In response to EU requests that Turkey treat its religious minorities more fairly. From the Turkish Daily News, with thanks to Nicolei:
The Religious Affairs Directorate, as a reaction to missionary activities in Turkey and European Union demands for religious expression, has prepared a sermon that will be read on March 11 describing missionaries as the current embodiment of the Crusaders.The sermon says: “Some powers, afraid of the incredible expansion of Islam, had formed crusading armies to wipe out Muslims. They failed because the Crusaders were fighting a self-confident society whose members believed in justice. The same powers are trying to sever our people's links to Islam because they see it as the biggest obstacle to their domination.....”
When push comes to shove, Turkey is still officially Muslim. But this sort of sermon makes me guess is that they're starting to feel a Los vom Islam going on in Turkey. Maybe the Turks have earned so much on Christian tourism that they're getting a bit curious to see what it's all about.
I think turkey has been an implant for a long time now as well as other moderate muslim states,they were put there to play taqiuyya and when the time is right.....
Iran/Russia confirm deal to build nuke power plants....secretly recorded conversations inside the Iranian council were broadcast to listeners who heard what were out and out plans to build nuke weapons?
This is perhaps the most promising development regarding Turkey in a long time (like, since 1452): Turkey is in a bind. If it restricts missionary activity, it risks losing its chance to join the EU. If it permits missionary activity and the missionaries are successful, Turkey could become Christian (what a thought: mass again at Hagia Sophia). (Not that I'm a promoter of Christianity, exactly: I'm your typical homosexual atheist Jew; but at least I'm not a banker).
There was an old prophecy when Byzantium fell to the Turks, that one day the walls of the Sancta Sophia would open and the priest would come from the depths of the church and begin mass again. What a thought, it is quite a long ways away, but it would be amazing to see the seven churchs in Revelation back in their full glory under Christ.
Is he then saying the same about muslim missionairies?
Don't fool yourselves by thinking that the muslims around us are immigrants. Alot of them are missionairies.
Look at what he is saying, I believe the opposite to be true.
The Christian Churches are sending missionairies, and have for many years. These are not sponsored by any goverment or state.
The muslim's are sending missionairies and have since 1928 at the founding of the muslim Brotherhood. These are goverment and state sponsered and funded.
I beleive that he is not bluffing a poker hand but revealing his cards. The muslim missionairies agenda is militant. If not in action then in indoctrination.
Alaskan:
If there are Muslim missionaries in the USA or Taiwan (where I'm living now), I can live with it--as long as they don't tell their people to pull out the bombs and guns. For one thing, I'm convinced enough of the truth of Christianity (hardcore Calvinist) that I will politely decline da'wa, and make my own answers. For one thing, the Qur'an simply cannot be the Word of God, since it suggests that the Christian Trinity is the Father, Jesus, and Mary (it's really the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), or that the Jews regard Ezra as "Son of God" in the sense Christians so regard Jesus--things that are an outright violation of the Ninth Commandment (Though shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor). Further, when the Qur'an is compared to earlier revelation (the Old and New Testaments), it gets too much too wrong.
My great concern at this point is that since there are a lot of Muslims walking around with doubts about their religion, my religion needs to offer an invitation rather than a club over their heads. Hence, I praise God for what's happening in Turkey.
Still; there is something that gives me pause:
Knowing how the Greeks and Turks are, my guess is that the Turks will probably go Protestant, so the Greeks will continue to hate them.
Strange thing....
I've just read "From the Holy Mountain: A Journey Among the Christians of the Middle East" by William Dalrymple. This author is a clever researcher and an artful writer, but an unashamed multiculturalist alas.
Nevertheless, the first 150 pages of this long book (about Turkey) is the most damning thing about Islam I have ever read. This is very strange I know, but read it for yourself - it's not a dull book.
In the middle of the book he starts going soft, and decides that Muslims have their saving graces, but nevertheless, I think anybody who thinks that Turkey should join the EU, should read it.
Alas, it is not a matter of whether Turkey should join the EU or not. For decades, EU leaders have been using EU membership to make Turkey jump through a fantastic quantity of hoops. They have got Turkey to put its financial house in order, ending an addiction to bouts of hyperinflation that had reduced the Turkish lira to a valuta reckoned in millions and billions. They have made the military give up their addiction to coups and forced the passage of new criminal codes and regulations that included the end of police torture (whether or not it continues in practice), the recogniztion of the Kurdish language, and human rights. In the past, the success of an Islamist party such as Erdogan's would have been the immediate signal for a military coup, a few years of "corrective" military government, and widespread torture; this time, Saib Erdogan was allowed to climb blinking into the light - and if he has any mind, he must know that it is because of EU pressure. By the same token, when Erdogan's party tried to pass a law criminalizing adultery, they were faced with a swift and angry EU reaction, and they had to grumblingly give it up.
This is the situation. Over the last several years, all sides in Turkey have given up all sorts of things that were very dear to them, in order to be let into Europe. Europe really is in no position to just turn and say no; apart from the ghastly lack of good faith this would show, it would probably lead to the most uncontrollable internal consequences in Turkey. One way or another, both partner have to go on this path. I have absolutely no desire for Turkey to be a part of Europe, but I do not see how we can honourably or safely break our part of the many deals so far struck.
As I see it. Turkey, a Muslim country, grinding poverty no self respect. Europe, Christian successful and well off. Something to do with the Muslim be methinks. I know the EU and some European countries have been a bit idiotic and said some stupid things about the US, however those who have said the most idiotic things are also those with the largest or most militant Muslim populations. Again a bit of a link.