Joel Holsteen- Outside Reading #1

In Elizabeth Carpentiere's "Jerusalem: a Walk Through the Holy City," she discusses Jerusalem and its major role as a sacred place to not only one but three religions. She shows that the historic landscape plays a important role in the lay out of the religious city. Each temple or shrine marks a point of interest from one of the three religions of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. For example one of the sites in the city of Jerusalem is the Dome of the Rock. In Christianity this is the last place in which Jesus was on this Earth, the heel mark in the rock is said to be where he last stepped before ascending into Heaven. In the Islamic faith, however, instead of Jesus it is said to be where their last prophet Muhammad is said to have left this earth. Constant fights and quarrels have broken out all throughout the city of Jerusalem which is ironic because all of these religions are non violent and practice peace. It doesn't make any sense to me, all of these religions are peaceful so you would think that they would be able to coexist and share these sites and practice in their own way with out feuding.