Why don’t we teach migrants we are a CHRISTIAN country
by George Carey, Mailonline:
It is hard to accept – but we must – that the Middle East, the region that gave birth to our faith, could soon see the virtual extinction of Christianity.
It is all the more difficult at this time of year, when we are preparing to commemorate the story of Christ’s coming and his simple origins in what is now the Arab town of Bethlehem.
Yet the facts are these: the Christian population of the Middle East has shrunk from about seven per cent two decades ago to just 1.5 per cent today. And those that remain live in fear.
Every church in Egypt is forced to have security guards, for example. Last week’s bombing at St Mark’s cathedral in Cairo left 25 dead and many wounded.
As we look to the desperate plight of people in Aleppo, it is worth remembering that for the persecuted Christian minority in Western Aleppo, the defeat of the rebels might actually be good news – because the Islamists who have targeted them so persistently have finally lost their grip on the city.
Here in Britain, this is a time to sing O Little Town Of Bethlehem with hope and nostalgia. For those who actually live in the cradle of Christianity, however, the approach of Christmas brings fear and anxiety, as this is a time when jihadis are most likely to target them.
Yet, while Middle Eastern Christians suffer outright persecution, I am sorry to say that they also face indifference from Western countries. We are apparently careless of their plight, despite the most terrible circumstances – and wholly indifferent to the fate of Christians and Christianity within our own shores.
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