Religious divides fuel Syrian war

The battle lines in Syria are being drawn along sectarian — that is, religious — lines. Both sides fear that whoever wins power will obliterate the loser. Religious civil wars are longer and bloodier than other types of clashes, according to studies. They are also twice as likely to recur and twice as deadly to noncombatants. People hold onto religious fights longer than battles over land and water. It becomes existential and related to belief in a higher calling. If we come and give one group a total win, we may be setting up an ethnic cleansing. The situation is Syria is fluid, with a lot of conflicting reports and shifting alliances -- Alawites, Shiites. Sunnis, Christians, etc. Here is a breakdown of the religious groups at war and some background on their beliefs.

Read the complete article at -- http://www.sentinelsource.com/cnn/religious-divides-fuel-syrian-war/article_887a5d1e-27a0-5cb7-9b80-962813cd7079.html

Comments

Why did they lay their coats at Saul's feet?

The witnesses, laying their coats at the feet of Saul, were the men that would cast the first stones at Stephen in Acts 7. Why did they all lay their coats at Saul’s feet? The Talmud contains a very interesting account of the act of stoning that may provide the answer. “When the trial was over, they take him [the condemned person] out to be stoned. The place of stoning was at a distance from the court, as it is said, ‘Take out the one who has cursed.’ [i] A man stands at the entrance of the court; in his hand is a signaling flag [Hebrew sudarin = sudar , ‘scarf, sweater’]. A horseman was stationed far away but within sight of him. If one [of the judges] says, ‘I have something [more] to say in his favor,’ he [the signaler] waves the sudarin , and the horseman runs and stops them [from stoning him]. Even if [the condemned person] himself says, ‘I have something to say in my favor,’ they bring him back, even four of five times, only provided that there is some substance to...

Are Saul and Paul the Same Person?

There has always been some confusion over whether Saul and Paul is the same person. The confusion begins in the Book of Acts. ● “Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul . . . he brought him to Antioch . . . for a whole year they taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called ‘ Christians ’ in Antioch .” ( Acts 11:25-26 ) ● “ Then Agrippa said to Paul , `You almost persuade me to become a Christian .’” ( Acts 26:28) ● “ Then Saul , who also is called Paul . . . ” ( Acts 13:9a ) Based on the three verses above, we would assume they are references to the same person – but is he the Paul we read about in the Epistles? The name “ Saul ” doesn’t appear in the Epistles. In order to answer that question we must examine the stories of the “ conversion experiences ” of Saul in Acts and Paul in Galatians . Pay close attention to the time periods and places mentioned in both accounts. Saul’s experience is found in Acts 9 and...

Should 21st Century Christians Do What the Jewish Jesus Taught?

When Jesus taught his followers about the Great Day of Judgment, he said that the entire population of the world will be separated into two groups – people in one group will be sent into everlasting punishment and the people in the other group will go into eternal life . The standard they will be judged by is the TOV Standard . Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/8f6a8edc408a/should-21st-century-christians-do-what-the-jewish-jesus-taught

Biblical Heritage Center Blog

Search This Blog