Posted on 09/11/2014 12:26:24 PM PDT by Pyro7480
...We learn of a Maronite Christian seeking a liaison with Hezbollah and it sounds horrifically bad until you realize the purpose is to work together to fight ISIS, for instance. Her descriptive language for the various Christian leaders...suggests a lack of intimacy with the topic....
...When Cruz was supposed to give the keynote address and discuss the deadly serious topic of persecution of Christians, he instead insulted a largely immigrant and foreign crowd as a group that didn’t understand their own political situation and stomped out of the room after calling them a bunch of haters....
The fact is, as Mark Tooley explains in a very thoughtful and balanced piece, that Christians who are persecuted have political views that may not align with U.S. interests. Who knew? For many of us, our concern about genocide of Christians isn’t limited to those who are perfectly aligned with our views. Someone will have to explain to me how positioning Cruz and the Free Beacon this way — as the go-to group for missing the point on Christian persecution — is a good thing for either of them or the military solutions they seek....
While the case absolutely can and should be made that support for Israel does help the fight against Christian persecution, it would be naive and wrong for Christians to think that the United States has their interests at heart globally (or domestically, it seems!). And the United States has no governmental obligation to help out the Christians who are dying in the Middle East, although it would be wonderful if we could stop doing things that lead so quickly to their persecution. But I do wonder if some hawks misunderstand or underestimate American Christian sentiment about our brothers and sisters in Christ at their peril.
(Excerpt) Read more at thefederalist.com ...
“I have to ask, about Israel. Have they done anything to help save the Christians, Yazitis, and other minorities from ISIS?”
I think Israel is standing on the precipice itself, and could cease to exist in an instant. I don’t blame them for putting themselves first right now.
OK, what was the insult? That he stated, “Christians have no greater ally than the Jewish state?” How is this an insult? If it is because Middle Eastern Christians are not treated the way they want to be treated? Who treats them better in the Middle East than Israel and the Jews there? Are there any Jews beheading and slaughtering Christians? “Oh, but they don’t let them build their churches there!” It may be hard to get permits, but they do allow it. And they are not destroying the churches already established like the Islamic nations are. If anyone was insulted, it was Ted Cruz, and he is a hero for telling the truth!
It doesn't take a lot of fecal matter to ruin the recipe.
If you disagree with the title of this article, if you agree that it was those booing who were being rude to Sen. Cruz for stating the obvious, then I withdraw my comment.
If your purpose was to show how blind some people can be, even if they're Christian, even if they're Catholic, then I rescind my remark.
Otherwise, it stands.
sitetest
On the Syrian-Lebanese-Iranian alliance.
Lebanon Is NOT Innocent (David Horowitz Slams The Lebanon “Innocent Bystander” Myth Alert)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1671142/posts
Here's some very related information about Lebanon for those acquainted with geography, sub-populations and sentiments in the area.
Maronites are the predominant Christian population in Lebanon.
Harb pledges to be forceful president [Maronite "ready to fight" Israel, "protect Hezbollah"]
Lebanese Lobby (Lebanon) ^ | 11SEP07 | Francis Matthew
Posted on Wed Sep 12 03:12:26 2007 by familyop
"Beirut: Boutros Harb, long-serving Maronite Lebanese Member of Parliament, is standing for president and reaching out to the Shiite Hezbollah, across the political divide in the country.
[...]
"I have proposed that the Lebanese army and government must be in control of declaring war, and that we should find a way to incorporate Hezbollah's forces into the army. But this has to be on the condition that the Lebanese government and army accept the full duty of being ready to fight and protect Hezbollah if Israel attacks," he said, adding that it was also important that Lebanon had to liberate the occupied territory of the Sheba'a Farms from Israel."
Lebanese leaders call for unity [All of them support the terrorists. ...always have.]
CNN International ^ | 20JUL06 | CNN
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1668991/posts
"The ship is sinking and all of us, the Lebanese, should stick together and work together to stop the Israeli aggression," Amin Gemayel, a Maronite Christian who served as president from 1982 to 1988, told the Arabic-language TV station Al-Jazeera . . . Michel Aoun, a one-time commander in Lebanon's 15-year civil war who now serves in parliament, said . . . "I don't think that Israel has the capability to destroy Hezbollah militarily because Hezbollah is not a group of armed men," Aoun said. "Hezbollah is a major part of the Lebanese social fabric."
Lebanon Turns to the Vatican to Halt Israeli Offensive
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1668754/posts
Vatican Condemns Israel for Attacks on Lebanon
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1665678/posts
I'm going to allude to cultural differences going back thousands of years here. We, the majority of Americans, tend to lean away from the original cultures of Ishmael and Ham (his mother's heritage) without any basic tendency to initiate antagonistisms against that general culture. Granted, that culture has initiated antagonisms against ours, and some southern European constituencies have long covertly assisted it in doing so in propaganda and trade.
Here in America, we should be Americans in culture. Our culture and morals should continue to be more northern than southern (in re. European divisions) in domestic relations and relations with our allies. That was the nature of the establishment of early American society and our nation. Neither fascism nor communism suits us. We should not be cultural southern Europeans for the sake of any tie overseas--not even a religious connection (see WWII). In WWII, Americans fought as Americans--all kinds.
Many in Iran identify with many southern Europeans in a way and like to remind others that Iran means Aryan and that they are not Arabic. Well, we're more northern than that in morality and associated essence (think Norse, Gaelic, Anglo- and the like, see Reformation meetings in Holland before migration to early America with following 200 years of establishment in American law and society). Not Aryan or Nazi but northern--big difference there. And if nations with significant culturally southern populations want to continue blending with northern culture and identifying with it, they may continue to trend toward supporting it in every way (including cultural change leaning northern).
