Problems for Egyptian Christians

[Dr. Cheese]

Christians in Egypt fear Islamist pressure - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - msnbc.com

[Stinsok]

Tolerance is a one way street.

[Jazz Ad]

While a sad situation, it's nothing new.
Copts have been suffering this situation with highs and lows for centuries.
It became worse when Saddat died and has been the same ever since.

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by Stinsok

Tolerance is a one way street.

As anyone who knows from American history can attest, a "democratic" society can sometimes be very hard on minorities.

The other thing to note, is that Middle Eastern dictators like Mubarak, Qaddaffi, or Assad, have often been protective of minorities. In the case of Mubarak and Assad, Christians really benefitted from the protection. In the case of Qaddaffi, black Africans and Tuaregs benefitted. In all fairness, repressed majorities have legitimate issues to, but in countries with no democratic traditions, it is very easy to slip into persecution of minorities.

[Schlyder]

Who didn't see that coming?

[redcloud]

I am concerned about the Christian, Pastor Nadarkhani, who was charged with being apostate, convicted, and sentenced to death by hanging for his beliefs. The World is hard to understand sometimes.

scott

[sloasdaylight]

Originally Posted by Schlyder

Who didn't see that coming?

This.

[bassybill]

This is depressing in its predictability. People's beliefs can make them totally irrational.

We should be better than this by now.

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

As anyone who knows from American history can attest, a "democratic" society can sometimes be very hard on minorities.

I'm glad you put "democratic" in scare-quotes. Of course it's not a democracy without religious freedom. Those countries never had true church-state separation, but only a process of officially recognizing certain religions.

[nutdog]

Going on in Afghanistan as well. At the hands of our "allies". Got to love that.

WORLD Magazine | Deeds done in dark | Mindy Belz | Nov 20, 10

WORLD Magazine | Freed at last | Mindy Belz | Feb 24, 11

[bongomania]

Christians have had problems in Egypt since, oh I don't know, around 20 AD. Seriously now.

[Jay Ralston]

Jesus said we would be persecuted for our faith. I expect that so the news does not surprise me. All we can do is pray for them.

[Schlyder]

Originally Posted by bassybill

....
We should be better than this by now.

This.

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by fdeck

I'm glad you put "democratic" in scare-quotes. Of course it's not a democracy without religious freedom. Those countries never had true church-state separation, but only a process of officially recognizing certain religions.

I suppose my fundamental point is that a major part of a true democracy is respect for the rights of minorities, whether they are religious, racial, linguistic, sexual, or whatever. Too often, societies that see themselves as democratic only think about the will of the majority.

[fdeck]

I would agree with you.

[sloasdaylight]

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

I suppose my fundamental point is that a major part of a true democracy is respect for the rights of minorities, whether they are religious, racial, linguistic, sexual, or whatever. Too often, societies that see themselves as democratic only think about the will of the majority.

Uh, in a democracy, the will of the majority does rule.

[fdeck]

Depends on how you define democracy.

[sloasdaylight]

According to dictionary.com, the first definition available for it is:
"government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system."

From Merriam-Webster:
"1 a : government by the people; especially : rule of the majority
b : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections"

A democracy cannot be a democracy if the will of the majority isn't the fundamental concept, otherwise it becomes an oligarchy.
Dictionary.com:
"a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few."

Merriam-Webster:
"government by the few"

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by sloasdaylight

Uh, in a democracy, the will of the majority does rule.

With that attitude, you need to simply accept the way Egyptian Christians are being treated since they live in a 90% Muslim country.

[fdeck]

Argumentum ad Websterium.

Look up "tyranny of the majority," which most people recognize as contrary to principles of democracy. Democracy is an evolving concept, and I don't think it can be captured in simplistic sound bites.