Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon's End - Conclusion of An Appalling Bloodguilt

One way is that many wars are related to religious indifferences. For example, the violence in India between Muslims and Hindus  in 1946-48 was religiously motivated. Hundreds  of thousands of lives were lost.  The conflict between Iraq and Iran in the 1980's was related to sectarian differences, with hundreds of  thousands being killed.  Violence between Catholics and Protestants in  Northern Ireland had taken thousands of lives.  Surveying the field, columnist C.L. Sulzberger said in 1976:  "It is the dismal truth that probably half or more of the wars now being fought around the world are either openly religious conflicts or involved with religious disputes."  Indeed, it has been so throughout the turbulent history of Babylon the Great.

What is the second way?  From Jehovah's viewpoint, the world's religions are bloodguilty because they have not convincingly taught their followers the truth of Jehovah's requirements for his servants.  They have not convincingly taught  people that God's worshippers must imitate Jesus Christ and show love toward others regardless of their national origin.  (Micah 4:3, 5; John 13:34, 35; 1 John 3:10-12) Because the religions making up Babylon the Great have taught these things, their adherents have been drawn into the vortex of international warfare.  How evident this was in the two world wars of the first half of the 20th century, both of which started in Christendom  and resulted in fellow religionists' slaughtering one another!  IF all who claimed to be Christians had adhered to Bible principles those wars could never take place.

Jehovah lays the blame for all this bloodshed  at the feet of Babylon the Great.  Had the religious leaders, and particularly  those in Christendom, taught their people  Bible truth, such massive bloodshed would have occurred.  Truly, then, directly or indirectly, Babylon the Great -the great harlot and world empire of false religion -must answer to Jehovah not only for  
"the bloodshed of prophets and of holy ones "whom she  has persecuted and killed but for the blood "of all those being slaughtered on the earthy." Babylon the Great does indeed carry an appalling bloodguilt.  Good riddance when her final destruction takes place!

Next time: Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon's End - The Price of Compromise

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