Posted on 02/14/2018 10:37:45 AM PST by GoldenState_Rose
During a markup of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher asserted that the Assad regime was “the protector of the Christians” in Syria.
As Syrian Christians who grew up in Syria, we would beg to differ.
Hundreds of innocent Christians seeking freedom have been tortured to death in Assad’s jails or shot to death by his brutal thugs – including the activist Bassel Shehadeh, who was killed at a protest, then killed in spirit because Assad forces prevented his friends from going to church to pray for his soul. Human rights lawyer Khalil Maatouk has been detained in Assad’s jails in Damascus for over four years for the “crime” of defending detainees in Assad’s jails.
These anecdotes are not new and are not isolated incidents. Christians never had true freedom of religion under the Assad regime; for decades, it used a mixture of incentives and threats to tightly control Christian clergy and ensure that they were not free to speak their mind. Christians were much more free before Assad took power, when Protestant Christian Fares al-Khouri was elected prime minister of Syria in democratic elections in 1954. But under Assad, Rohrbacher might be surprised to know, Christians are legally banned from becoming the head of state.
It’s a strange protector of Christians who nurtures and shelters their worst enemies against the will of the entire world. Assad did that, too — starting in 2003, his intelligence services worked closely with the terrorist fanatics who would eventually form ISIS because he wanted to prevent America from stabilizing Iraq.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Don’t be fooled: The United States has no national security interest at stake in making war against Syria.
Neither are his helpers, Iran and Russia.
Letter from a Syrian Christian: Britain must support Assad to end our war
https://www.premierchristianity.com/Blog/Letter-from-a-Syrian-Christian-Britain-must-support-Assad-to-end-our-war
Catholic Leaders Criticize U.S. Attack on Assad Regime; Complicated Plight of Christians in Syria Continues
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/04/07/catholic-leaders-criticize-u-s-attack-on-assad-regime-complicated-plight-of-christians-in-syria-continues/
The real world response is will the person who succeeds him be a bigger enemy?
We should never get involved in another war. Didn’t we learn anything from all the past fiascos. Clinton attack the Christian Serbs, Bush lying about WMD and getting us in an endless war, Obama messing up in Libya, etc.
Christian opinions about Assad vary by region and other discrepancies.
A reminder of how blessed we Christians in the United Staets: we don’t have to “settle” for the evil Assads of the world as our only other option aside from outright annihilation.
But in the bigger picture: Assad’s regime, fortified by Iran and others -> is bad news for Israel. And the destruction of Israel is NOT in the best interests of the Middle East, America, or Christianity.
“First we’ll deal with the rebels, then Israel.” ~ Assad
https://www.timesofisrael.com/assad-first-well-deal-with-the-rebels-then-israel/
Is Syria allowed to defend itself? Israel is bombing them.
Thankfully Putin got Netanyahu to stop.
Israeli air strikes against Syria ‘biggest since 1982’
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43019682
Putin’s Phone Call With Netanyahu Put End to Israeli Strikes in Syria
https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/putin-s-call-with-netanyahu-called-time-on-israel-s-syrian-strikes-1.5809118
And have you noticed that every last one of these interventions made the fundamentalist and (most importantly) Saudi-backed Muslims stronger?
I’m SO grateful America, under Trump, has grounded our commitment to the region by declaring Jerusalem as capital. Every world map of Christian Europe had Jerusalem at the center. Western Civilization all civilization is lost without that compass and sense of orientation. It’s truly one of the most meaningful postwar, post-Holocaust, post-20th Century moves America could have made. Our friends in Europe are stubborn about it now, but eventually (as Macron has already indicated) they will come around.
That being said, Netanyahu and other prior leaders have their issues and not made good decisions. Doesn’t change America’s ultimate allegiance to the country’s long term welfare though.
Regarding Vladimir Putin, as I’ve repeated ad nauseum on the board. My time living in Russia shaped my opinions on him and I pray everyday for his demise and for the future of beautiful Putin-free Russia.
He and his ilk deserve no place in any respectable global table of discussion but sadly, due to decades of weak leadership in the West, he and his forces have weaseled themselves into the vacuum like cancer and must be dealt with for the pests that they are.
Only Christ can fumigate the demons away from the post-Soviet space and beyond.
I will end it there.
“killed in spirit because Assad forces prevented his friends from going to church to pray for his soul.”
God doesn’t live in the building, people. “At ALL times and in ALL places give thanks unto God.”
“killed in spirit because Assad forces prevented his friends from going to church to pray for his soul.”
God doesn’t live in the building, people. “At ALL times and in ALL places give thanks unto God.” If you’re going to use hyperbole, make sure it fits.
OK, well, I may have to adjust the narrative I have been living by then. So neither Assad or ISIS are friends of Christians?
The problem is anyone can claim to be a Christian.
George W Bush, Nancy Pelosi, and Hillary all claim to be Christians.
I don’t know about the authors of the letter.
The question is would you trust The Hill to determine true Christians from a fake ones?
Yes, and while ISIS was committing the most blatant short term destruction. Assad, alongside Turkey, Iran, plus Palestinian interests with pesky Putin in the initial mix is bad in the long term for Israel, and therefore the Middle East and Western world, and of course Christians.
I’m not saying I support everything Israel’s imperfect politicians do, but their country’s outright destruction is what leaders like Assad envision.
“First we’ll deal with the rebels, then Israel.” - Assad
“The Palestinian cause will stay alive among Arabs until the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.” ~ Assad
https://www.timesofisrael.com/assad-first-well-deal-with-the-rebels-then-israel/
“...to determine true Christians...”
Well one person who is definitely NOT is Vladimir Putin.
And while Trump is not Jesus, I do believe a healthy, spiritual-discerning observer can attest that he has the best interests of believers at heart and is surrounded by many who do. AND that Trump has been rightfully critical of former U.S. policy in the region.
Thanks GoldenState_Rose.
Sure did!
ZERO reason to be in the Mideast except for any “special” operations of short term duration which includes joint training. If we feel compelled to bomb the sh*t out of ISIS that is alright with me also but why do I get this sick feeling a good many on the left AND right are itching to ramp up involvement in regional affairs and conflicts within the Mideast?
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