Recent Blog Posts

Blog Post Archives

Subscribe to Blog via Email (Version 1: Wordpress)

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog via Wordpress and receive notifications of new posts by email. You will receive emails every time—and as soon as—a new post is made.

Subscribe to Blog via Email (Version 2: Feedburner)

Use this link to subscribe to this blog via Feedburner and receive notifications of new posts by email:

You will receive just one email at the end of the day (around 11:00 PM Eastern Time) summarizing all the posts made during the day.

You may also use the “By Email” link in the upper right hand corner of the page.
«  
  »

This Week’s Newsletter

Posted by The Treasurer, on August 7th, 2016

Here is this week’s newsletter: St Stephens News XXVII No 29

Newsletter
«  
  »

1 comment to This Week’s Newsletter

  • The Reverend Peter Hawkins
    August 7, 2016 at 11:10 AM

    So a priest, le révérend Jacques HAMEL, 85 years of age has been assassinated in Saint Etienne du Rouvray, in nearby Normandie, by two alleged Muslim Youths of 19 years, so what is new?
    • Those of us who are close to Islam, and le révérend Jacques HAMEL was involved in dialogue with local Muslims, know that it is a violent system, and more Muslims are killed by Muslims than by anyone else. We also know that being close to Islam means that we are at risk, not by those Muslims we know and love, but by others who fear us, for we are always a threat to this system. I am interested to know why the Muslims I know and love stick with such an awful system? Is it simply from fear of being assassinated for apostasy?
    • True Shahin (is a US Citizen of Austrian Iranian parentage who lives in California) our ward is now an Atheist, and Borhan (former Iraqui Kurd and no European British Citizen), my fourth “son”, has become an Agnostic but others have not. Locally, my friend Abdul (European French Citizen born in Maroc) says he is an “Atheist” and that makes some sense.
    • There is nothing new in all this for we have Manuel II Paleologus 16 February 1391 – 21 July 1425 and a Persian scholar and recorded in a book by Manuel II (Dialogue 7 of Twenty-six Dialogues with a Persian) in which the Emperor stated: “Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.” In his book, Manuel II then continues, claiming that, “God is not pleased by blood – and not acting reasonably is contrary to God’s nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats… To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death…” Wikipedia.
    • There remains the Theological Question as to why if God is Greater Allahu Akbar it is necessary to b e violent on behalf of God?

«  
  »