Jesus's tomb in Jerusalem undergoes restoration work

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

Jesus's tomb in Jerusalem undergoes restoration work

6 June 2016 Middle East

A team of experts has begun restoring the ancient tomb in Jerusalem where Christians believe Jesus was buried in the first such works for 200 years.

The renovation in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre aims to reinforce and conserve the structure.

Rivalry between the three denominations that run the church has delayed work.

But clerics from the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian churches have put aside their differences, recognising the need to begin repairs.

The work will focus on the Edicule, the ancient chamber housing Jesus's tomb which Christians say stands above the spot where Jesus's body was anointed, wrapped in cloth and buried.

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Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36464410


[font size=1]The last restoration work on Jesus's tomb was in 1801 after a fire[/font]

[guillaumeb]

1. Recommended.

But clerics from the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian churches have put aside their differences, recognising the need to begin repairs.

Shared belief overcame doctrinal differences. Living the Word.

[billymike]

3. Lovely.

Thank you.

[Act_of_Reparation]

5. "Shared belief overcame doctrinal differences"

Only after they pounded the shit out of each other during a goddamned mass... and, you know, let the shrine go to shit for two hundred years while they were busy pissing all over each other's shoes.

[trotsky]

6. Oh you and your silly facts and history.

Can't we just ignore all of that and pretend that religion is all love and flowers and unicorn farts?

[Act_of_Reparation]

7. Yes, you're right.

The sooner we forget that up until fifteen minutes ago, these people were ready to stomp each others' guts out for no intelligible reason whatsoever, the sooner we can get back to congratulating them profusely behaving like everyone else on the face of the planet is expected to behave.

"Oh, look! Little Johnny didn't punch Jimmy in the face in the supermarket this morning! Let's give him a cookie!" said no one ever.

[rug]

9. Oh there's a couple big ones let loose in this thread. hey're not fromunicorns.

[Silver_Witch]

26. So true so very true!

[guillaumeb]

8. I was actually speaking about this particular incident.

The actual subject of the post.

Perhaps I should have made that more clear.

[Act_of_Reparation]

10. It was clear.

I'm saying it's absolutely crazygonuts to congratulate these clowns for a moment of... not even good behavior, but normal behavior... when in the aggregate, they've behaved like a bunch of sectarian asshats.

[guillaumeb]

12. Is it easier to make allies by name calling or by agreeing with their actions

when they do act well?

[Act_of_Reparation]

13. Have you considered the possibility you might not want these people as allies?

Or maybe that they don't want to be your ally?

[guillaumeb]

15. No. I believe that every effort should be made to promote dialogue.

Dialogue can lead to understanding. Not always, and not always agreement, but understanding.

[Act_of_Reparation]

21. And I don't.

I learned a long time ago that not everyone on the face of the earth is worthy of being my friend, and I want nothing whatsoever to do with a cadre of backward god botherers so absorbed in their contempt for each other that they can't even maintain a single fucking church without coming to blows. It's 2016. They should know better. Until they learn to act their age, they're not welcome at my table.

[Silver_Witch]

28. Standing ovation!!

[guillaumeb]

38. Do you only speak with people with whom you 100% agree?

Dialogue can lead to progress.

[Act_of_Reparation]

39. I'm speaking with you, aren't I?

So obviously that's not the case.

[guillaumeb]

40. My question was rhetorical.

Since I am a believer and we are having a dialogue it is obvious that some people can discuss things on which there is great disagreement.

I believe in encouraging good behavior when it is possible. Not every believer wants to engage in dialogue with non-believers. That is their shortsightedness.

[Act_of_Reparation]

46. You said that already.

I disagreed.

[trotsky]

16. When they act "well" by your meaning of the word, that is.

They might have another idea of what "well" should mean. What then?

[guillaumeb]

17. When they act cooperatively is what I could have said.

When they realize that cooperation can accomplish things.

[trotsky]

18. Still doesn't address the problem.

Cooperate on what?

Look, I'm well aware that you think religion is always pure and noble and good (and matching precisely what you think those words mean), and that only people veering away from 'true' religion do bad things. That much has been obvious from your posts.

[guillaumeb]

19. You need to work on your perception.

Religion is organized or group belief. Religion is not synonymous with the actions of any one individual believer.

By their actions shall you know them is a great guideline.

[trotsky]

23. "Religion is not synonymous with the actions of any one individual believer."

Whether those actions are bad OR good. That's what you don't understand.

