 12:4-5 NLT I like the KJV in which Jesus adds, "...yea, fear Him."