“D.Castles” wrote: >
> an Orthodox friend wrote:
>
> > The whole of North Africa was Christian before Islam. Todays Libya,
> > was once caled the “Pentapolis” (Five Cities), Ancient Carthage was a
> > major Christian centre. Egypt was completely Christian.
>
> How did Libya and Egypt become to be Christian?
You will obviously be surprised to learn that Northern Africa was Christian before most of Europe was. Because of the importance and prosperity of Egypt there were already many Jewish communities there, and the emerging Christian Church flowered wherever there were Jews in the first two centuries. And this was simply conversion by word and example, not the sword. In northern Africa local communities normally followed suit shortly thereafter.
In particular Egypt, which claims St Mark as its first missionary, has had Christians in it for almost as long as there have been Christians anywhere. It hosted the first great Christian school at Alexandria. If you know enough about early Christian history to comment you will recognise names like Clement, Origen, Didymus and Athenagorus, they taught there.
By the time Islam was on the scene, Egypt was almost entirely Christian and the Copts, who have survived great persecution to stay in Egypt, are the direct descendants of those people. Libya has not had the same profile in Christian history, but it was largely Christian, converted mainly by local movements, by, say, 350AD.
> > It is said
> > that at the time of prayer the Church bells could be heard from one
> > end of Egypt to the other (along the Nile fertile region). The ruins
> > of these Christian churches abound in Egypt, for example in Suhag,
> > upper Egypt there is the ruins of a Church that held 4,000 faithful
> > under its roof as at the 4th century. Sudan, (Land of Kush was
> > Christian. Ethiopia was Christian.
>
> How did Ethiopia become to be Christian?
Just like the rest of Christendom at that time. By the work of the missionary saints (following the example of Paul) and local, spontaneous evangelism.
> > After the prophet of Islam, they
> > were forced to convert or pay heavy taxes called ‘Jitza’. These taxes
> > are still exacted today in southern Egypt and I have met businessmen
> > who are forced to pay it. This is a tax for failure to convert to
> > Islam.
>
> Christian authorities never taxed anyone?
At this stage there were no Christian authorities. But even later on, no, the Christian authorities did not tax people of other faiths in the same way Muslim rulers did. There are local examples of unfair taxes imposed on people of other faiths, especially Jews in Europe as far as I know, but there is nothing to compare to the “Jizyah” (look it up), which was a tax imposed by Muhammad, and mandated in the Quran, on Jews and Christians (“the people of the book”) who would not convert. It was not always imposed but it usually was, and Muhammad himself levied it at 50%(!) of the recalcitrant person’s income.
[snip]
> > Christian Priests
> > were also nicknamed bluenecks, due to the insistance of the priests in
> > wearing Christian crosses around their necks so in the end the
> > authorities made them wear large heavy crosses that made the backs of
> > their necks blue from the weight.
>
> Muslims in Spain?
I know from past experience that you take umbrance when it is pointed out that your complete ignorance of a topic makes you unqualified to comment, so I’m not going to say that this time.
For centuries (from the late 8th to the late 15th) southern Spain was occupied by Muslims. The capital, for the time it was a Caliphate, was Cordoba. As you can imagine, over that span the rulers ranged from the relaxed to the barbarous.
Not that I’m suggesting that _you_ should do this before commenting further, but anyone else who wants to read about these very basic historical matters could start at:
[snip similar questions to which people other than yourself could find answers not significantly different (if a little less thoroughly spun)
than James’s by going to a library]
> > The kingdoms at the time were expanding their
> > borders and not Missionaries.
>
> So you find it ok to differentiate between the Christian missonaries and
> Christian kingdoms but can’t differetiate between the Islamic faith and
> power bases who happen to be Muslim.
> Your prejudice in your faith is slipping into a prejudiced view of
> history.
You’re comparing apples and oranges. Christianity started as a missionary religion and, with some spectacular failures proving the rule, makes no claim to government. Modern Christians frankly acknowledge and willingly disavow the abuses that have been made of Jesus’s example.
Islam started life as a quasi-political movement, (Muhammad was explicitly trying to unite warring Arab tribes into a political unit), and continues to be so today. The Muslims I have spoken to, or heard speak, or whose words I have read, have without exception tried to justify Muhammad’s actions and the continuation of the task of bringing all people into the Umma (the group of people submitting to the rule of Islam). This movement is widespread today and has become known as “Islamicisation” (or Islamisization, if you’re American).
When Christians and Muslims speak of the “Kingdom of God” they mean, and have always meant, vastly different things, so they should be judged differently.
— Regards,
Richard Kerr
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