Posted on 10/01/2015 6:52:49 PM PDT by WilliamIII
There is no question that the airstrikes launched by Russia in Syria on Wednesday would cause a lot of trouble and damage. However, American evangelist Franklin Graham believes some good could still come out of it.
Speaking on Newsmax TV, Graham said the Russian airstrikes in Syria might just end up saving the lives of countless persecuted Christians.
"What Russia is doing may save the lives of Christians in the Middle East," said Graham. "You understand that the Syrian government for their good and for their bad over the history of this country, they have protected Christians, they have protected minorities from the Islamists."
(Excerpt) Read more at christiantoday.com ...
I’m sorry, but I still do not trust Russia, Iran and China in this matter. In the short term it will be good for Christians in the regions occupied by ISIS. In the long run, it significantly increases the danger to Israel, the US, and Christians in the region. It’s like choosing between Hitler and Stalin. You got to live another day with Stalin but you were in a perpetual dictatorship ran by the NKVD and you could be off to the Gulag at any moment. With Hitler, you were heading to the camps.
In a sick way, Saddam Hussein did the same thing.
Mubarak was better than the Muslim Brotherhood.
Even Qaddafi was better than what replaced him.
The big monsters kept all the little monsters in line.
Assad, is just like his brother dictators, less religious, more secular and very tolerant of Christians.’
Frankly, Iran is the most dangerous player in the region, murderous sick nutjobs full of hate, who wear ridiculous costumes.
In all of it, American looks like a wet noodle. Thank you Obama.
“SOMEBODY’S doing the fighting!”
Good point to reference World War II. Nobody in his right mind objected to Stalin fighting against our demonic enemy Hitler. I’m not going to object to Putin fighting against the baby killers and Christian-massacring demons of ISIS.
Putin is a very big question mark, but in past he did something that was profoundly religious: he invited all the Orthodox churches to a conclave in Moscow. The background to this was startling.
When Rome fell to the barbarians, the seat of Christendom moved to Constantinople, where it stayed until it fell to Islam. But by that time, the Roman church returned to Rome. Except that Moscow thought it should become the new Rome.
And ever since then, the Russians have thought it was past due that Moscow become the seat of Christendom. So you can imagine the response when Putin hosted this conclave.
And finally, unlike Obama, Putin frequently speaks out in defense of Christians and Christianity. So, like I said, he is enigmatic.
With ISIS you don't.
I sometimes appreciate what Franklin says, but I can’t hear him because of his 800k plus salary. Sorry, I rarely begrudge people making money, but it just seems obscene to me for a man who claims to be a servant of God.
I know some may disagree and that is okay. I think Pastors should make a comfortable living, but that is far more than comfortable!
This administration greatly contributed to the mess in the Middle East and now Russia steps in to fill the vacuum and protect their own interests. I don’t think protecting Christians was their motivation even if it is an unintended benefit.
From your last sentence, it sounds like you agree with Graham that Russia’s actions will protect Christians, even if you’ve got a problem with his salary. (Two different issues, of course)
the point about Christians in Syria is well known. Assad and his family have long protected them. Taking out Assad - the goal of Obama and McCain - would mean death to Syria’s Christians. Putin may not be sincere in saying he cares about that, but if his actions are helping prop us Assad against Islamists, then Christians benefit no matter how sincere or insincere his motives.
It’s interesting to hear a lot of Republicans decry Russia fighting against our supposed enemy of ISIS. Would they have criticized Franklin Roosevelt because he allied with Stalin against Hitler?
Israel can defend itself from any attack coming from a Russian contingent. The Christians are vulnerable and defenseless against ISIS. Because the US is too enfeebled to step up and engage the jihadis head-on, Russia - like it or not - is going to fill that leadership vacuum. Russia is the alpha male on the ground there now.
The Hitler-Stalin comparison is a faulty one. Putin isn’t targeting Christians.. ISIS is. As desperate a situation as Syria’s Christians find themselves, they’ll welcome help wherever they can find it. The US can’t lead anymore, so the religious minorities have to look elsewhere for aid in their desire to survive.
Still in the end they (Syrian Christians) lose.
Chicoms and Iranians are not good for Christians.
In the end, it buys Syrian Christians valuable time to get out of there (perhaps to Lebanon or Israel). The Chicoms, Russians, Iranians, and Syrian army will be too busy fighting ISIS and other rebel groups to worry about prosecuting Christians at the moment.
Persecuting.
Putin is closer to being a Christian than our President, who claims to be one!
Odd isn’t it???
I wouldn’t lump Hussein with Mubarak and Qaddafi. And then there’s the divide between Mubarak and Qaddafi.
Hussein was a legitimate problem at the time the U.S. was attacked (yet again) by Islam.
The real problem was and is IRAN.
We gave them a pass, and now we are strengthening them.
Remove a MidEast strongarm, and suffer the jihadists, who are far worse.
Iran is run by them. Carter let those scumbags take over, because like Obama, he preached guilt about America being a white racist capitalist oppressive imperialist hegemon and that we should immediately surrender and apologize. Carter and Obama are of the same mindless simplicity that the world is so benevolent but it is racist America that is causing all the problems of violence and oppression. They actually believe that crap.
Then the real world hits them in the face like a baseball bat that has been in a freezer all night. They walk around dazed and confused, in Carter’s case that was 444 days, in Obama’s case, it’s pretty much his whole life. They both made the world far more dangerous with their child-like understanding of geo-politics. Carter gave us Iran - and it has been a nightmare. We should have assassinated Khomeini, as we should be assassinating every violence preaching Imam on the face of the Earth or suffer the consequences. There are not that many, and the nations of the world would be grateful.
We will see an Iranian nuke in America in our lifetimes unless we act.
Hard to disagree with any of your points.
Regarding paralysis, virtually everyone to the left of center is incapable of dealing with real-world problems. So instead, they rant against those they know won’t harm them.
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