Category: Contemporary Issues

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Egypt Rejoices, But What Comes Next?

 Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak

This is an historic moment. A few hours ago, President Hosni Mubarak resigned after thirtyyears of apparently untouchable rule. He took what was perhaps his last opportunity to depart with dignity. No one can deny that he has done much that is good for his people over the decades, regardless of the damage that he also presided over. Our Lord, who is the true judge of hearts, will no doubt deal with him with justice and mercy.

The great thing about this change in Egypt is that it took place largely peacefully and it was not engineered by foreigners, the army, Islamic radicals or any other narrow interest. It came about because the people of Egypt finally found their voice.

The 1952 Egyptian Revolution that ousted the monarchy began with great idealism. Opinion is divided as to how closely its leaders adhered to that idealism, although most would agree that Egypt has degenerated rather than improved over the past sixty years. This time, there are no obvious leaders like Gamal Abd El Nasser to garner the love and trust of the people and turn it into dictatorship. Perhaps this time Egypt will give birth to a system rather than a leader, a far more stable and beneficial state of affairs!

I cannot help feeling a deep thrill of joy today. Continue reading “Egypt Rejoices, But What Comes Next?”

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Egypt in Crisis.

 Amazing protest picture, 2 Feb 2011, Heliopolis

As Egypt broils with turmoil, we in Australia watch and wait and pray. Here are a couple of interesting items that have come my way:

This picture warms my heart! It was apparently taken on February 2 in Heliopolis, Cairo. Two Coptic priests are seen marching with the protestors for change in Egypt, and one of them (I think he may be Fr Dawoud Lamei?) is arm in arm with what looks like a Muslim sheikh. Isn’t that the true spirit of Christianity – to stand up for truth and to love all people? If only this spirit would spread through the whole country! It is early days yet, but one cannot help wondering whether there will be a voice for the Copts in the new Egypt.

A gentleman in Cairo is sharing his journal of events he is experiencing in the comments section of this interesting article. It provides a snapshot of how the Egyptian on the street sees these historic events. Very interesting indeed.

We pray for a quick and safe resolution that results in a better, freer and more equitable Egypt.

Fr Ant

PS Another ray of light amidst the darkness – Christians showing real love towards Muslims. An article in the Daily Mail.

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Reflections on a Rally

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s nice to be home after a long trip overseas.

Yesterday I with many others attended the rally at Martin Place organized by the Australian Coptic Movement. The rain did nothing to dampen the spirit of all those present, nor the fire in the belllies of the speakers. It is always interesting to come home and mull over an event like that. What did it really mean?  And what will it achieve?

One thing that stood out for me was the attendance of so many other Arabic speaking Christians. In particular there were strong and high level contingents from Lebanon and Iraq, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Copts. The fact that the first attack in this sequence took place against a Syrian Catholic Church in Iraq, rather than in Egypt, indicates that to the terrorists at least, there is no difference between an Egyptian Christian and an Iraqi Christian. I wish that we Christians could learn this one truth from the terrorists! It is high time that true Christians of all denominations unite, discarding the petty arguments that have divided us for so long. Perhaps we needed a tragedy like this to move us? I sat next to a gentleman from the Chaldean Church, an Assyrian Church affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. He commented that we are all really one in Christ a number of times when I thanked him for coming to support the Copts. His Church has not yet been the target of these terrorists, but he felt that if any one of us Middle Eastern Christians has been affected, then we all have been affected.

It was great to see so many Australian flags being waved, and a running theme through the speeches reminded us that one of the best things about Australia is that everyone has the freedom to pursue their beliefs and faith without persecution. I applaud the Australian Coptic Movement for taking a collection on the day for the victims of the Queensland and Victorian floods. It takes a certain maturity to look beyond your own woes and empathise with the problems of others. There are about as many bereaved families in Queensland at the moment as there are in Alexandria. To put things in context, the Brazilian floods have resulted in something like 600 deaths. That is an awful lot of bereaved families. But of course, the difference between flood victims and terrorism victims is that one is unavoidable, the other so, so unnecessary.