In fewer words, the U.S.A. is not Madrid, Rome, Athens or Syria. It's the U.S.A. And although many of our recent political politicians and influential constituents don't support Israel, the majority of Americans by far does support Israel. That's where the votes are, and that's where they'll be. So yes, Syria and its big brother, Iran, will be disarmed and eventually denazified.
I agree with organizers of the conference. who said earlier today: "A few politically motivated opportunists chose to divide a room that for more than 48 hours sought unity in opposing the shared threat of genocide, faced not only by our Christian brothers and sisters, but our Jewish brothers and sisters and people of all other faiths and all people of good will."
They later added: "IDC regrets that last's night's event...was briefly politicized and that some were discourteous."
“’Cruz said: “I’m saddened to see that some here, not everyone, are so consumed with hate,’ at the beginning of the video
“Not a good way to begin your speech by accusing some in the audience of being consumed with hate.”
That was his response after they started heckling him. Before that, he said that Christians in the Middle East have no better friend than Israel, and then they started to heckle him.
sitetest
Oh, definitely. But they are a small minority, at least in conservative churches, like the one I attend. Most Christians LOVE Israel.
If you are condemning the message of the title of this article, then, as I previously said, I withdraw my comment.
Usually, when one posts an article and disagrees with a major premise of the article, one will signal this in one way or the other.
To be clear, Sen. Cruz did NOT insult a room of persecuted Christians, but rather, honestly called out the anti-Semites.
sitetest
The same people chopping off their heads, and machine gunning them in their churches, and raping their daughters, and kidnapping their kids, are the same people attacking jews and yazidis and, for that matter, hindus buddhists and anyone else they can get their hands on.
Funny that they don't feel any solidarity with others who are victims of the same barbarity.
They're Nestorians, Chaldean, Syrio-Orthodox, and others with their own very rich literature and history nearly wiped out by the arrival of Islam in the 7th century.
And who continue to be marginalized and murdered into the 21th century.
I like to doubt he will make a similar mistake again.
It was no mistake. Christians who have been brutalized into a weird form of Stockholm Syndrome need to wake up. Cruz was on the mark. Their attackers are the same people trying to drive Israel into the sea.
************************
Of course. As we should!
I read the peice and it was disturbing. He states, “It’s also in Israel’s interest that Christians and other minorities have protection, even if some of their spokespersons are anti-Israel.”
Oh? To be anti-Israel in the Middle East is to want the destruction of Israel. If there are Mideast Christians that are anti-Israel, why should Israel support them if they are out to destroy them? This quote from the author is naive.
“Many Mideast Christians are Arab nationalists. And whether for survival or genuine sympathy, some church leaders over the years have aligned with repressive regimes, like Assad’s and Saddam’s.”
So the onus is only on Israel to accept this, and not the Christians that have made their alliances with the devils? As an American Christian, I would say to any Mideast Christian that would want to destroy my country, “YOU WILL GO TO HELL IF YOU TRY!” If Mideast Christians want support from Israel, they need to stop allying themselves with those that want to destroy Israel.
48,000 Christians have fled Bethelem and surrounding neighborhoods in the last 10 years because of Palestinian Muslim beliefs that they were pawns of Israel, making the lives of the Christian community really unbearable.
70,000+ Christians in southern Lebanon were forced to flee after Barak withdrew from the buffer zone.
Another 115,000+ Christians were forced into internal or external refugee status after the 2006 Israeli incursion into southern Lebanon.
It’s been a really bad 15 years for Christians living on Israel’s borders.
Let ISIS fight with its anti-Israel, anti-American associates. Protect only Kurds and defend Israel. Our military forces should be bombing Syria and Iran then thoroughly denazifying the few survivors.
Now look what its like to be a Christian in countries further from Israel. Like Pakistan. Afghanistan. Indonesia, even. Machine gunned in your churches. Kids kidnapped. Daughters raped. Husbands murdered. The Assyrians are also being driven into exile, the ones who aren’t slaughtered.
Actually, there is a large population of them in exile already because even before the current ugliness, life in a muslim country is no picnic if you’re a Christian. I notice the Copts are coming out in droves, and I don’t think Israel has anything to do with that either.
The problem isn’t Israel. The problem is muslims.
It isn’t just Christians, it is muslims too and more muslims than Christians
and it is jews being killed by muslims.
Not one Christian is being killed by a Jew.
You’re not the only one who understands that. Arab Christians have little reason to love the nation of Israel. Cruz is not ready for prime-time if he makes remarks that he should have know would alienate his audience. He’s a very smart guy; I’m surprised he messed up like this.
They may have been persecuted. Note that was by the Muslims, not the Jews. They may once have been Christian. Note they aren’t Christian any more, Genesis 12:3. Suggest they get back in touch with God (and In harmony with son Jesus, the Jew).
I thought that was one of the knocks against our party leaders, that they didn't have the cojones to "take sides"?
I'm getting confused......
Ping.
[New expose’ of anti-Israel, anti-Jewish sentiment in the Middle East and West.]
Of course. There is a REAL MODERN genocide on their doorstep. I think they have the modern military hardware to assist. I expect all decent people to assist. Don’t get me wrong. If Cruz would have told them that Italy was their best friend in the area, they would have had reason to balk as well, but like I said earlier, I have a suspicion that Israelis may know more about the middle eastern Christians than we do.
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