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December 18, 2006
Christians Disappear from Bethlehem
The town’s Christian population has dwindled from more than 85 per cent in 1948 to 12 per cent of its 60,000 inhabitants in 2006. There are reports of religious persecution, in the form of murders, beatings and land grabs.
Meanwhile, the breakdown in security is putting off tourists, leading to economic hardship for Christians, who own most of the town’s hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops.
The situation has become so desperate that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, are to lead a joint delegation to Bethlehem this week to express their solidarity with the beleaguered Christian populace. The town, according to the Cardinal, is being “steadily strangled”.
The sense of a creeping Islamic fundamentalism is all around in Bethlehem.
To read the rest of this horrific story, please click here.
Hat Tip: The Tzaddikim at Little Green Footballs
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at December 18, 2006 12:01 PM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.
"The situation has become so desperate that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales . . ."
why do i have the feeling that israel will be blamed for this?
Posted by: Ari Kinsberg at December 18, 2006 11:30 PM
Ari,
I assure you, any thinking Christian knows who to blame and it is not Israel. We are on the same side.
Posted by: Lisa at December 19, 2006 04:02 AM
Everything I've seen suggests Christians know who is responsible. But then, I tend to read stuff by the more conservative Christians. I don't know what liberal Christians think.
Posted by: Kent at December 21, 2006 09:28 AM
Kent:
The liberal "progressive" Christians blame it on, what a shock, The Jooz!
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.seraphicpress.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at December 21, 2006 09:45 AM