WN: Syrian Christians sign treaty of submission to Islamists - Times

[WorthyNewsBot]

Christian leaders in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, captured by an organization formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda, have signed a submission document this week banning them from practicing Christianity in public in return for protection by their Islamist rulers.

View the full article

[nebula]

Lord Jesus, show Your power in Syria!

[OakWood]

Shocking. This is where it all starts.

[other one]

Would you rather them be slaughtered????

[OakWood]

Would you rather them be slaughtered????

 

Not at all, but al-Qaeda can not be trusted. This is just the start. The protection they offer will be temporary. This will only be the first of many demands. Wait and see.

[EnochBethany]

Christian leaders in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, captured by an organization formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda, have signed a submission document this week banning them from practicing Christianity in public in return for protection by their Islamist rulers.

View the full article

Well, I can't judge persons I have not met; but IMHO perhaps the "Christians" in Syria are cultural Christians, professed Christians, sprinkled into the organization as babies.  There is a special "crown" called the martyrs crown.  It depends on exactly what they signed, as to whether or not they should sign it.  Would you feel conscience bound to keep your word when it was extracted with a gun to your head?  Should such a document be considered worth anything?

 

Christians in the USA have surely had an easy life compared with those in such countries. Imagine having a long civil war fought in your country, no food, bullets flying, bombs dropping.  We certainly should be praying for these people. 

[nebula]

Well, I can't judge persons I have not met; but IMHO perhaps the "Christians" in Syria are cultural Christians, professed Christians, sprinkled into the organization as babies. 

 

I was at a fellowship meeting where the leader had invited a Coptic Christian he had recently met on the subway to speak. Long story short, after the meeting I had asked him about when he came to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, and he had no idea what I was talking about. In fact, he considered Jesus a great teacher and example to follow, but not necessarily the Son of God. It was . . . strange.

 

So, I can appreciate your concern.

[other one]

 

Would you rather them be slaughtered????

 

Not at all, but al-Qaeda can not be trusted. This is just the start. The protection they offer will be temporary. This will only be the first of many demands. Wait and see.

 

We'll see......    but Sharia and the Koran is very specific on how Islam can deal with people of the Book...

[EnochBethany]

 

Well, I can't judge persons I have not met; but IMHO perhaps the "Christians" in Syria are cultural Christians, professed Christians, sprinkled into the organization as babies. 

 

I was at a fellowship meeting where the leader had invited a Coptic Christian he had recently met on the subway to speak. Long story short, after the meeting I had asked him about when he came to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, and he had no idea what I was talking about. In fact, he considered Jesus a great teacher and example to follow, but not necessarily the Son of God. It was . . . strange.

 

So, I can appreciate your concern.

 

Well, I was raised as a cultural Christian, a regular Sunday church goer.  Salvation was not even a topic I recall ever hearing.  It was "be good," "imitate Christ."  Some day you will be judged for your works (like Sheep & Goats, Mat 25).  It kind of boggles the mind that someone would be a mere cultural Christian in a hostile Muslim country.

[other one]

At least unlike Rome in the first century, they do have the ability to be Christians among themselves...    as long as they submit to the laws of the land they live in.     Christians and Jews existed for many years in that area.      

It will depend on if the Muslims follow their own laws or not.