A Weblog Dedicated to the Discussion of the Christian Faith and 21st Century Life
A Weblog Dedicated to the Discussion of the Christian Faith and 21st Century Life
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I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe, –that unless I believed, I should not understand.-- St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)
6 comments:
Saw this on television last night. Turkey has been systematically discriminating against Christians and Jews for decades. Destroying Christian and Jewish graveyards and closing synagogues and churches (I believe all synagogues in Turkey have been closed, but I'm not sure). This has been one of the reasons Turkey has had a problem becoming a full member of the European Union. For reasons I don't understand there is some kind of cultural investment in the narrative that "Christians and Jews never lived and don't live in Turkey".
Pam,
I know very little about the situation with Christians and Jews in Turkey, but I was saddened as I listened to Patriarch Bartholomew.
Yes, it's extremely sad.
For an interesting perspective on the Middle East (including Greece and Turkey) and religion, read "From the Holy Mountain" by William Dylrymple, a British travel writer.
The book is 11 years old now, but still worth reading. What I appreciate about the book is that he tells the truth and highlights good things when they are good and evil things when they are evil without much noticeable partisanship. You come away understanding that there is more than one side to the story.
Pam,
Thanks for the recommendation. I will definitely check it out. My interest in this has been heightened.
Having had experience in Orthodox life in America and Orthodox life in Australia , I can say that Australians are slower to convert to Orthodoxy. Of course, among Australians there are Orthodox clergymen and parishioners, who actually possess profound faith. But their numbers are not as great as in America . This is probably because the way of life and environment in Australia tend to lull people to complacency.
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