Hypatia of Alexandria

[Leah71]

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[graceandpeace]

Murder is incompatible with Christian ethics.

 

[Hospes]

Hello,

I am curious what modern Christians think of Hypatia of Alexandria. Did she deserve her fate? Was it right what happened to her? Should it be done again today? What are modern Christians' views of what happened?

Here is a link with a little information about her:

http://www.ancient.eu/Hypatia_of_Alexandria/


I am not talking about the horrible Hollyweird film about Hypatia called Agora. I saw that and wish I could get the time back in my life.

Even though the murder of Hypatia was an awful event, the web page given is biased against Christians to the point it is little more than coal for those who enjoy stoking their hate of Christians. Wikipedia does a much better job at giving a scholarly description of her death.

 

[LaSorcia]

Unfortunately, the church has not been immune to misogyny or gynophobia. Or hate. If these details are accurate, the actions of these 'monks' are abominable. Completely anti-Christian.

 

[Leah71]

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[TheoNewstoss]

Hello,

I am curious what modern Christians think of Hypatia of Alexandria. Did she deserve her fate? Was it right what happened to her? Should it be done again today? What are modern Christians' views of what happened?

They seem to be the same of the majority of the Christians of her time. "Surely nothing can be farther from the spirit of Christianity than the allowance of massacres, fights, and transactions of that sort." - Socrates Scholasticus

 

[aiki]

I am curious what modern Christians think of Hypatia of Alexandria. Did she deserve her fate? Was it right what happened to her? Should it be done again today? What are modern Christians' views of what happened?

The really important question I think isn't what "modern Christians" think but what God's Word, the Bible commands:

Matthew 22:37-40
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Matthew 5:43-48
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

In light of these passages it is clear that what "Christians" did to Hypatia was totally un-Christian.

Selah.

 

[Leah71]

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[paul1149]

I feel Hypatia's murder was more politically motivated that religious.

This is a very incisive observation. Unfortunately, stories like Hypatia's are repeated ad nauseam throughout history. Sometimes guilt can be spread around; other times it decidedly cannot. There is no shortage of the arm of the flesh operating under the convenient guise of Christianity, and this became especially true when the church became institutionalized and under the patronage of the state. Jesus told us to beware the leaven of Herod, the use of political power to achieve spiritual ends. And the apostasy of much of the church is clearly predicted in several places in the NT.

And of course this problem is not confined to Christianity. All people and movements are imperfect.

There is no safety in politically or culturally driven Christianity, or in denominations. The only safety is in relationship with the person of Jesus Christ and in the unadulterated truth of His word.

 

[Leah71]

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[oi_antz]

I apologize for even daring to ask a question

Leah, are you able to explain why you have said this? I wonder whether the word "a" is not more appropriate to be "this", but if you did really choose that word, I do not trust that I can support this belief. I pressed "like" to this response of yours before I noticed that you had used the word "a" as I had thought after learning from aiki and paul1149 you had been sorry to dare ask that question. Yet, in reading your words more carefully, I have not found it agreeable. Not all questions are bad, loaded, provoking, biased, hateful etc. Some are though. I don't think this one was, but I did like when I thought you did!

 

[paul1149]

All questions, sincerely asked, are good. God can handle them. We should be able to as well. The church needs to consider questions like this one, because over the years much has been done in the name of Christ that has nothing to do with Christ, and that is something that every Christian should be concerned about.

One of my favorite passages is John 4, the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus answers the woman's question about what is the right way to worship God by telling her that the outer form doesn't matter. The hour is coming, and is now, when it's worshiping God in spirit and truth that will count. I think that's where we're headed, and quickly. The days of comfortable Christianity in the West, where outward appearances mattered, are numbered. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him from the heart, in the power of the Spirit.

That invitation is open to all, no matter what you've done, no matter what was done to you. I don't recall Jesus ever turning away a sincere questioner.

 

[Hospes]

I apologize for even daring to ask a question

Hi Leah.
I hope my stating that the article was highly biased didn't make you regret asking. I think your response to my post showed goodwill and honesty. I also appreciate bringing to my attention a bit of Church history, although it was not a very pleasant bit. Again, if my post made you regret asking the question, I apologize for not making it more clear that it was not a indictment of you in any way.

 

[aiki]

I apologize for even daring to ask a question

??? To whom are you apologizing? And why do you think an apology is necessary? I don't see that your question warrants an apology...

Selah.

 

[terryjohn]

If so called christians do something that is less than christian you are left with the conviction that they are hyprocrites only because they do not do the things they are supposed to do, so their is no reason to criticise the teachings of Christ for by his words they shall be condemned.