Catholic Archbishops have condemned the burning of a mosque effigy atop a unionist bonfire this past weekend, describing it as “grossly offensive.”
The display, which was accompanied by banners that read “End the threat of radical Islam” and “Secure our borders,” was lit up and burned ahead of the Orange Order’s marches on Sunday.
The marches are a celebration commemorating the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, where King William III (William of Orange) led the Protestants in a victory over James II and the Catholics to assert Protestant dominance.
As a result of the burning, the Catholic Archbishop of Armagh, Archbishop Eamon Martin, and the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh, Archbishop John McDowell issued a joint statement of condemnation, describing the event as “grossly offensive” while urging folks to “reflect carefully on their actions which can ignite violence against innocent people, all of whom are made in God’s image and are therefore worthy of respect and compassion.”
“Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan [Luke 10:25-37] to teach his disciples that they have a duty to those who differ from them in terms of religious belief and cultural tradition. Jesus teaches that people who differ from us are not simply to be tolerated; they are to be respected, cared for and loved.”
“The targeting of the Muslim community through crude symbols and threats of violence by sinister forces undermines these Gospel principles of respect and compassion as well as freedom of religion which is a fundamental principle of a democratic society.”
For their part, the Bonfire Association who sponsored the effigy were unapologetic, explaining on social media:
“Our display may well shock, offend or outrage others, but nonetheless it is an exercise in our rights under Article 10 of the ECHR, and we note with some irony that it is the ECHR which has so often paved the way for mass illegal immigration and a failure to deport foreign criminals who have come here unlawfully, that also now protects our right to protest in robust terms against that. If there was no uncontrolled illegal mass immigration, we would have no need to protest on this issue.
Our display expressly does **NOT** target any individual. We make that very clear. Our opposition is not to people, but rather to ideology and Government policy. Once this is appreciated, then it is very clear this is no more and no less than an act of protest, which is lawful protected expression.
..The display this year- opposing ideology and Government policy- reflects the views of many communities in Northern Ireland. It is contained in an area where there is mass community support for the protest, and is not targeted against any individual.”
5 responses to “Archbishops Condemn Mosque Effigy on Unionist Bonfire as ‘Grossly Offensive’”
They have flipped the parable of the Good Samaritan completely backwards and upside down, in an effort to remove the one dividing line that God has instituted for all time and immovable. The entire point of it is that the Good Samaritan did NOT differ in terms of beliefs concerning what God says is right and wrong, but only differed in ways that are not sinful such as ethnicity. And to also point out the fact that those who call themselves God’s people, but who would be one who passes by, are a total disgrace and are NOT His people – ignoring what God has said it is right and wrong, ignoring the moral law, and failing to do what God says to do, to fulfill obligations to Him.
It’s not about the mere general fact that people differ. It’s about WHY people differ. Notice who passed the man by. A priest. A Levite. The further explanation of the two greatest commandments (which is the context of the parable), and the importance of first loving the Lord, is given in 1 John 5:2-5.
It’s about the GOOD in “Good Samaritan”.
And there is no goodness in the muslims. If they fit anywhere into the parable, they would be the ones who beat and robbed the man and left him for dead.
It’s about sin. It’s about God’s one and only one dividing line. We divide as God says to divide, according to what is sin and what isn’t. And it points to the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the corruption and wickedness resultant from the sin of Adam, as well as the final judgment and division, according to the “difference” that God says matters, for all of eternity.
The parable does indeed perfectly apply, but not in the way they claim. It is an indictment on them. The “priests”, both Anglican and Catholic, who are passing by the ones who’ve been beaten and robbed (and raped and murdered). They not only pass by, but they turn around and blame the ones who were beaten and robbed (and raped and murdered), take the side of the thieves and defend them as if they were the victims, because the thieves are “different” …
They call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). They justify wickedness and condemn righteousness (Prov. 17:15).
And so they HATE their neighbor (NEIGHBOR) who was beaten and robbed (and raped and murdered).
Then there are the self-absorbed ridiculers and scoffers, and the “priesthood” (pharisees) with the mindset (and heart-set) of “tekton too” (who will no doubt throw a hissy fit again because I posted one too many sentences), who would briefly pause while passing by just long enough to kick the man in the ribs for committing the grievous “sin” of falling in the road, being an inconvenience, and making his “royal majesty, cinderella, tekton too” have to take a step sideways (or scroll a little bit down the page) …
The archbishops are grossly offended at this yet remain silent on the raping and pillaging and murder by illegals …..
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