- Feb 5, 2002
- 166,616
- 56,252
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Catholic
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Others
On October 7, the world was shocked by Hamas’ barbaric and unconscionable slaughter of over 1,300 Israeli civilians—men, women and children.
About three weeks following the attack that precipitated Israel’s developing military campaign to destroy Hamas—and Hamas’ on-brand use of its own population as human shields—the world continues to express moral outrage, spanning the spectrum from pro-Israel to pro-Palestine, and even pro-Hamas in some far-left circles.
While certainly alarmed and outraged by the gruesome attack by Hamas on their Abrahamic neighbors, Christians in the Middle East have remained largely quiet.
We’ve all heard the quote commonly—and erroneously—attributed to Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing.” This begs some questions: Do Christians in the Middle East lack moral clarity? Does their silence implicate them in the triumph of evil? The answer on both accounts is a resounding “no,” and here’s why.
In the Christian tradition, moral clarity is a necessary virtue. In the West, the freedom to boldly declare moral truths is a categorical expectation (woke cancel culture notwithstanding). The ability to openly profess and manifest moral clarity is a blessing inherent in the egalitarian social contracts of the West, characterized by Enlightenment values founded in the Christian faith.
The faith tradition of Christians in the Middle East elevates moral clarity just the same, as the Christian faith and values find their roots in the pre-Islamic Middle East. The bold declaration of such convictions, however, is a luxury many Christians in the Middle East cannot afford. Their precarious circumstance as a population perpetually under existential duress, wedged between totalitarian Arabist regimes and genocidal Islamist zealots, forces them to prioritize survival.
Christians in the Arab world find themselves in an unenviable position requiring them to resist the urge and inclination to condemn Arab misbehavior, or—God forbid—demonstrate sympathy for Israel, lest they be tagged as “agents of the West” or, the most dangerous pejorative of all, “Zionist collaborators.” Christians in the Middle East are forced to parrot the Arab party line, as ill-fated participants in a perpetual and pervasive hostage video to the world.
Continued below.
providencemag.com
About three weeks following the attack that precipitated Israel’s developing military campaign to destroy Hamas—and Hamas’ on-brand use of its own population as human shields—the world continues to express moral outrage, spanning the spectrum from pro-Israel to pro-Palestine, and even pro-Hamas in some far-left circles.
While certainly alarmed and outraged by the gruesome attack by Hamas on their Abrahamic neighbors, Christians in the Middle East have remained largely quiet.
We’ve all heard the quote commonly—and erroneously—attributed to Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing.” This begs some questions: Do Christians in the Middle East lack moral clarity? Does their silence implicate them in the triumph of evil? The answer on both accounts is a resounding “no,” and here’s why.
In the Christian tradition, moral clarity is a necessary virtue. In the West, the freedom to boldly declare moral truths is a categorical expectation (woke cancel culture notwithstanding). The ability to openly profess and manifest moral clarity is a blessing inherent in the egalitarian social contracts of the West, characterized by Enlightenment values founded in the Christian faith.
The faith tradition of Christians in the Middle East elevates moral clarity just the same, as the Christian faith and values find their roots in the pre-Islamic Middle East. The bold declaration of such convictions, however, is a luxury many Christians in the Middle East cannot afford. Their precarious circumstance as a population perpetually under existential duress, wedged between totalitarian Arabist regimes and genocidal Islamist zealots, forces them to prioritize survival.
Christians in the Arab world find themselves in an unenviable position requiring them to resist the urge and inclination to condemn Arab misbehavior, or—God forbid—demonstrate sympathy for Israel, lest they be tagged as “agents of the West” or, the most dangerous pejorative of all, “Zionist collaborators.” Christians in the Middle East are forced to parrot the Arab party line, as ill-fated participants in a perpetual and pervasive hostage video to the world.
Continued below.
The Moral Clarity of Christian Hostages in their Homeland - Providence
Christians in the Middle East have much to fear from speaking out about violence against Israel
providencemag.com
