herem

Herem is the Middle Eastern concept that certain things, places and people shall be dedicated to destruction as required by the Almighty.  They may not be judged, salvaged, or converted by man but must be destroyed without question.  A Biblical example is the destruction of the people, goods and buildings of the city of Jericho by the army of Joshua.  

In late July, 2010, an unarmed civilian medical party of ten was killed on a trail in Afghanistan, and the Taliban claimed they did it because these people were trying to convert Afghans to Christ.  Although their actions were unimaginably kind and generous, their perceived religious error required their deaths.  

This is what herem looks like from the other side.  As people of the Book, we do not doubt the goodness of what the Lord did at Jericho to give his chosen people a place to live and develop their faith in purity.  But there came a time when purity had to give way to tolerance, because the peoples of the earth were growing and colliding.  Ending herem was a top priority, for which the Father sacrificed his only Son.  

I believe ending herem began as Jesus told the parable of the good Samaritan.  The hero of the parable was doctrinally impure but defined 'neighbor' through his actions.  Since that time, faith has not been an excuse for butchery.  Nonetheless, John foresaw in Revelation a violent end for our earthly times.