But we can look at individual teachings of a religion - we can study its "holy" books, and associated materials, and identify which ideas are good, and which are bad, can we not?

[rug]

24. You have a remarkably peculiar and uninformed view of religion and religious people.

That's a kind assessment.

[guillaumeb]

41. Each individual can study and reach individual conclusions.

[trotsky]

42. And so the people who study and reach the conclusion that they need to kill unbelievers...? n/t

[guillaumeb]

43. And so the politicians who study and reach the conclusion that they need to kill

others in the so-called "war on terror"? These politicians use terror as a tactic in the never ending war on terror.

Just as the US used nuclear weapons against Japanese civilians as punishment for Japan targeting a US military base that was not even located in the US?

Just as the Chinese and Russian dictators killed millions in pursuit of a revolutionary, atheistic paradise?

What is your solution to these problems?

[trotsky]

44. No, this is your standard tactic when you lose. Not letting you bail out this time.

We're in the religion group. This discussion is about religion. The primary criticism you return to again and again and again, whenever anyone criticizes any features of religion - particularly Islam - is that they are somehow condemning all Muslims when they point out that there are bad ideas in Islam. Not to mention that whenever any Muslim does something bad which they say is in accordance with their religion, you insist that they are wrong. As if you have the world's only perfect understanding of what Islam is supposed to be.

I've walked you down a path that exposes the severe faults in your arguments. Address my questions, or once again just run away. Your choice.

[guillaumeb]

49. In your world you are the sole decider and the official questioner.

An interesting tactic that allows you to always set the terms of the debate. If you see this as always giving you a victory of some sort you are welcome to your feelings. Self esteem is necessary.

Certain people in the religion forum constantly search out news items to support their predetermined and unchangeable belief that religion is bad. That is a simplistic, reductionistic idea but it does allow its practitioners to always claim a victory in the discussion because these people insist on controlling the terms and limits of the discussion.

Islam is merely the latest target of these types.

To put it at its simplest, an apparent necessity for dealing with some people: ANY BELIEF SYSTEM, RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL, PHILOSPOHICAL, CAN BE AND HAS BEEN ABUSED.

Second, if these people could ever admit that religious belief systems can also be a force for good I might believe that these people were really interested in a substantive discussion. But I rarely see such an admission, which tells me all I need to know about the good faith of such arguments and their proponents.

[rug]

45. He doesn't have solutions, just selective problems.

[hrmjustin]

2. He is Risen! I hope it goes well!

[cleanhippie]

20. Oh no! ZOMBIES!!!!

[rug]

22. Oh no! TROLLS!!!!

[Warren Stupidity]

25. Zombie. Only one. And really nobody here is a literalist

so they don't believe that the ridiculous goofy shit in their holy books actually happened but that instead the text is a set of secret messages that have to be passed through special decoder rings obtained in certain cereal boxes.

Although on reflection at least one account of the rising had all the dead of Jerusalem joining in the party, so I take it back.

ZOMBIES!

[cleanhippie]

30. Indeed, an entire dead population also rose back to life, and no one ever talks about that at all!

Last edited Thu Jun 9, 2016, 10:37 AM - Edit history (1)

[hrmjustin]

31. .

[cleanhippie]

32. My thought, exactly.

[hrmjustin]

33. No doubt.

[cleanhippie]

34. Don't Speak

[Act_of_Reparation]

35. Ska sucks

[cleanhippie]

36. Not when there's a Party at Ground Zero!

[hrmjustin]

37. Nice song.

[edhopper]

4. Oh?

That place they conned Helena into thinking there was actually a special crypt for Jesus, like in the Bible.

Not an older Temple the Christians appropriated.

[Act_of_Reparation]

11. You mean the temple to Aphrodite Hadrian constructed to "hide the burial site of Jesus"?

I guess there's an Alex Jones for every time and place. Maybe a thousand years from now, people will make pilgrimages to Texas to glut themselves on cheap beer and beef barbeque while wearing tinfoil on their heads.

[edhopper]

14. Yeah

that's the one

[Silver_Witch]

27. There is no evidence that such a man ever lived!

And the wars waged over this site would have shamed him if he did! Religion candy for those to afraid to live free from the shackles of authority!

[6chars]

29. This church is amazing

Beautiful and fascinating.

[Brettongarcia]

47. If Jesus is inside the sepulchre, he didn't ascend...

To heaven.

Some in fact say Jesus was buried inside. In fact it seems there was a skeleton inside.

Others believe something different.

[Iggo]

48. Are those the same geniuses arguing over who's ladder that is?