mkgal1 - totally off topic question

[WolfGate]

What is your new avatar?

 

[mkgal1]

I'm glad you asked, WolfGate.

The symbol is an Arabic letter called, "nun"--it means "Nazarene" or "Christian". Here is an article that describes what it's all about. I first became aware when I noticed that Kylissa has the symbol as her avatar (otherwise, I'd have no idea).

Members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)–now known simply as The Islamic State (IS)–have marked Christians for dimmi status and extinction; their goal is to eliminate all Christian presence from their new caliphate.

As their predecessors did 1,400 years ago, Muslims in the IS have given Christians four options:

1. Convert to Islam.

2. Live as dhimmis under sharia law and pay the jizya tax.

3. Forfeit their homes, possessions, and flee the IS.

4. Die.

Christian homes and businesses have been marked with the Arabic letter Nun. It stands for “Nazarene,” or Christian. This symbol has now gone viral on social media and Christians around the globe are using it as a symbol of solidarity with the Christians of Mosul and Iraq.

They’ve also started the hashtag #WeAreN.


Read more at #WeAreN: Christians Marked for Modern-Day Holocaust | BarbWire.com

 

[Inkachu]

Word. I'm gonna do it, too. Thanks for sharing that, Mkgal!

 

[WolfGate]

Thank you!

 

[mkgal1]

You're welcome.

Another good point (IMO) was this:

When ISIS first came into Mosul and 500,000 people fled the city, the majority of those were Sunni Muslims. It seems they left because they were not fundamentalists deemed to be compliant enough with this new Islamic authority. Why didn’t Americans get up in arms when Muslims were being driven from their homes? Why didn’t we change our twitter icons when Muslims were being slaughtered? We should be equally worked up about other minorities here who are suffering. We can't only have compassion on people that we think are like us. - See more at: #WeAreN: What the media misses about Iraqi Christian persecution | On Faith & Culture

I have to admit that I'm typically pretty ignorant about these sorts of things (what's going on in the rest of the world).

 

[Annessa3]

:thumbs up:

 

[bluegreysky]

I like my wedding picture.
is that ok?

:/

 

[mkgal1]

I like my wedding picture.
is that ok?

:/

Of course

 

[Angeldove97]

I have to admit that I'm typically pretty ignorant about these sorts of things (what's going on in the rest of the world).

I'm pretty ignorant about all of this stuff too- maybe it's selfish of me but I tend to worry about my own life, my family, my friends, etc.

There's enough problems going on in my small area of this world to worry about.

I hate how Americans are made out to be the ones who should worry about everything, protest everything, fix everything!

Some Americans do really care about this issue, some have their hearts set on other issues.

Just sharing for the sake of sharing....

 

[DZoolander]

I'm pretty ignorant about all of this stuff too- maybe it's selfish of me but I tend to worry about my own life, my family, my friends, etc.

There's enough problems going on in my small area of this world to worry about.

I hate how Americans are made out to be the ones who should worry about everything, protest everything, fix everything!

Some Americans do really care about this issue, some have their hearts set on other issues.

Just sharing for the sake of sharing....

Well, I agree to an extent, but my conscience can't let me go that far.

It isn't so much because I think it's our obligation to go out and do those things for the rest of the world - but rather because I recognize that we (America) really don't mind our own business in world affairs.

 

[Inkachu]

FWIW I don't see this as an "America vs another country" issue. This is about fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are in peril. That transcends nationalities and politics. Just how I see it.

 

[mkgal1]

Something I don't understand.....why aren't other countries that belong to the UN giving aid to these people (or stopping these militants, somehow)? Or are they? What's the purpose of the UN if radical groups are able to run amok like this?

 

[Inkachu]

The UN is a bit of a joke, if you ask me. They wanna be this "everybody play nicely!" group. Sometimes, it's just not gonna happen that way. A lot of what the UN does is symbolic rather than effectual.

 

[mkgal1]

A lot of what the UN does is symbolic rather than effectual.

That is certainly what it appears

On a bit of another note....I just came across this blog (and found it somewhat uplifting...at least in the way of sort of easing my guilt for not really being able to do much--besides prayer-- to help):

With so much travesty happening to people of faith all over the world, I have found it difficult to carry on as normal. I mean, what if it were me? It could just as easily be my family? What makes us, as American Christians, think that we are above facing life threatening circumstances? And how should we respond, as Christians, to this heart-wrenching news that we are facing every day?

I struggle, I really do. I struggle because the way that I want to respond…what my human nature wants to do is to feel guilty… for everything. So with this guilt, I went before the Lord. And here is where He took me almost right away.

“For we don’t want you to be unaware, brothers, of our affliction that took place in Asia: we were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life. Indeed, we personally had a death sentence within ourselves, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and He will deliver us. We have put our hope in Him that He will deliver us again while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.” 2 Corin 1:8-11

Did you hear what Paul just said? He didn’t lay a guilt trip on his fellow Christians. He didn’t say, “Why weren’t you with us in Asia?” He didn’t say, “While you all were getting to live your life in peace, WE were in Asia despairing of life.” He didn’t say, “God had to deliver us because you all were unwilling to come to our rescue.”

NO, he said these two things… The grievous trial that made them despair of even living was given so that they would not trust in themselves, but in the God who raises even the dead (He became their ONLY hope) AND the PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS HELPED HIM! Can I just shout it again? THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS DELIVERED A GIFT TO HIM THAT EVEN THEIR PRESENCE COULD NOT. ~AWAKE, oh Sleeper! | Everything Rides on Hope Now

 

[mkgal1]

I just heard on the news that France and England are joining in the humanitarian aid.