Why do terrorists terrorise? What do they hope to achieve? Continue reading “Reflections on a Rally”

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Fanatical Drive Against Copts

Things have escalated rather rapidly.

It seems that the Iraqi branch of Al Qaeda has taken it personally that two wives of Coptic priests who allegedly converted to Islam have been ‘kidnapped’ by the Church, and have called for their immediate release. If not, they say, prepare to face some serious consequences. They have called on Muslims all over the world to put bombs in Coptic Churches.

Never mind that so far as the objective evidence shows, the two women in question NEVER converted to Islam. One of them not only went on national television to state that, but was also supported by an official statement from Al Azhar mosque that confirming that she never became Muslim (read here). The issues of these two women were patently of a personal and not a religious nature and seem now to have been more or less resolved. Given that these issues actually flared up some years ago (around 2004, I believe) one wonders why Iraqi Al Qaeda have suddenly gotten so worked up about private Egyptian matters years after the event? The answer is most likely that these ladies are just an excuse.

Consider the outright hypocrisy. Continue reading “Fanatical Drive Against Copts”

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Persecution, New and Old

Sheikh Tantawi

Having enjoyed tremendously The Early Coptic Papacy: The Egyptian Church and Its Leadership in Late Antiquity (Popes of Egypt) by Stephen J. Davis, I was quite excited when I learned that Volume 2 had been published. Entitled The Coptic Papacy in Islamic Egypt: The Popes of Egypt: A History of the Coptic Church and Its Patriarchs Volume 2 and authored by Mark N. Swanson, it makes for absorbing reading – if you are into history and the Coptic Church, that is. Now, the History of the Patriarchs is accessible on the net*, but it is only one among many primary and secondary sources that the author has drawn upon to provide a more comprehensive picture of the Coptic Church during the Islamic era. He has also added to his well-balanced scholarship some very insightful remarks on the patterns and lessons that may be drawn from this history. It is always interesting to see what an ‘outsider’ thinks of our Church.

 One of the things that really struck me as I read through the centuries was just how much more the words of some of our prayers mean if you think of the circumstances in which they were prayed back then. As you develop in your mind a picture of the pressures that were applied to Egyptian Christians a thousand years ago, you get a sense of a Church struggling just to stay alive. Heavy taxes on non-Muslims could only be relieved by converting to Islam, a course sadly taken by many Copts. Humiliating rules like being allowed to wear only black or dark blue clothes and turbans (the origin of today’s priestly uniform) and riding only donkeys, not horses, further pressured the Copts of the time. Added to this was the often blatant discrimination in the workplace, and the glass ceiling that prevented Christians from holding any kind of worthwhile position in government or in commerce. And then there was stifling burden that Muslim rulers imposed on virtually every new Patriarch upon his consecration: a one off tax of huge proportions that forced many patriarchs to spend their days wandering around the country collecting donations just to keep the peace for the flock and their Church. Many patriarchs who failed to satisfy the Muslim ruler’s greed found themselves in prison for lengthy periods of time.

Continue reading “Persecution, New and Old”

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A New Era?

 

Before the election, I commented in this blog on how nice it would be if a straightforward, honest politician with integrity entered our political scene:

 

“And yet, I wonder. If a genuine and sincere politician came along one day. Someone who always told the truth, even if it were against his personal interests. Some who gave his word and stuck to it. Someone who focused on the real issue rather than on merely gaining popularity and scoring political points. Could you imagine the respect and trust such a leader could command? Can you imagine the good they might do? But could such a person ever succeed in our current political system?

There was actually such a person in Australia. His name was Ted Mack, and he had to run as an independent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Mack_(politician) … He was a beacon of integrity for a number of years, but his usefulness was limited because of course, you can only do so much if you are not in one of the major parties.

 

 

How wrong I was in that last sentence! Through a remarkable set of circumstances, we now find ourselves in the unusual situation of having a hung parliament, with the Labor Party depending on the votes of three independents for their majority. Suddenly, those powerless, inconsequential independent members of parliament who must often have felt like so much useless baggage are in a position to steer the whole ship!

 We stand on the brink of a strange new era. Continue reading “A New Era?”

