Hagia Sophia reconversion into mosque

[SeekingGloryOnThisJourney]

I’m sad about this
They’ve taken another Church away, but they can’t take God away.
Thoughts?

 

[Barney2.0]

Well to be honest it hasn’t been a Church since 1453, they already took that Cathedral away centuries ago, what’s happening now is simply a political ploy.

 

[George95]

It’s to be expected with a leader who seeks to be Sultan.

 

[SeekingGloryOnThisJourney]

Well to be honest it hasn’t been a Church since 1453, they already took that Cathedral away centuries ago, what’s happening now is simply a political ploy.

True, but it’s still so sad. It was beautiful!
But I suppose God’s church is His people, and even though the building has been corrupted, His children shall not

 

[Barney2.0]

It’s to be expected with a leader who seeks to be Sultan.

Good luck to him with that, there are already countless mosques in Turkey with no congregations to fill them and a population that is increasingly becoming irreligious and secular, Turkey is slowly becoming to Muslims what France and England became to Catholics and Protestants, culturally and not religiously Muslim.

 

[SeekingGloryOnThisJourney]

Good luck to him with that, there are already countless mosques in Turkey with no congregations to fill them and a population that is increasingly becoming irreligious and secular, Turkey is slowly becoming to Muslims what France and England became to Catholics and Protestants, culturally and not religiously Muslim.

A sad thing....

 

[Barney2.0]

A sad thing....

As much as I dislike Liberalism, I’d rather have a secular Turkey rather than an Islamic one, so maybe it has some upsides.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Lord have mercy

 

[Not David]

As much as I dislike Liberalism, I’d rather have a secular Turkey rather than an Islamic one, so maybe it has some upsides.

I believe any Christian would prefer secularism in non-Christian countries

 

[Barney2.0]

I believe any Christian would prefer secularism in non-Christian countries

Not me, I dream of a genuine Christian monarchy that rules alongside the Church like either in Russia or in Ethiopia.

 

[SeekingGloryOnThisJourney]

Not me, I dream of a genuine Christian monarchy that rules alongside the Church like either in Russia or in Ethiopia.

Now that’s a dream!

 

[E.C.]

Good luck to him with that, there are already countless mosques in Turkey with no congregations to fill them and a population that is increasingly becoming irreligious and secular, Turkey is slowly becoming to Muslims what France and England became to Catholics and Protestants, culturally and not religiously Muslim.

A lot of Turks who came from Greek, Assyrian or Armenian families that Turkified are starting to go back to their roots. In 2013 I witness the baptism of a Kurdish girl who was baptized with the support of her parents who came from Turkey. It's been estimated that if Turks were allowed to leave Islam than up to 30-40% of the Turkish population would become Orthdox.

Not me, I dream of a genuine Christian monarchy that rules alongside the Church like either in Russia or in Ethiopia.

Eh... not to rain on the parade, but it wasn't exactly a utopia in either place. The spiritual life in both countries had become so poor they both willingly turned to Communism for crying out loud. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but it certainly was far from perfect.

 

[Barney2.0]

A lot of Turks who came from Greek, Assyrian or Armenian families that Turkified are starting to go back to their roots. In 2013 I witness the baptism of a Kurdish girl who was baptized with the support of her parents who came from Turkey. It's been estimated that if Turks were allowed to leave Islam than up to 30-40% of the Turkish population would become Orthdox.

I’d say that’s partly true considering my grandmother’s family was slightly Turkified, with her and her parents and grandparents bearing Turkish names despite being Lebanese, her grandfather also carried the Ottoman title of “Bey” during the Ottoman Empire’s final years of ruling Syria and Lebanon. I’m not sure about those estimates though, most of the population is secular and Atheism is quite common in Turkey nowadays, the Eastern Orthodox population of Turkey is only about 2-1% with most of the Greek minority living in Istanbul formerly known as Constantinople.

Eh... not to rain on the parade, but it wasn't exactly a utopia in either place. The spiritual life in both countries had become so poor they both willingly turned to Communism for crying out loud. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but it certainly was far from perfect.

Hopefully in the future those mistakes can be avoided.

 

[Anhelyna]

I've just been sent this very interesting article

Converting Hagia Sophia Into a Mosque is a Violation of Islamic Law

 

[F.E.A.R.]

Spoiler

Turkey's Hagia Sophia holds first Friday prayers since conversion back to mosque
Istanbul's Hagia Sophia opens as a mosque for Muslim prayers
Erdogan Leads First Muslim Prayer After Hagia Sophia Mosque Reconversion

 

[buzuxi02]

The crypto-christians in Turkey tend to be in the Pontos region. You still have 2 or 3 villages that speak Romeyka and every now and then you have them traveling to Thessaloniki to be baptised. I know someone from that region who travels back to visit her parents village. She has had many odd encounters. One time traveling with her cousin who is fluent in the Pontian greek dialect struck up a conversation with some Turkish people who secretly kept the language. I don't think there are many but some have long memories. Another time at one of these villages a local came up to her looked around and said, 'we are Rum like you'.

 

[E.C.]

The crypto-christians in Turkey tend to be in the Pontos region. You still have 2 or 3 villages that speak Romeyka and every now and then you have them traveling to Thessaloniki to be baptised. I know someone from that region who travels back to visit her parents village. She has had many odd encounters. One time traveling with her cousin who is fluent in the Pontian greek dialect struck up a conversation with some Turkish people who secretly kept the language. I don't think there are many but some have long memories. Another time at one of these villages a local came up to her looked around and said, 'we are Rum like you'.

That would be interesting to hear. I remember reading a BBC article years ago (2008 or so maybe?) about an unofficial festival in the Trebizond area. Greeks and Turks who hailed from that region wanted to put on a Pontic cultural festival of some sort with singing, dancing, etc. All was well until the Turkish police showed up and broke them up for not singing in Turkish And you know, Lord forbid someone say something publicly about the Theotokos in a positive light.

But it's not just the Greek areas. There's tens of thousands of crypto-Armenians as well (at least by the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople's estimate)

 

[buzuxi02]

Turks who hailed from that region wanted to put on a Pontic cultural festival of some sort with singing, dancing, etc. All was well until the Turkish police showed up and broke them up for not singing in Turkish And you know, Lo

Yup.. I was told that Turkish agents follow the buses around of the Pontic Greeks entering Turkey to go visit their ancestors villages. Some who still speak the dialect are reluctant unless no one is around. The girl I know is attractive and I guess one of the young local Turkish villagers smitten with her came up to her and gave her a gift he said was from his grandparents. It was a little Hodgegetria icon

 

[prodromos]

Somebody drive a herd of pigs into Hagia Sophia.

 

[Jonathan Walkerin]

I believe any Christian would prefer secularism in non-Christian countries

Just like any non Christian would prefer secularism in US. Funny how that goes.