"For many in the Middle East, Faith comes at a high price" - New York Times

"AS we celebrate the holidays, let’s remember that this is one of those savage epochs when some families must choose between their faith
and their lives. It is an echo of when Nero burned Christians alive, or when self-described Christians unleashed pogroms against Jews.

Painting by Roberts: Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem

"Partly because of allergies about religion, the international response has been utterly ineffective. Liberals are sometimes reluctant to champion Christians who are persecuted for their faith. And conservatives are too quick to champion only Christians, neglecting other religious minorities — such as the Yazidis — who suffer even worse fates. One result of this “God gulf” is that the Western response to atrocities against religious oppression is pathetically inadequate." Nicolas Kristof in the New York Times

Read the whole article.

Who is he, in yonder stall?

Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him

Nativity - Angelico

Master.
He had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher .

He had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer. He had no army, yet kings feared Him.

He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.

He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.

He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

We honored to serve such a Leader,  who loves us and teaches us holy living.

"Give us back our Data: The great power shift behind technological changes" Evgeny Morozov

"One has to be very naïve to believe that this data is not going to shape how we live the rest of our lives, especially when insurance companies and banks are so eager to incorporate it in their decision-making," says Morozov. "Unless we change the legal status of data, we're not going to get very far."

What he details so acutely are the ways technology is changing not just our behaviour, but also our political and social relations. The rhetoric of "innovation" and "disruption"- coupled of course with the reality of this amazing technology - has got us to accept things we probably wouldn't vote for in an election. If a party said: "We want to get rid of all labour protections and scrap the minimum wage," you would expect few to vote for it. But when an app or a website results in that same outcome we seem ready to accept that we're backwards if we "stand in the way of progress".

Read more.

"53 Photographs of the 2015 Syrian Refugee Crisis - haunting pictures" - Turkish Daily News

Each of these award-winning 53 photos tells a story of one or more persons.

Fleeing the terrors of war - separated from homes bombed into dust - leaving behind language, valuables, clothing, - going forward with hope of r survival.

Such has been the story of hundreds of thousands in 2015 in the greatest refugee turmoil since World War II.

Watch these photos, one by one.

"Is the Church in the Middle East on Life Support?" - Ethics Daily

Martin Accad, writing from Beirut, explains the way that Christians in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Turkey feel about the past, as they examine their history, and the future, as they look ahead with concern. This important article will take about one minute to read, but a very long time to digest.

Beirut, capital city of Lebanon

At the turn of this century, it has become quite clear that entire Christian communities in Iraq and Syria will never recover from the targeted obliteration of which they are now victim. They suffer both from the unstoppable rise in religious fanaticism expressed in Islamic terms, and from the action of foreign governments that often have little regard for the historical realities of their countries.

Read more.

Contrasting the White Daesh (Saudi Arabia) with the Black Daesh (ISIS)

Kamel Daoud contrasted the behaviour and culture of Isis (black Daesh) with the state of Saudi Arabia (white Daesh).

He began: “The former slits throats, kills, stones, cuts off hands, destroys humanity’s common heritage and despises archaeology, women and non-Muslims. The latter is better dressed and neater but does the same things.”

But the west wages war on one while shaking hands with the other and forgetting that the kingdom “relies on an alliance with a religious clergy that produces, legitimises, spreads, preaches and defends Wahhabism, the ultra-puritanical form of Islam that Daesh feeds on.”

This is a penetrating criticism from The Guardian that some readers may not appreciate.

Read more.

Is it a crime to compare Turkey's president to Gollum in Lord of the Rings?

Not meant to be humorous, because someone could go to jail for a long time, or receive a severe penalty for denigrating the President of Turkey if  this comparison is perceived to be "unfavorable".

Who, asked the judge, is Gullum? Why compare his looks to those of the Turkish president? The judge wants five top people in Turkish society to analyze Gullum's looks, character and actions.

(No joking.)

Read more.

"Centuries Old Mosaics are going to be restored in Great Palace Byzantium Palace." Turkish Daily News

1,500 years ago these mosaics were among the most ornate in the Roman Empire. They show wild animals in great detail, with incredible color. Now, sensing that even more tourists will enjoy them, the museum will restore some of the mosaics.

The artists who designed these fabulous mosaics used thousands of tiny stones to fill out the design. The original walk way included many scores of scenes such as these.

Read this and plan to visit Istanbul. Be ready to visit this great museum!

"Muslims give the reason they left their faith - using a hashtag" - BBC News

Tens of Thousands of Muslims in England have publically declared why they are leaving their Islamic beliefs. For some, this is liberating; for others, it is against their faith and deeply disappointing. This fair-minded BBC report takes us into a little known aspect of Muslim life in Great Britain.

Watch the video.

Baptist leaders and Donald Trump: Consider what is really at stake:

Baptist leaders joined in denouncing presidential candidate Donald Trump's call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.

“It’s no more than disgusting demagoguery—exploiting popular fear and fanning pervasive anti-Muslim bigotry for political gain,” Walker said. “Americans deserve better than this from those who seek to lead.”

“Make no mistake. A government that can shut down mosques simply because they are mosques can shut down Bible studies because they are Bible studies. A government that can close the borders to all Muslims simply on the basis of their religious belief can do the same thing for evangelical Christians. A government that issues ID badges for Muslims simply because they are Muslims can, in the fullness of time, demand the same for Christians because we are Christians.”

Read more.