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Not Alone on Alcohol

 

One the negative health effects alcohol.

A couple of months ago I wrote about the Coptic Orthodox Church’s view on alcohol consumption . In summary, this policy is that while alcohol is not considered ‘evil’ in itself, it carries many risks, and as a community, we are better off not having any alcohol consumption at all, rather than accepting casual drinking with all its inherent risks.

I have since learned that the post apparently stirred up some controversy on an Orthodox Christian discussion board. Not many of the other Orthodox Churches share the Coptic policy on alcohol, it seems. So it was most interesting to find a piece on the Anglican Church’s official website which, while not going all the way and advocating total abstinence, does nonetheless come close. Graham Stanton, the author, bases his argument on the statistical facts that illustrate the damage that alcohol infllicts on a society that tolerates, or even, encourages it:

“As Christians our concern is for the three million Australians engaging in risky levels of alcohol consumption, for the 70,000 victims of alcohol related assault, the 20,000 children who will be victims of alcohol related child-abuse and the 450,000 children who live in households where they are at risk of exposure to binge drinking by at least one adult. As church communities we are also concerned for the way Christian youth and young adults are imbibing this culture to their physical and spiritual harm.”

All Australians know the prominent role alcohol plays in Australian culture. Drinking is seen to be a sign of manhood (or toughness in females, the Australian female being renowned for her ability to ‘match it’ with the best of the blokes); a social loosener for otherwise shy Aussie blokes; and a community activity that brings people together. This warm and fuzzy image of alcohol consumption takes something of a battering when one considers the indigenous communities that have been all but destroyed by rampant alcoholism that is endemic among Aboriginal communities where unemployment is high and free time is excessive. Domestic violence, sexual abuse, abuse of children and a multitude of diseases are just some of the terrible results of this uncontrolled use of alcohol, and show us just how much evil alcohol can produce in certain situations.

It may be argued that in other societies, the role of alcohol is quite different. Continue reading “Not Alone on Alcohol”

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IVF and Cloning Part 5 and Final

 

A last stroll through the tortuous ethical jungle that is IVF, genetic engineering and cloning…

 

Is there anything morally wrong with parents choosing the eye and hair colour of their children, or the inherent abilities they will have? Do we have the right to “play God” in this way? Or were we meant to just accept whatever God gave us?

 Throughout history, the whole human race has had to accept certain things in life as being beyond their control. That list used to include things like most diseases, accidental injuries, occasional starvation, the tyranny of distance and so on. But technological and medical advances have given us control over these aspects of our lives, and today we take that for granted.

 For example, no one who gets pneumonia today just goes to bed and surrenders the outcome to God’s will (OK, some lunatic fringe cultists do). Continue reading “IVF and Cloning Part 5 and Final”

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IVF and Cloning Part 4

 

 Cloning is an issue that raises many complex moral and ethical issues. There is any number of opinions on many of these issues, but it has so far proven difficult for the honest Christian to find certain answers on many of them. I am not sure that I have definite answers, but I will simply share some thoughts on a few interesting questions. No doubt you might disagree with some of the things I write, but feel free to comment and tell me why.

 If a child is diagnosed with an abnormality in the womb, should that child be aborted?

 We must begin with what we believe about that child in the womb. If we believe that the child is a human being (as we do) then we must treat her the same way we would treat her after she was born. The question thus becomes: if a baby is born and has an abnormality, should we put her to death? I don’t think there are many rational people in the world today who would answer yes to that question. Continue reading “IVF and Cloning Part 4”

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IVF and Cloning Part 3

 

We have seen that cloning raises some incredibly difficult ethical and moral questions. But before we attempt to address them, it may be helpful to look at things from the perspective of the infertile parent, and also to survey various religious positions on the matter.

 It is important to appreciate that these are not just hypothetical questions that people in ivory towers can enjoy discussing over a nice cup of tea. They are questions that influence the lives of many people, real living people. I have encountered couples dealing with infertility, and I can assure you, it is no small matter. Until you have gone through the experience yourself, I don’t think you can really understand what it means to be denied the chance of having your own children. Continue reading “IVF and Cloning Part 3”