tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post114181337482418386..comments2024-03-24T15:19:06.377-04:00Comments on The Continuum: Christians and Hamas (II)Fr. Robert Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892141425033196616noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-1142106649310672412006-03-11T14:50:00.000-05:002006-03-11T14:50:00.000-05:00(Albion-My e-mails have not gotten through, it see...(Albion-My e-mails have not gotten through, it seems, during your whole trip).<BR/><BR/>When the Christian Doctor says that he is not afraid of the radical muslims, he is probably saying it out of fear. They live under intimidation. The irony is that, no matter how much Israel can be blamed for various problems, the situation will continue now to get worse than it has ever has been. Hamas will persecute them and try to impose sharia; if not this year then soon. And, the claim about having always lived in peace is simply a fairy tale.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-1141968741070393702006-03-10T00:32:00.000-05:002006-03-10T00:32:00.000-05:00Albion,Thank you for giving me perspective. I am e...Albion,<BR/><BR/>Thank you for giving me perspective. I am encouraged to hear our brothers and sisters love the faith as much if not more than we sensitive sunday Christians who flip a switch to be Holy on Sunday and then go screw our clients first thing Monday morning.<BR/><BR/>One of my heros in the faith is St. Nicolas Basdanis the New Martyr. An example of what muslims do to apostates. Fools for Christ just don't have the same appeal these days I guess. <BR/><BR/>St. Seraphim of Sarov said that if we acquire the Spirit of Peace that a thousand souls around us will be saved. I think that harkens back to the story of evangelizing using words when neccesary. <BR/><BR/>I think here in America contemporary evangelicals dont view the old churches as even being Christian. They sure have been quiet about the atrocities in Kosovo. Protestant want not only to share their faith but make muslims part of Americas civil religion (reformed/baptist.<BR/><BR/>I pray for the servants of God in the Holy Lands. I think Anglicansim could be a very good vessel to carry the message and plight of Arab and Palestinian Christians to the world. <BR/>If a Greek Priest with a funny beard tries to speak with contemporary evangelicals they are first question whether the Priest is "saved" and then they are going to try an convert him to a christianity that seeks to raise money to rebuild the temple in order to bring about the second comming. If an Anglican priest or laity engages the evangelicals in terms they can relate to, there might be some way to educate.<BR/><BR/>Excuse my wandering thoughts. I took ambien sleep aid and have fallen into a drunk like state. Off to bed.<BR/><BR/>I really enjoy having access to you, your stories and travels strengthen my faith. PaxThe Lemontshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01326043006284437751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-1141924865604840662006-03-09T12:21:00.000-05:002006-03-09T12:21:00.000-05:00Interesting you should raise that question, Dave, ...Interesting you should raise that question, Dave, as I did with Fr Artemios.<BR/><BR/>I would first like to deal with part of it, as you raised the same issue in an earlier comment, and I didn't say anything at the time.<BR/><BR/>The word Christian in Palestine is no more a cultural or political label than it is anywhere else; if anything, it is probably far less so. There are "Christmas and Easter Christians" everwhere. But in the Middle East, I would not generally think it an epithet one would take on for merely cultural or political reasons, because Christians are in a minority virtually everwhere, and mildly to severely persecuted in most places.<BR/><BR/>As to your broader question, I think you have to understand that Christian witness in the Muslim world cannot be carried out in the same way it is elsewhere because of the dangers that can be involved. And I speak here of danger to the proselyte more than to the proselytiser. Remember, that Islam prescribes death to apostates, ie those who renounce their faith. In some countries, this happens; in others, it just results in people being socially ostracised or losing their jobs.<BR/><BR/>Now to the question I put to Fr Artemios. We certainly didn't get in to the matter of "error and certain death." But nor was it a matter of "shut up and put up."<BR/><BR/>There does not seem to be any direct proselytisation among Muslims. But Christians in the Muslim world tend to work indirectly to that end, through works of charity, schools, etc.<BR/><BR/>I quoted to him St Francis of Assisi's famous dictum: "Preach always and, when necessary, use words." He said that pretty much summed it up.Albion Landhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14423168351697120421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-1141865732188081132006-03-08T19:55:00.000-05:002006-03-08T19:55:00.000-05:00I assume that the Orthodox Christians there don't ...I assume that the Orthodox Christians there don't speak openly about Islam being a cult that broke from Christianity like they do in other places? I would really be interested to know if the term "christian" there isn't like a cultural or political label. Do the Christians seek to show the Muslims the error and certian death that Islam leads to or do they just shut up and put up in order to get along?<BR/><BR/>Most of us in the West only hear stories without having the first hand knowledge that you are accumulating.The Lemontshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01326043006284437751noreply@blogger.com