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I Couldn't agree more!!!!!!!

Michael

OrthodoxSWE,

Make fun of America all you want, at least I'm not the one with a socialist regime in power who steals all my money.

If it wasn't for America, you wouldn't exist!

Linuxmachine.

[ 04-14-2002: Message edited by: linuxmachine ]

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dear Linuxmachine,

I've noticed you've only three posts to your name, all of which are on this thread. Is taking petty swipes at people who criticise american foreign policy all you're good at? This is a religion forum, and most of use who've been contributing to this thread have proven ourselves in other threads.

Perhaps you should go talk some religion instead on another thread before joining the adults.

In Domino,

Edward

We need to stop this an move on with the Byzantine Forum. Maybe the Admin. should close this thread.

God Bless!

Whatup Ed,

Actually I'm pretty good at knocking people out, which is what I would do if I ever met a fool like you.

Linuxmachine

[ 04-14-2002: Message edited by: linuxmachine ]

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dear linuxmachine,

"But whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." - St Matthew 5.22.

Per orationis sanctorum patrum nostrum, Domine Jesu Christe, miserere nobis et salva nos, Amen!

Dum di dum.

In Domino,

Edward
(who happens to proficient in several Oriental methods of combat, not to mention being an excellent aim with a prawn dumpling)

Don't you think it's time for all Christians (Orthodox and Catholics)to be more united in order to defend the rights of our Christian brothers of Palestine?
At least the orthodox churches have condemned Israel in more than one way, but the other churches have made a very soft proclamation against "the war" and not against the infamous occupation of Israel in Palestine. The voice of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Mikhael Al-Sabah has not been heard in the catholic nations.
Remember that the Melkite christians and the latin christians are suffering too.

Dear Friends,

Guys, let's just calm down, O.K.?

A rule has been broken here, in that names ("fool") has been used in the conversation.

I call on the Moderator of this thread to examine the two posts that did this and give his judgement before anything further may continue here - if indeed the Moderator allows it to.

Alex

Note to participants in this thread:

1. Criticism of United States foreign policy is acceptable provided that such criticism is presented in the form of a logical argument (this is the same rule to applies to all conversations). Criticism without substance is not allowed.

2. Name calling of other participants on this forum is not allowed. Period. I ask the offender(s) to modify or remove their posts.

Administator

Dear Administrator,

Thank you for taking the time from what I know is a busy day for you to make your judgement!

God bless America!

Alex

Gloria Jesu Christo


It's both simultaneously. The US is notorious when it comes to caring nothing for other countries when it doesn't suit their purposes. No other country pressurises governments around the globe to change their leaders simply because it doesn't suit US purposes. The US has been bombing and interfering in the internal affairs of countries all around the world and many of us are, to be quite frank, sick of it and wish the US would mind her own business.


Were anyone to be jealous of a country, that country would be Switzerland - almost no crime, peaceful, prosperous, free, courteous and most importantly, minds her own business. Yet we see no one calling Switzerland "The Great Satan" or bombing her embassies.


He rightly rejected that proposal. It was akin to the former South African idea of Bantu regions with self government. What was proposed were Bantustans and it was a joke.

Cordially in Christo,

Edward

Dear, dear linuxmachine!

In my previous post I do in no way make fun of America, or any other country for that matter.

What I said was, that to critize the policies of a government, any government (including that of the United States) is a fundametal democratic right.

What you mean by the refence to "a socialist regime that steal all my money" I do not dare to speculate in...

As for the remark that if it wasn't for America, my country wouldn't exist, I just have to say that my country existed long before any of your ancestors ever set foot on American soil (unless you are a full-blooded Native American, of course).

Dear Friends,

O.K., O.K., altogether now -

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Alex

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dear brothers and sisters,

I am sorry that this topic has gone from getting the word out about our Christian brethren in the Middle East who are been assaulted, raped, robbed and killed to a waiving of the Red, White, and Blue to prove that Byzantine Christians are American too.

As an American I love everything that our country stands for--- "Freedom and Justice for all". As a soldier for 20 years (now retired), I know what proper and legal behavior for soldiers is---it IS ILLEGAL for soldiers (Israeli or Palestinian) to terrorize the civilian population, to kill its civilian population, to rape its women, and rob that same population. Incursions by the Israeli military into the civilian population must stop! Suicide bombings by Palestinians have to stop! Innocent people must not be intended victims. These things are called WAR CRIMES. According to the Fourth Geneva Conventions, places of worship such as synagogues, mosques and churches should never be assaulted. This too is a War Crime.

