Elijah's Take on Diversity
by Mike Shaw
Long before 9/11, 3/11, and 7/7, other civilizations had problems with sick religious cults in their midst. Let's take a look at one of the earliest conflicts.
The apostasy of Israel's kings dates back to Solomon, in the 10th century BC. Surrounded by all sorts of pagan countries, and given to marrying foreign princesses, it seems that even the wisest of men could be taken in (1 Kings 11). The worst offender was to come about 100 years later. The weak and amoral King Ahab became completely dominated by his much more famous wife Jezebel, daughter of the priest-king Ethbaal, who convinced him to introduce the worship of the Tyrian god Baal-Melkart. Bristling with grrrl power, she had most of the prophets of Yahweh killed, and wasn't above whacking commoners when it suited her.
Most of the Baals were fertility gods, so we can assume that the usual orgiastic festivities, including the priests and priestesses of Baal getting it on with the sacred prostitutes, and the various permutations thereof with the, uh, laity occurred with gusto. Thus, this blatant promiscuity, and the lowering of the notion of God to a mere natural force, denied moral values and any transcendental reality. One can hardly imagine a more destructive force to the Hebrew monotheistic belief system. But, what's a little multiculturalism and diversity among friends, right?
It was into this mess that Elijah appears, and predicts to Ahab three years of drought (1 Kings 17:1). The drought happens, all right, and this was apparently to soften up Ahab and the Israelites for Elijah's big challenge. He gets Ahab to assemble all the 450 prophets of Baal, along with with the people on Mt. Carmel, to see whether Baal or Yahweh (as represented by Elijah, His sole remaining prophet) will bring rain. But the first step is to call for fire to consume their respective sacrifices.
The Baal team goes on first, and prances around their altar from morning to noon, calling on their god, and engaging in various rituals, including slashing themselves with swords and spears, but nothing happens. Elijah then rebuilds his altar, destroyed by the pagans, and thoroughly wets down the young bull and the wood for the fire. At that, he calls to the LORD, and...
The LORD'S fire came down and consumed the holocaust, wood, stones, and dust, and it lapped up the water in the trench.
Seeing this, all the people fell prostrate and said, "The LORD is God! The LORD is God!"
Then Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Let none of them escape!" They were seized, and Elijah had them brought down to the brook Kishon and there he slit their throats. (1 Kings 18:38-40)
This would not be the end of the cult of Baal, however. A nasty civil war follows, instigated by Elijah's successor Elisha, and that finally seems to do the trick. As to Lady Jezebel, she is thrown out of her palace—literally—and run over by Jehu, the new king. When they return to bury her, all that is left is her skull, feet, and hands. She was devoured by a pack of dogs.
Draw whatever analogies you like to our current situation with the Islamo-fascists. Considering that Europe, especially the UK, has coddled these fanatics for decades, it just might be that the PC philosophy of liberal tolerance is beginning to show a few rough edges.
It remains to be seen whether or not our leaders will take the hint.
Michael D. Shaw is executive vice president and director of marketing for a small Los Angeles-based industrial electronics and software manufacturer. Born in the Midwest and raised in southern California, he now lives in Fairfax County, Virginia. He has a background in biological science, including research under a Nobel laureate. It was in such laboratories, observing the incredible complexity, organization, and purpose in creation, that he was inspired to become a Catholic. Michael's experience includes such left brain activities in the entertainment industry as session musician, record producer, and talent manager. He writes on politics, popular culture and health care, and has appeared in various broadcast media on these topics as well. Be prepared for independent, contrarian ideas.
