Putting our problems as Catholics in the modernist world in perspective, here is a story from CNA.
Priest says Muslim extremists want to rid Middle East of Christians
Cairo, Egypt, Dec 19, 2010 / 06:02 pm (CNA).- An Egyptian priest has explained that radical Muslims are trying to rid the Middle East entirely of Christians, who once comprised the largest religious group in the region.
“This is what the Muslim fundamentalists want,” the Egyptian Catholic spokesman Fr. Rafic Greische told Vatican Radio.
“They want the Christians to evacuate from the Middle East and leave. And this is what is happening every day.” He expressed frustration that governments throughout the region, not noted for their responsiveness to popular concerns, “do not take serious action to relieve or solve these problems.”
Egyptian Christians face significant public and private discrimination, including policies that make it nearly impossible for them to build churches. In November, a crowd demonstrating for their right to build a church in Giza clashed with police, who fired on unarmed protesters.
[…]
Even instances of Christians becoming Muslims can make these tensions turn explosive. In October, when suicide-attackers at Iraq’s Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation killed almost 60 worshipers at a Sunday Mass in Baghdad, the Islamic State of Iraq group claimed it was an act of retaliation for two alleged female converts from Christianity to Islam, supposedly being held captive by Coptic Christians.
[…]
Fr. Greische said the Baghdad incident had given rise to a climate of fear among Christians throughout the region. “All the churches, we have police all around our churches,” he told Vatican Radio. “It’s as if we are in a fortress.”
It’s made for a difficult Advent season. “Up to now, we don’t really feel Christmas in the joyful way,” he acknowledged. But within churches that may feel like fortresses, Egyptian Christians have a deeper source of security: “Jesus, who is with us (through) all these difficulties that we have.”
Read the whole piece over there.
Sts. Nunilo and Alodia, pray for us.
Loading ...
They should stand their ground and keep their homes despite what the Muslims want. Just like Israel, they must fight for their rights and we need to help them by pressing on our representatives and supply them with military aid and personnel. Obama may be bowing to the Muslims but our legislature has some power left – specially the incoming batch. It is our duty as Christians, Americans and human beings. It is a moral imperative. Please call or email your representatives now http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html
There is a related article along with a podcast of the interview with Fr. Rafic on Vatican Radio at this link. http://www.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=447075
rakesvines
Perhaps you should offer to go over there and help defend them so they can stay in the Middle East. I think we need to be careful with people’s lives, especially if other options are available, e.g., emigration.
I’m not holding my breath that the current US government will do a thing to help them.
@TJerome: re: “Perhaps you should offer to go over there and help defend them so they can stay in the Middle East.” I will, if they call me – ” For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.” (Roman 14:7)
re: “I’m not holding my breath that the current US government will do a thing to help them.” I know the current administration has sold us out to the Muslims. The current 2011 House of Representatives are a better lot with noble ideals about freedom and the dignity of all peoples. I have hope in them.
re: “e.g., emigration.” The world must not bow to the tyranny of Islam -imho. We make a stand abroad, so that we won’t have to make a stand here. We take the fight there – as offense is the best defense.
of course the Muslims want them out of the Middle East- then crush Israel, then finally get the West (except they are also conquering from the inside because Muslims are the only ones reproducing in Europe)
We Catholics think we are so holy when we abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent- is it any wonder that these ‘faithful’ Muslims are ready to take over the world?
Muslims will want every control in which they gain control to be rid of Christians. Always have and always will; tis the nature of the thing.
There is no such thing as moderate Islam. These ortodox practicers of Islam are merely doing what muhammad did. If need be I will offer my life to help free a Christian that is held captive by the Muslims. (That’s what my religious order was founded to do)
I disagree that there is no such thing as moderate Islam. I have been living and working in an Islamic country (with Islamic law) for several years and have found, for the most part, that my Catholic Faith has been both accepted and respected. While there are of course militants and extremists within Islam, I don’t believe it’s fair or accurate to judge the entire religion. I also think that there is much that devout Catholics and devout have in common, such as the respect and reverence of human life from conception.
I am tracking around 20 different blogs that documents violence from Islam all over the world in http://divine-ripples.blogspot.com/ If there are indeed moderates, then I’d say they’re being complicit with these atrocities by neither speaking against nor opposing them. Furthermore, the primary sources of this cult namely the Q’uran, Sunnah and Hadith all have violent directives against non-Moslems. The so-called moderates are just not following their cult to the letter – imho and the “extremists” are those that are true Muslims.
I disagree that there is no such thing as moderate Islam.
Of course there are moderate Muslims. These are just ordinary, nice and caring people who happened to be Muslim, and don’t give a damn about jihad and Dar al-Islam. But I suspect that, from a strict (read: true) Muslim point of view, they are simply cafeteria Muslims.
He’s right. They’d like to rid the WORLD of Christians.