Peace On Earth?
Once again the BBC reports on a war that has been going on for centuries: Monks brawl at Jerusalem shrine
Israeli police have had to restore order at one of Christianity’s holiest sites after a mass brawl broke out between monks in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Fighting erupted between Greek Orthodox and Armenian monks at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of Christ’s crucifixion.
Two monks from each side were detained as dozens of worshippers traded kicks and punches at the shrine, said police.
Trouble flared as Armenians prepared to mark the annual Feast of the Cross.
This is not how one comports themselves at church. Both sides need a time out, about 10 centuries should do, or take their complaints to court. One of those fake TV courts would be appropriate for this juvenile garbage. Maybe we could send them to kindergarten to learn how to share.
10 comments
This was on our news. 🙂 I was just PMSL! LOL
And people wonder why the flocks are so bad! *shaking head* Worse than kindergarten. This is a good way to lead by example! Love, Peace, and Goodwill to all men! And don’t forget to kick them in the head if they so much as glance at you. What the heck, kick ’em anyway! LOL
Made my day. 😀
I say lock the whole lot up for a few years in isolation. Let them consider the error of their ways.
“I say lock the whole lot up for a few years in isolation.” – Kryten42
Um, Kryten, they’re monks… isolation is hardly a punishment for them. 🙂
But if we chat with Fallenmonk,
Perhaps he’ll tame a brawlin’ monk!
– SB the YDD
There is nothing like religion to start a war. I don’t quite understand why the wars that involve different groups of what is nominally the same religion seem so much worse than those that involve different religions, but my Swiss ancestors made a good living fighting in them.
Maybe a Family Feud prime-time special would be more appropriate than a court show. To set it up the producers could promise that the winners got the church and the losers would be martyred in some horrific fashion – something to appeal to everyone.
Ummm, Steve… I know that. 😉 I was thinking more for the protection of the poor suckers, errrm, people, who follow them. Perhaps if they are held incommunicado for a few years, the flocks will have time to think for themselves. A new and scary experience for them all I’m sure. The only power these people have, is the hold over the suckers that follow them. I’m sure many of their followers will hold vigil outside their prisons for years. That’s fine also. Gives them something to do and stops them causing trouble for the saner public who just want to get on with their lives away from these dictators.
IMHO… of course. 😉
I just can’t understand that people buy that that is the actual site. Living in Europe I saw enough wood in so many churches that was guaranteed to be an actual sliver of the “one true cross” that you could build a major subdivision with it.
Jerusalem has been raised up and knocked down so often over the centuries that anything smaller than the Temple would be pretty damn difficult to locate. Like most ancient cities it is built in layers, and older buildings are torn down to provide material for newer buildings. The Romans in particular are rather well known for grinding up old buildings to use in the concrete they built with.
These monks have more in common street gangs than religious orders.
You won’t get any argument from me Bryan. 😉 😀
They have a ladder rotting against an outside wall because no one decided who gets to take it down.
The roof leaks because no one can decide who gets to decide how to fix it because the roof is divided into different areas.
It’s time to send in Mrs. Cake.
LOL Yes… Mrs Cake! I was thinking that Sam Vimes would be the man for the job! With a few of his loyal sidekicks, Capt. Carrot, Sgt. Detritus (excellent at opening doors and getting people’s attention, especially with his *Peacemaker*), Sgt. Angua, Corp. Cheery Littlebottom, Const. Reg Shoe… and maybe Const. Swires, he can be a handy little bugger to have around. 😉 LOL Maybe Granny Weatherwax, just to be safe. Or Nanny Ogg can strike terror into the most devout heart whenever she talks! She can have a good ol’ sing-a-long. LOL
BTW, Your comment about Jerusalem (and many other places of worship) having been rebuilt many times is factually true. But you remember in ‘The Fifth Elephant’, the Scone of Stone? “It is the true thing and the whole of the thing”, even though it’s actually been replaced several times. It’s the *idea* of it that matters. 🙂 That’s where logic and reality take a back seat to *faith*. 🙂
There have been too many “real, actual, documented” historic places discovered by archaeologists under car parks dug up for new construction and miles from the locations in the tourist brochures for me to get too excited about this sort of thing.
The most they can claim is that some local “guide” told them that this was the place centuries ago, and they won’t investigate the claim because that would make Byzantine Empress Helena look like a gullible twit rather than Saint Helen.