Senior Orthodox Syrian Bishop: Christians Called to 'Take Up Arms'
From Will at THE OTHER NEWS:
Senior Orthodox Syrian Bishop: Christians Called to 'Take Up Arms'. HT: Aina.
A senior Orthodox Church official has urged Christians to take up arms to defend themselves and their holy places in the wake of the seizure of a group of nuns from the ancient village of Maaloula.
Speaking to the Iraqi newspaper Az-Zaman, Bishop Luca al-Khoury said "we have many young men who are asking us [to take action], and there are those demanding that we take immediate action."
"I call on every young man who can take up arms to come forward," Khoury said, adding that the initiative was meant to allow the community's members to engage in self-defense and protect Christian holy places, which have come under attack recently.
"Our young people are ready; their fingers are on the trigger and they're ready to fight for the sake of Syria and for the sake of self-defense," said Khoury, the patriarchal assistant at the Antioch Diocese, based in Damascus.
Asked about the 13 nuns and several orphanage workers who were seized last week and spirited away from Maaloula to the nearby town of Yabroud, Khoury indicated they were unable to discuss their situation freely:
"As they said, they're in the home of a neighbor. And when you're in a neighbor's home, you can only communicate when the neighbor wants you to."
The women appeared in video footage broadcast Friday by Al-Jazeera television and said they were being treated well after being forced to leave Maaloula due to heavy shelling. Pro-opposition sources deny that the women were kidnapped.
Khoury said that some 40 churches had been damaged during the war in Syria and blamed the international community for accepting the opposition's version of events, "which is that the regime is killing its people -- they are seeing things with only eye."
Khoury urged leading countries to instead make efforts to stop the flow of weapons into the country.
In Lebanon, caretaker Energy Minister Gebran Bassil said the events in Maaloula, where the regime and rebels have been locked in a fierce campaign for the last several weeks, were having an impact on Christians in Lebanon and the rest of the world.
http://www.albawaba.com
Luke 22:36 - 'Then said He unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it and likewise his pack; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.'
Senior Orthodox Syrian Bishop: Christians Called to 'Take Up Arms'. HT: Aina.
A senior Orthodox Church official has urged Christians to take up arms to defend themselves and their holy places in the wake of the seizure of a group of nuns from the ancient village of Maaloula.
Speaking to the Iraqi newspaper Az-Zaman, Bishop Luca al-Khoury said "we have many young men who are asking us [to take action], and there are those demanding that we take immediate action."
"I call on every young man who can take up arms to come forward," Khoury said, adding that the initiative was meant to allow the community's members to engage in self-defense and protect Christian holy places, which have come under attack recently.
"Our young people are ready; their fingers are on the trigger and they're ready to fight for the sake of Syria and for the sake of self-defense," said Khoury, the patriarchal assistant at the Antioch Diocese, based in Damascus.
Asked about the 13 nuns and several orphanage workers who were seized last week and spirited away from Maaloula to the nearby town of Yabroud, Khoury indicated they were unable to discuss their situation freely:
"As they said, they're in the home of a neighbor. And when you're in a neighbor's home, you can only communicate when the neighbor wants you to."
The women appeared in video footage broadcast Friday by Al-Jazeera television and said they were being treated well after being forced to leave Maaloula due to heavy shelling. Pro-opposition sources deny that the women were kidnapped.
Khoury said that some 40 churches had been damaged during the war in Syria and blamed the international community for accepting the opposition's version of events, "which is that the regime is killing its people -- they are seeing things with only eye."
Khoury urged leading countries to instead make efforts to stop the flow of weapons into the country.
In Lebanon, caretaker Energy Minister Gebran Bassil said the events in Maaloula, where the regime and rebels have been locked in a fierce campaign for the last several weeks, were having an impact on Christians in Lebanon and the rest of the world.
Bassil told a news conference that it was time to act in order to halt "the series of attacks on Christians.""Reactions in Lebanon, the Levant and the world haven't been sufficient," Bassil said, adding that a similar disappointing response followed the kidnapping of two Orthodox bishops in April.The minister proposed both prayer and large-scale peaceful demonstrations to express outrage over the targeting of Christians in the war in Syria.
http://www.albawaba.com
Luke 22:36 - 'Then said He unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it and likewise his pack; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.'
4 comments:
I appreciate what he's trying to do. It scares me a bit though.
In case Assad falls, this move makes sure that the terrorists then turn ALL their attention and firepower against the Christians claiming that Christians supported Assad.
I am not sure what the situation is, how well Christians can defend themselves, etc.
I am sure of one thing though, as long as its the Muslims killing Christians, there is going to be NO outcry against it. So if the Christians can't defend themselves, then they're going to be wiped out. Unlike Muslims, its not like Christians can ask for asylum in the West.
Second thing I see as a problem is that if they don't stand up for themselves, then they're going to be wiped out regardless. Sad part is that Christians have followed Muslims in sowing hatred against Israel in that region. It would have been much better if the Christians had spent time and effort creating better, secret, relationship between the Church and Israel in the last 60 years or so. So its not like one can count on Israel to step in either (and they won't with Iran making things more complicated).
If Christians give in to Shariah demands of the sunni terrorists and Assad's regime wins then they will become a target too.
If they stand up and Muslims perceive that as an act against Islam then both Sunni and Shiites will use that as an excuse to annihilate Christians to fulfill the wishes of Mohammed to remove non Muslims from Muslim lands.
What I'm trying to say is that all scenarios look grim unless Christians are backed by a foreign military power. With Obama in power, I don't see the US helping Christians. And there isn't anyone else either.
Nicoenarg
On the other hand, they can't just sit on their butts and do nothing either.
Talk about being between a rock and a hard place.
Nicoenarg
Meanwhile, the American Christian church will ignore everything about this.
also in Luke-Lk 19 Christ gave a direct command to "occupy til I come" Occupy is a military term meaning -'hold the ground won'
our Christian "leaders" have not been adhering to Christ's command--they are weak!
Carol-CS
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