GOD IN CHARGE OF JERUSALEM? DIDN'T WE TRY THAT?

Here's an interesting idea: Religious strife in Jerusalem is so violent that no agreement can be reached on dividing the city in a way that makes Jews, Muslims and Christians happy. So why not put a neutral party in charge, someone who presumably has a vested interest no matter the religious persuasion. Why not give control of the Holy City to -- who else? -- God.

That very suggestion was made after the failure of the recent Camp David talks on a Israeli-Palestinian accord. The idea picked up some serious support.

But wait a minute. Hasn't God always been in charge?

The problem isn't God. The problem is God's representatives, who find ways to wage wars over sacred pieces of ground. In Jerusalem, virtually every bit of landscape is sacred, and it's sacred to three of the world's major religious faiths.

It would be nice to have God in charge. But history indicates the residents of Jerusalem probably wouldn't be happy too long under divine rule. Then what would they do?