Violence in the Psalms

As I have read through the Psalms, I have found the level of violence described in these religious poems both surprising and eye-opening. Most of the Psalms tend to take on a sort of "us vs. them" attitude, similar to those found in old Islamic texts that are so widely criticized today. Noticing this violence throughout the text has only further solidified the need to separate original from universal meaning concerning all religious texts. 

Violence and separation of "the just" and "the enemies" can be seen throughout the text. Psalm 97 is a particularly strong example of this attitude. Sections of the Psalm read "Fire goes before Him/ and all round burns His foes./ His lightnings lit up the world;/ the earth saw and quaked." This presents a very powerful and violent image of God as one who smites his enemies and has the capabilities for massive destruction. The Psalm further goes on to say "All idol-worshippers are shamed,/ who boast of ungods./ All gods bow down to him." Here, we see a separation of "us" and "them." The "idol-worshippers" are depicted here as lesser people that should submit to the one true God. 

Interestingly enough, these same types of attitudes are found in the Muslim holy texts. A quote from the Quran reads "Allah is the protector of those who have faith: from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light. Of those who reject faith the patrons are the evil ones: from light they will lead them forth into the depths of darkness. They will be companions of the fire, to dwell therein (For ever)." This quote from the Quran also displays an "us vs. them" attitude where those who are opposed to their religion are lead to a fiery and horrific afterlife.

It is in this parallel between the content of these two holy texts that I have found a great amount of insight into both religion and modern bias. I see now that many religions have a violent past and should not be dismissed because of that. The Psalms and Quran alike both show attitudes of violence and separation, but both are still important and positive texts. They are important and positive because the universal meaning goes beyond the original violent content. I also see now how anyone could pick sections from these texts and use them as propaganda. It is easy for Muslim groups to point to the Psalms and say "Look how barbaric they are!" as it is easy for Western groups to point to the Quran and say "Look how barbaric they are!" We must keep this in mind when attempting to understand conflicts between religious groups because it is very easy to get caught up in the biases of one's own group.