Here is an update of the Christians in Bethlehem:

One of the earliest casualties of the invasion of our most sacred sites, the City of Bethlehem was Ibrahim Salman, who rang the bells at the Church of the Nativity, He was a quiet 45-year-old Palestinian Christian who kept to himself and spent most of his time inside the dark church cleaning candle wax from its floor and ringing the bells of the basilica. He was shot and killed while walking towards the church as he did every morning, he did not hear the challenge, he was nearly deaf from ringing the bells for over 25 years, he was shot eight times in the head and chest.

In another story a Palestinian Christian family of six that maintains the Russian Orthodox Bethlehem Hostel remains trapped there with little food. The soldiers took over the building last week; they ripped out the telephone system, took the Palestinian caretakers' mobile phone and prevented the family from leaving. They did not even offer evacuation to get this Christian family out of the line of fire; after all they were Palestinians, the enemy.

The Israeli army also took over the four-acre campus of Bethlehem University, run by the Brothers of the Christian School. The campus is now occupied by the Israeli military, the brothers informed the soldiers that this was Vatican property but they were ignored as the soldiers searched all the rooms and using spray paint to mark the rooms searched. There has been much damage but the Christian brothers note that the extent of damage will not be known until the troops depart and the priests can inspect the six buildings on the grounds. At one point, one of the brothers ventured outside and was forced back when an Israeli soldier shouted and fired at him with an automatic weapon.

The Israeli military's refusal to allow ambulances to collect the dead and wounded drew cries of outrage from Bethlehem's residents, as well as from medical workers and clergy. One ambulance was allowed out for about half an hour this afternoon, under an agreement negotiated between the Israeli military and the Red Crescent Society. The driver, Jamal Balboul, picked up three bodies and two wounded people. He stacked the dead in first and put the two injured people on top.

April 4, 2002, three groups of Israeli Defense Force (IDF) soldiers entered the compound of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem The soldiers went from room to room in the compound for nearly two hours, breaking into offices and detaining the pastor Rev. Raheb in a corner of his office. When the soldiers heard Rev. Raheb speaking in Arabic on his telephone, their treatment of him became more rude and rough, according to the pastor's account of his experience. He was then prevented from using the telephone.

On April 11 an Armenian monk was seriously wounded in the besieged Church of the Nativity compound shot by an Israeli soldier who mistook him for a gunman. The young monk was named as 22-year-old Armen Sinanian, was in stable condition in the hospital's intensive care unit Thursday after undergoing surgery.

In Ramallah:

The Greek Orthodox Cultural Center in the middle of Ramallah received ten rockets and went on fire, Lost were drawings by the famous Byzantine iconographer Foti that were to be used in an English Book on the Lives of the Saints being published by the Greek Archdiocese in the USA. The Red Cross is alarmed by an increasingly brutal conflict in which ambulances have been shot at by Israeli troops as they tried to evacuate the wounded.

At 11:45 am Tuesday morning, April 16, 2002, Israeli Defense Force (IDF) soldiers invaded the Lutheran School of Hope in Ramallah, Palestine. Despite signs indicating this building was a Christian school, the soldiers blasted open gates and the front door and entered the school. Due to the continued violence towards the Palestinian population, there was no one in the school. The fear now is that they may torch the school and eliminate this very prominent presence of Christianity in Ramallah.


In Beit Jala:

An Orthodox Christian family, parents both doctors and four young children, living in the eastern edge of Beit Jala), was strafed by Israeli gunfire at 2 in the morning. Fortunately only one daughter was lightly wounded. The week before Israeli soldiers had entered the same house in the middle of the night, forced the whole family into one room and ransacked the house for two hours, stealing every last shekel in the home after going through bedroom drawers, handbags, etc.

In East Jerusalem:

The Western Christian Palestinian Community in East Jerusalem and elsewhere were unable to attend Easter Services this year due to the fear that to even step out of one's door may result in the death from an Israeli sniper.

A Catholic run old age home in nearby Abu Dis, houses 50 elderly, 5 nuns, and 10 Palestinian workers is running out of food due to the roadblocks that keep them hostage in the Elder Care Center.

PLEASE Pray for our Brothers and sisters in Palestine. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem that the Holy Pascha for the Eastern Churches, that is to be celebrated on May 5, may occur in peace and that all Christians in Palestine may attend the Pascha Services without fear of being shot at.

Your brother in Christ,
Thomas

"O all ye that pass by the way, stop, and consider if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow. Mine eyes have failed with weeping; my whole being is troubled, and my strength is poured out upon the earth, as I behold the cruel death of my children, for the enemy hath prevailed against them. Call me not Naomi, that is beautiful, but call me Mara, that is bitter, for the Almighty hath quite filled me with bitterness."

Our Lady of Zion, Queen of Peace, pray for the peace of your homeland. Amen.