Well, I can't agree with the cardinal who has accused the UK government of operating an "anti-Christian foreign policy" by supporting the government in Pakistan. That's a bit far-fetched.

Still, Christians ARE persecuted in many lands, as are people of other faiths. There has been a significant change in the treatment of Christian minorities in Arab lands since about 1990. Christian communities that have existed in Arab lands since the first and second centuries, have all but disappeared in many nations. Most significant is the Christian population of Baghdad, now mostly living as refugees in a variety of nations. Christian Palestinians have suffered the same fate, and the story is the same for Christians in most Arab lands.

Mind you, much of this persecution may be in retaliation against aggression by Christians of European ancestry - but most Arab Christians are Arab, not European; and their Christianity is Middle Eastern, not European. They got their Christianity before it arrived in Europe.

Expanding on what I said above, the victims of persecution are usually innocent victims of the battles between the people in power - and the people in power never to seem to suffer much.

If you can see justice in the persecution of innocent members of any group, you need to take another look at your principles.

-Joe-


PS to Greg F and whoever else cares to use the term - the "imaginary friend" shit is offensive, rude, and bigoted. You know it, and you use the term with intent to insult. If you don't understand or don't appreciate what other people hold sacred, common manners require you to shut the fuck up refrain from disparagement.