Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Ratzinger - "Christians most persecuted religious group in the world"
Comments
-
Indeed. What has persecution of Christians in Muslim or communist countries got to do with the OP?
The OP doesn't mention Europe. It links to an article that mentions Europe and also says, "In the message for the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace, marked on January 1st, he also reiterated recent condemnations of lack of religious freedom in countries in the Middle East where Christians are a minority, such as Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
He said Christians were the most persecuted religious group in the world and that it was "unacceptable" that in some places they had to risk their lives to practise their faith."
So persecution of Christians in muslim and Communist countries has everything to do with The OP.I'd also like to know where in Europe this goes on:0 -
The OP doesn't mention Europe. It links to an article that mentions Europe and also says, "In the message for the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace, marked on January 1st, he also reiterated recent condemnations of lack of religious freedom in countries in the Middle East where Christians are a minority, such as Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
He said Christians were the most persecuted religious group in the world and that it was "unacceptable" that in some places they had to risk their lives to practise their faith."
So persecution of Christians in muslim and Communist countries has everything to do with The OP.
In that case you should address that question to where anyone has said that is going on in Europe. Bit off topic for this thread though (IMHO).
The OP didn't expressly say it but the actual article says:But he reserved his strongest words for Europe, where the Church says it is under assault by some national governments and European institutions over issues such as gay marriage, abortion and the use of Christian religious symbols in public places.
"I also express my hope that in the West, and especially in Europe, there will be an end to hostility and prejudice against Christians because they are resolved to orient their lives in a way consistent with the values and principles expressed in the Gospel,"
He did indeed mention the middle east but the main thrust of the article seems to be geared towards Europe.0 -
In that case you should address that question to where anyone has said that is going on in Europe. Bit off topic for this thread though (IMHO).
I don't really believe that it's all that prejudicial to try to reduce intolerance and anti-social behaviour.0 -
Rabble Rabble wrote: »Lol. This thread is an example of the historically illiterate, semi-rational, inarticulate modern atheist at his worst. The Pope is almost certainly correct.
Maybe he is, I don't know enough to say for sure really. But when someone is as wrong as often as he is they deserve to be treated with scepticism on pretty much everything they say.
In any case, it's a tad hypritical for the head of the RC Church to whinge about persecution, considering the persecution they themselves perpetrated for centuries.0 -
Has anybody here actually witnessed anything that they could fairly call unprovoked "persecution"?
To the OP, obviously you are not keeping up with world wide events.
Many muslim countries still have Christianity outlawed and continue to bomb, murder, and slaughter Christians.
Have a look at what goes on in Egypt.
Most recently
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/01/01/egypt.attack/index.html?hpt=T2
It is nothing new.
You should widen your source of information. Your post displays a general ignorance of the violence Christians face on a daily basis.
Four words for you to Google: Coptic, Christian, Egypt, and violence.
Do you realize that it is illegal for a Muslim to become a Christian in Egypt, but not the other way around?
2 seconds on Google
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Christians#Current_situation_.281989_to_present.29
On January 2, 2000, at least 21 Christians were killed by Muslims in Al Koshh in southern Egypt. Christian properties were also burned.[139][citation needed]
In April 2006, one person was killed and twelve injured in simultaneous knife attacks on three Coptic churches in Alexandria.[140]
In November 2008, several thousand Muslims attacked a Coptic church in a suburb of Cairo on the day of its inauguration, forcing 800 Coptic Christians to barricade themselves in.[141]
In April 2009, two Christian men were shot dead and another was injured by Muslim men after an Easter vigil in the south of Egypt.[142]
On September 18, 2009, a Muslim man called Osama Araban beheaded a Coptic Christian man in the village of Bagour, and injured 2 others in 2 different villages. He was arrested the following day.[143]
On the eve of Januray 7, 2010, after the Eastern Christmas Mass finished (which finishes around midnight), Copts were going out of Mar-Yuhanna (St. John) church in Nag Hammadi city when three Muslim men in a car near the church opened fire killing 8 Christians and injuring another 10.[144][145]
On 2011 New Year's eve, just 20 minutes after midnight as Christians were leaving a Coptic Orthodox Church in the city of Alexandria after a new year's eve service a car bomb exploded in front of the Church killing more than 20 and injuring more than 40. [146][147]0 -
Advertisement
-
On January 2, 2000, at least 21 Christians were killed by Muslims in Al Koshh in southern Egypt. Christian properties were also burned.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/januaryweb-only/43.0a.html
Read it. It's from a christian publication and even they don't portray it as a 1 sided unprovoked attack on christians.In April 2009, two Christian men were shot dead and another was injured by Muslim men after an Easter vigil in the south of Egypt.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8007919.stm
Family vendetta and the 2 men killed had just been released from prison for murder. Not justified, but hardly unprovoked.
Reading the actual material might be a good idea instead of blindly copy pasting from wikipedia. Also, if you read the actual report in the OP, the pope doesn't even mention killings like these, he mentions gay marriage of all things...
Gay marriage is persecution and discrimination against christians? Give me a break.
Of course persecution happens. It can happen any time people have a difference in what they believe. And if you want to get really technical, because the article focuses more on Europe, and robin specifically asked whether anyone has seen an unprovoked attack, the thrust was not so much whether persecution has ever happened (which of course it has), but whether anyone has seen it personally giving an indication of whether it was nearly as commonplace as the announcement by the representative would suggest.0 -
you are not keeping up with world wide events [...] You should widen your source of information. Your post displays a general ignorance [...]
I asked this for two reasons:- Because I travel a lot, including within many "islamic" countries. And while it's easy enough to find violence which is encouraged by religious mythologies and religious divisions, violence which is genuinely unprovoked is much rarer and it's this latter class that I was specifically hoping to learn more about.
- Because Herr Ratzinger is (almost) literally playing with fire. By declaring the existence of massive, pervasive, systemic, worldwide persecution against his religious group, it's fair to say that he's at least helping to fan the very flames that he's pointing to with such lip-smacking energy.
A bit of balance and perspective from Ratzinger would be wise and useful and might even help to calm things, but as above, claiming "persecution" plays very well to the home crowd and, unfortunately, into the hands of the other side.
His current strategy will certainly not help resolve the problem, and current evidence suggests that he may not care about this very much.
.0
Advertisement