Christian pastor arrested for faith and then freed from Turkish prison.

[Altfish]

If they become a member, Aleppo becomes the eastern border of the EU..is that acceptable?

They will not become a member, so your point is like saying if Russia becomes a member...
This was part of Brexit's Project Fear that is still being repeated.

 

[Estro Felino]

They will not become a member, so your point is like saying if Russia becomes a member...
This was part of Brexit's Project Fear that is still being repeated.

We are speaking of a modernized country with great potentialities..with whom we should keep a special relation.

But culturally they're too distant from us,...
fear? yeah...I'm scared to death

 

[Woberts]

That's quite a stretch.
How do we know he doesn't seek only the willing?

I would like to believe they don't, but a history of missionaries shows that forced conversions are par for the course.

 

[Revoltingest]

By definition as a Presbyterian, he does. In Presbyterian/Reformed belief, the only ones who are willing to convert are those who are predestined to convert--sucks about the rest of us.

I'm not inclined to judge an individual by a definition.
But I am willing to condemn him if he intends to
oppress others. This means examining the person,
not just the labels attached to him.

 

[Revoltingest]

I would like to believe they don't, but a history of missionaries shows that forced conversions are par for the course.

I'm no fan of missionaries either.
But even they are individuals.

 

[Shiranui117]

I'm not inclined to judge an individual by a definition.
But I am willing to condemn him if he intends to
oppress others. This means examining the person,
not just the labels attached to him.

I'm not judging him. Just pointing out that Presbyterians and Calvinists as a consequence of their theology hone in very quickly on those who they perceive as willing and therefore predestined, and ignore everybody else.

 

[Revoltingest]

I'm not judging him. Just pointing out that Presbyterians and Calvinists as a consequence of their theology hone in very quickly on those who they perceive as willing and therefore predestined, and ignore everybody else.

OK

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

Lmao no. Their continual slow push to extinguish the last vestiges of Orthodox Christianity in the country (focusing most of their attacks against the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) are proof enough of that. And if that wasn't enough, look at Ataturk's genocides of the Greeks and the Armenians.

Turkey isn't a secular democracy. Erdogan's a determined Islamofascist hell-bent on making Turkey the next Saudi Arabia or Iran.

Always bemuses me to see Americans complaining about infringement of their "rights" while abroad.

One incident that always sticks in my mind is the American who was incensed when we stopped his vehicle for a random search at the Sydney Olympics, he was literally jumping up and down screaming about his "Constitutional rights", while the poor stupid NCO in charge of the vehicle control point (me) had to try to politely explain to him that Australia is a separate country with it's own constitution that is quite different to the American one.

 

[Altfish]

We are speaking of a modernized country with great potentialities..with whom we should keep a special relation.

But culturally they're too distant from us,...
fear? yeah...I'm scared to death

Any country that denies press freedom and locks up the opposition on trumped up charges is not 'modernised'

 

[Estro Felino]

Any country that denies press freedom and locks up the opposition on trumped up charges is not 'modernised'

true

 

[Audie]

In this stunning victory, religious liberty was protected. He was never guilty of a crime, just of being a Christian.

He was not "arrested for faith".

 

[Jumi]

They've been giving them money to try to slow the number of migrants coming through their country. A huge difference from being a member,

This is already from before the "migrant crisis", remember. It was to prepare them for membership. Same process as some other countries that joined the EU. You can read about it on EU's informative pages.

 

[Nakosis]

Always bemuses me to see Americans complaining about infringement of their "rights" while abroad.

One incident that always sticks in my mind is the American who was incensed when we stopped his vehicle for a random search at the Sydney Olympics, he was literally jumping up and down screaming about his "Constitutional rights", while the poor stupid NCO in charge of the vehicle control point (me) had to try to politely explain to him that Australia is a separate country with it's own constitution that is quite different to the American one.

If only the good old USofA were in charge of the World...

 

[Nakosis]

This is already from before the "migrant crisis", remember. It was to prepare them for membership. Same process as some other countries that joined the EU. You can read about it on EU's informative pages.

We need a WU - World Union. Headed by the US of course.

 

[YmirGF]

He's an Evangelical Christian. More specifically, he's an elder of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. One of their tenets is that marriage is heterosexual and monogamous.

That would not be an incendiary message to most Muslims though as the vast majority of Muslims only have one spouse. If he did not mention polygamy, he might be fine.

 

[Woberts]

That would not be an incendiary message to most Muslims though as the vast majority of Muslims only have one spouse. If he did not mention polygamy, he might be fine.

Eh, I wasn't talking about Muslims specifically. The "marriage can only be heterosexual" comment is the important bit here.

 

[YmirGF]

Eh, I wasn't talking about Muslims specifically. The "marriage can only be heterosexual" comment is the important bit here.

Muslims are almost rabidly anti-gay so that wouldn't get him into trouble. The VAST majority would not disapprove of such a message unless he railed against polygamy.

 

[74x12]

I would like to believe they don't, but a history of missionaries shows that forced conversions are par for the course.

Okay, in the last 50 years show us forced conversions by missionaries. And I don't mean Catholics.

 

[Woberts]

Okay, in the last 50 years show us forced conversions by missionaries. And I don't mean Catholics.

Why would Catholicism be off-limits?

 

[74x12]

Why would Catholicism be off-limits?

Clearly, you're singling out evangelicals in post #10 are you not?