Better late than never, I suppose, but the Christian exodus has been going on for many years, and has seldom if ever before been noted in the Vatican, even as Vatican officials relentlessly pursued "dialogue" with Muslims who were not truly interested in meeting as equals. From the Jerusalem Post, with thanks to Ruth King:
Increasing Christian emigration from the Holy Land in general and Bethlehem in particular is troubling to the Vatican, Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews said in Jerusalem on Thursday.Kasper was speaking to reporters in the course of a visit with President Moshe Katsav to whom he conveyed the greetings of Pope John Paul II, saying: "Jewish-Christian relations are very close to his heart."
Kasper also reminded Katsav that all forms of anti-Semitism and violations of human rights had been condemned by the Second Vatican Council. ...On the issue of Christian emigration from Bethlehem and the gradual Muslim takeover, Kasper acknowledged that the Church is worried, particularly because Christians have lived in the Holy Land throughout the centuries and have made important contributions to cultural developments. Christians have also come on pilgrimage for centuries he noted, stating: "We don't want dead stones; we want living communities."
Even if Bethlehem's Christian community continues to diminish he said, the Church is determined to remain.
If that is so, some support for Eastern Christians against the ongoing jihad, and some efforts to undo the dhimmi attitudes that still prevail there (and often seem to have been encouraged by the authorities) would be welcome.
The Church might have survived in Israel had not Arab Christians taken the side of Arab Muslims who aim to annihilate both Jews and Christians.
An example of the perfect battle plan
devised by the deluded meccan
and his evil twin,
for all he wanted
was power and to win.
Divide your enemies and set them
on each other, until they are weak
and wailing and speak to each other no more,
then shock them with terror.
A thousand years later,
they will be gone from the land or subdued,
their quarrels with each other still not done.
This was the plan of the deluded one.
In their pitiful, profound dhimmitude, in "Palestine", Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, the Christian Arabs've foolishly invested their eggs into the baskets of fascist pan-Arabism and "Arab Socialism", fancying that promoting these "principles" would give them some extra protection from their Moslem majorities' oppression.
Currently, they're being TRUMPED by pan-Islam (as it presents in its various masks), FINALLY waking up to the fact and baling out of the region as quick as they can.
It seems to me that the Vatican is very sparing in its blame towards the Muslims; but apparently ready to put all blame on the Jews. Why doesn't the Vatican talk to Yasir Arafat about this problem?
It seems to me that the Vatican is very sparing in its blame towards the Muslims; but apparently ready to put all blame on the Jews. Why doesn't the Vatican talk to Yasir Arafat about this problem?
It seems to me that the Vatican is very sparing in its blame towards the Muslims; but apparently ready to put all blame on the Jews. Why doesn't the Vatican talk to Yasir Arafat about this problem?
We all know the Islamo palestinian Monopoly- Dictatorship guilty party, with it's claws of iron, Don't we?
http://www.geocities.com/arabracismplusjihad/Palestinians
Don't blame Victim Israel, Please!
My cousin recently came to visit me from Bethlehem. He is pretty handy with stones he is a Muslim. He has a friend Tony also Palestinian but a Christian. He tells me he is his right hand man in his war against Israeli oppression of Palestinian Muslims and Christians.... REMEMBER SOME OF PALESTINES BEST FREEDOM FIGHTERS ARE CHRISTIANS I.E. THE LEADER OF THE PFLP IS A CHRISTIAN!
WWW.JERUSALEMITES.ORG/JERUSALEM/CHRISTIANITY/49.HTM
http://www.sabeel.org/
FIND OUT THE TRUTH ABOUT MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN RESISTENCE AGAINST ISRAELS TERRORIST NATURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am new to this sight, please pardon my ignoranc, what does Dimmi mean? I can't find it in my Dictionary.
the church is very slow on the muslim-christian issue and will continue to be unless us christians and jews alike have our voices heard; as was the case with molesting priests. the ewtn network is a catholic tv network with emails to the different priests and laypeople in the church; if you can let them know how you feel about the muslims issue by going to their site; ewtn(eternal word network). our voices must be heard in the catholic church for it to react; as was the case for the jews during ww2. the church and our pope are both slow on the uptake on the issue. it is time for christians, catholic or protestant or jews to be heard.
p.s. eternal word television network; it can be located on your computer.
THIS IS AN INTERESTING TOPIC - THOUGH VAGUE AND SHIFTY - LIKE THIS SITE.
QUESTION:
ARE CHRISTIAN PALESTINIANS FREE TO VISIT HOLY SITES IN NAZARETH, IN BETHLEHEM, OR IN JERUSALEM?
ANSWER:
NO. THESE CITIES ARE OCCUPIED BY SOLDIERS OF A THEOCRATIC STATE, ISRAEL TO BE PRECISE, WHOSE RACIST, COLONIALIST IDEOLOGY IMPRISONS AND OPPRESSES CHRISTIAN PALESTINIANS. AND MUSLIM PALESTINIANS.
JUST ASK PALESTINIAN SPOKESWOMAN HANAN ASHRAWI OR PALESTINIAN ARTIST EMILY JACIR OR ISRAELI NUKE WHISTLEBLOWER MORDECHAI VANUNU.
THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT CAPITALIZES ON THE UGLY PHENOMENON OF ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST TERRORISM BY ASSIGNING ITS IDEOLOGY TO PALESTINIAN NATIONALISM.
IN THIS SLY CONFLATION, THE ISRAELIS EVADE A POTENTIALLY DEVASTATING AREA WHEREIN TOUGH MORAL QUESTIONS FROM CHRISTIAN LEADERS MAY BE ASKED (WHY AREN'T THEY ASKING THESE QUESTIONS?)
THE TRUTH IS THAT PALESTINIANS OBSERVE A NUMBER OF FAITHS BUT ARE ALL UNITED IN THEIR DEFIANCE AGAINST A BRUTAL OCCUPATION BY A ROGUE NATION WHOSE BEHAVIOR SMACKS OF ARROGANT IMPUNITY.
THE ISRAELIS CREATED THE CURRENT SCHISM IN PALESTINIAN SOCIETY BY SUPPORTING HAMAS AND ISLAMIC JIHAD IN THE FIRST INTIFADA - AS A WAY OF UNDERMINING THE PLO - AND HAVE NOW MANAGED TO LABEL THE WHOLE PALESTINIAN CAUSE IN THIS MANNER AND CAPITALIZE ON THE CURRENT ANTI-MUSLIM CLIMATE IN THE WEST.
AND THE IRONY OF IRONIES - CHRISTIAN ZIONISM - I WONDER WHAT ISRAELIS THINK EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS TRULY FEEL ABOUT THEM ...
The allcaps give you away, Professor Boyle. Still spewing the vitriol, heh, ol' friend?
got me .... you anonymous coward