Christianity in the Middle East is shattered. The ancient faith tradition lies beaten, broken, and dying.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
The devastation of the ancient Christian community in Iraq is well known.
To be brutally frank, I mean Christianity is dying in Europe, and Islam is on the rise.
I have for some time now been deeply troubled by the growing difficulties faced by Christian communities in various parts of the Middle East. It seems to me that we cannot ignore the fact that Christians in the Middle East are increasingly being deliberately targeted by fundamentalist Islamist militants.
Christianity emerged from the religion of Israel. Or rather, it has as its background a persistent strain in that religion. To that strain Christians have looked back, and rightly, as the preparation in history for their faith.
Religions themselves are... peace-loving. They can also be a constructive force in peace-building, and this also applies to the Middle East.
The failure of Christianity in the areas west from Sicily was even greater, and was increased by the spread of Arab outlooks and influence to that area, and especially to Spain.
These are strange times. Reason, which once combatted faith and seemed to have conquered it, now has to look to faith to save it from dissolution.
In Britain, Christianity is dying. Islam, unfortunately, isn't.
Christianity is the very root and foundation of Western civilization.
Christianity was literally born in the Middle East, and we must not forget our Middle Eastern brothers and sisters in Christ.