Crazy Stuff!!!!
from a Yahoo 7 News story! - http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/12466942/clergymen-clash-at-birthplace-of-jesus/
The annual cleaning of one of Christianity's holiest churches has deteriorated into a brawl between rival clergy, as dozens of monks feuding over sacred space at the Church of the Nativity battled each other with brooms until police intervened.
The ancient church, built over the traditional site of Jesus's birth in Bethlehem, is shared by three Christian denominations - Roman Catholics, Armenians and Greek Orthodox.
Wednesday's fight erupted between Greek and Armenian clergy, with both sides accusing each other of encroaching on parts of the church to which they lay claim.
The monks were tidying up the church ahead of Orthodox Christmas celebrations in early January, following celebrations by Western Christians on December 25. The fight erupted between monks along the border of their respective areas. Some shouted and hurled brooms.
Palestinian security forces rushed in to break up the melee, and no serious injuries were reported.
A fragile status quo governs relations among the denominations at the ancient church, and to repair or clean a part of the structure is to own it, according to accepted practice. That means that letting other sects clean part of the church could allow one to gain ground at another's expense. Similar fights have taken place during the same late-December cleaning effort in the past.
Armenian and Greek Orthodox clergymen scuffle inside the Church of Nativity. Photo: AAP
Tensions between rival clergy at the church have been a fact of life there for centuries and have often been caught up in international politics.
In the 1800s, friction between the denominations at the church - each backed by foreign powers - became so fraught that Russian Czar Nicholas I deployed troops along the Danube to threaten a Turkish sultan who had been favouring the Catholics over the Orthodox.
Those disagreements threaten the integrity of the church itself, which was originally built 1500 years ago and parts of which have fallen into disrepair. Although the roof has needed urgent work for decades, and leaking rainwater has ruined much of the priceless artwork inside, a renovation has been delayed all these years by disagreements among the denominations over who would pay.
Only recently, the Palestinian Authority brokered an agreement to move ahead with replacing the roof, and officials hope work will begin in 2012.
Its written
ReplyDeleteMy wife attended the Jerusalem Bible Institute for a season. She talks about the tension that existed there then.. and always will until the world is finished!
ReplyDeletegoes to show you that we are all equally ...sinners
ReplyDeleteIt's an equal playing field no matter what some would like for us to think. It's "funny" when someone says they are too much of a sinner to be accepted by God.
ReplyDeleteFor sure hahahah - makes me think about the scripture thats says something about hurting the children by wrong teaching or example as these are doing. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matt 18:6) Yes none of us are perfect but we must at least be more loving!!
ReplyDeleteOh sure, make it more difficult for me!
ReplyDeleteThat is a whole subject on it's own - to me the whole of the Christian institution is full of tension!!
ReplyDeleteI think it seems that way more than it actually is.
ReplyDeletehahaha do I set too high a bar??
ReplyDeleteHey trammie - it is eh!!!
ReplyDeleteNaaaaa.. I just know that I have a tendency to attack instead of love.
ReplyDeletegreat place to start - knowing what we do :))))))
ReplyDeleteAgreed. And I am learning to think before I jump. Makes me a nicer person to deal with. Less interesting, but nicer! LOL
ReplyDeletemy other thought on this was "that's a fine example"
ReplyDeleteI worked for a priest...the stories I could tell ;)
I was raised a Catholic - lets trade stories -hahahahah!!
ReplyDeleteI was a youth ministry intern at a Christian church in central Kansas -- I can tell a few stories myself! (I doubt as good as yours, though)
ReplyDeleteI had to come back to add to my last comment.
ReplyDeleteThat summer internship taught me more about being a Christian who is genuine and real than anything else. The guys on the staff at that church weren't afraid to show me their flaws, some of it because they knew my young eyes needed to see people that way. I thought pastors and Christians just had to be a certain way, but what I really found out was that Jesus wants us as we are.
I was raised Catholic too, this priest was/is Episcopalian and so am I (now) but I nearly lost my religion working for him...integrity is important when you are in a position like that...don't you think?
ReplyDeletereally - this is just such a beautiful observation - Amen!! Perfect you share it and remind us! Just to add to your wise words - it is something I notice in the Gospels - it is the flaws in the authors themselves and their contradictions that make also the Bible and them real to me.
ReplyDeletethis is true, we are all human, all sinners, however I think if I were in a clergy position I would want to spread joy (not do battle with brooms) on Christmas LOL does that make sense?
ReplyDeleteIt sure does!!
ReplyDeleteInteresting comments, thanks.
ReplyDeleteLOL, the battle of egos, just like in the sandpit really.... Holiness is within, not in any church or church building, so this one is better demolished
ReplyDeleteand these fools cast out in the wilderness! (just stirring ha ha ha)
It makes sense, but there is a ton of tension in that place.
ReplyDeleteI agree - nothing wrong with being cast into the wilderness - gives a better perspective on things. Jesus went there a few times! Bestnot pull down the church - it has no part in the conflict any more than God has blame in the conflict for all the other wars created in His name! :))))) They are like little children disputing in a sandpit - the worst part is they believe they are right accordinbg to scripture - for sure - sad world!!
ReplyDeleteI agree - nothing wrong with being cast into the wilderness - gives a better perspective on things. Jesus went there a few times! Bestnot pull down the church - it has no part in the conflict any more than God has blame in the conflict for all the other wars created in His name! :))))) They are like little children disputing in a sandpit - the worst part is they believe they are right accordinbg to scripture - for sure - sad world!!
ReplyDeleteYes, this is crazy indeed. I just posted a comment about it on a norwegian online debate forum. It's always sad when the followers of Christ act like that, after all, Jesus came with peace and reconciliation. Anyhow, I doubt this quarrel came as a big surprise for Him, He knows the heart of human beings well.
ReplyDeleteI think this fight is just the top of an iceberg of conflicts and lack of trust, and that the men are stressed. I imagine that they are ashamed today when pics like this are published in media.
it seems this happens often and is a dispute that has been ongoing for hundreds of years - the police were expecting it - so this says something. The priests and monks are possessed with some pious jealousy or something - it is far from normal and very weird. Somehow I doubt they feel shame but would like to know all the same. Who knows really what goes on in their heads and you are right we do not know the whole story or what stresses they face! One thing I like about this is that people can see that extremism is not exclusive to any one religion and occurs on any level.
ReplyDeletethe MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH!
ReplyDelete