August 8, 2010 5:00 PM
Patriarch Bartholomew, the leader of the Orthodox Christian Church, feels "crucified" living in Turkey under a government he says would like to see his nearly 2,000-year-old Patriarchate die out. Bob Simon reports.
Patriarch Bartholomew Feels "Crucified"
A Long and Dangerous Journey, Lion Kings, Taylor Swift 42:46 May 19, 2013
Taylor Swift: A young singer's meteoric rise 12:09 May 19, 2013
Afghan children on a long and perilous journey 12:10 May 19, 2013
A Face in the Crowd, Three Generations of Punishment, Michael Jackson 43:59 May 19, 2013
60 Minutes Overtime is a weekly web show that begins where the weekly television broadcast ends
MJ's "manifesto," penned in 1979
May 19, 2013
Backstage at Cirque du Soleil show "Immortal"
May 19, 2013
Becoming human: Shin's new life
May 19, 2013
Big changes for the 2012-2013 season! Watch the current week's episode for FREE up to a week after it airs or subscribe for access to all shows, classic episodes and more!
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Next »
See all 39 CommentsStath
One brother sided with the mother and the other with the father. To make matters worse, they lived next to each other, and the only buffer between their properties was a small stream.
One day, one of the brothers decided to purchase some lumber with the intention of erecting a 10 meter privacy fence. This strategy he reckoned, would effectively spare him from having to be reminded regularly of his brother. And so, he hired a carpenter to build the fence, and left for two weeks on a business trip, fully expecting the project to be completed upon his return. When he returned, instead of finding a fence he contracted with the carpenter to build, he found a bridge that provided easy access to both brothers' property.
Needless to say, this situation infuriated him, and he was about to phone the carpenter to inform him that he was facing a lawsuit, when he heard a knock on his front door. Putting the phone down, he opened the door and discovered his brother standing just a few feet away from him. This startled him, and threw him off balance, and he didn't know what to say. Before he could respond, his brother threw his arms around him, which functioned to thoroughly confuse him. His brother then stepped back, looked him directly in the eyes, and said, "I want to thank you."
"Thank me?..."
"Yes," he said, pointing to the bridge, "for what you did. For years now, I've been angry with you, and must confess that I've often wanted to move or put up a privacy fence so that I wouldn't have to look at you. When I noticed this bridge going up, well...at first I was ripping mad. This anger eventually gave way to some good memories that we once shared with one another, and before I knew it, I couldn't be angry anymore. So, today I'd like to ask you to forgive me."
These comments led to some mutual forgiveness, and inspired countless trips back and forth over this bridge. In fact, the trips were so frequent that the bridge eventually needed to be replaced.
Like the carpenter in the story, Christ is a bridge builder. He builds bridges between us and God, and between us and our neighbor. If we are followers of brotherly love we can accomplish these two objectives, with an emphasis on how God builds bridges between us and our neighbor.
By now, you may have already discerned that when two brothers, especially two brothers who read holy books, who claim the seed of Abraham, pray to the same God, who follow the same virtues of brotherly love, humility, kindness, forgiveness, patience and self-control as prescribed by God are combined and used together, distance that the ongoing brotherly conflict creates is more likely to be bridged. Because the truth is, life really is too short. May God richly bless his Greek and Turkish brothers and sisters.
One brother sided with the mother and the other with the father. To make matters worse, they lived next to each other, and the only buffer between their properties was a small stream.
One day, one of the brothers decided to purchase some lumber with the intention of erecting a 10 meter privacy fence. This strategy he reckoned, would effectively spare him from having to be reminded regularly of his brother. And so, he hired a carpenter to build the fence, and left for two weeks on a business trip, fully expecting the project to be completed upon his return. When he returned, instead of finding a fence he contracted with the carpenter to build, he found a bridge that provided easy access to both brothers' property.
Needless to say, this situation infuriated him, and he was about to phone the carpenter to inform him that he was facing a lawsuit, when he heard a knock on his front door. Putting the phone down, he opened the door and discovered his brother standing just a few feet away from him. This startled him, and threw him off balance, and he didn't know what to say. Before he could respond, his brother threw his arms around him, which functioned to thoroughly confuse him. His brother then stepped back, looked him directly in the eyes, and said, "I want to thank you."
"Thank me?..."
"Yes," he said, pointing to the bridge, "for what you did. For years now, I've been angry with you, and must confess that I've often wanted to move or put up a privacy fence so that I wouldn't have to look at you. When I noticed this bridge going up, well...at first I was ripping mad. This anger eventually gave way to some good memories that we once shared with one another, and before I knew it, I couldn't be angry anymore. So, today I'd like to ask you to forgive me."
These comments led to some mutual forgiveness, and inspired countless trips back and forth over this bridge. In fact, the trips were so frequent that the bridge eventually needed to be replaced.
Like the carpenter in the story, Christ is a bridge builder. He builds bridges between us and God, and between us and our neighbor. If we are followers of brotherly love we can accomplish these two objectives, with an emphasis on how God builds bridges between us and our neighbor.
By now, you may have already discerned that when two brothers, especially two brothers who read holy books, who claim the seed of Abraham, pray to the same God, who follow the same virtues of brotherly love, humility, kindness, forgiveness, patience and self-control as prescribed by God are combined and used together, distance that the ongoing brotherly conflict creates is more likely to be bridged. Because the truth is, life really is too short. May God richly bless his Greek and Turkish brothers and sisters.
In an ironic twist, as the Patriarch complains there are just 4000 Greek Orthodox remaining in Turkey my own grandmother, one of the 500,000 Greek Orthodox that remained in Turkey after the population exchanges (which by the way included sending the Turkish population of Greece to Turkey - it wasn't just a one way matter)was summarily excommunicated for marrying a secular, albeit Muslim Turk. I wonder how many other stories there are like that. In modern times, it reminds me of the question being debated in Israel over what/who constitutes a Jew and who gets to make that decision. Israel needs more Jews. Making it harder to be considered a bonafide Jew can't be helpful in the same way the Church's religious intolerance seventy years ago lost it one perhaps several Turkish Christians.
The college of cardinals is not a school. I found this reference on a message board and had to hear it for myself. This is why I have given up on the mainstream media. A bunch of sensationalist trying to sell a story...
I myself have been an American and an Orthodox Christian for my entire life and am outraged at how we are being treated in our religious homeland. That being said however, this strong opposition of the construction of a Mosque near ground zero is ridiculous and moreover wrong. From a Christian point of view, I think that this video if nothing else proves that there is absolutely no issue with this plan and anyone who opposes such a plan is hardly acting in the name of Christianity or any ideal that it supports. Jesus himself preached the golden rule, to treat others as you would like to be treated. Blocking the construction of a Mosque is no better than the people who shut down the seminary in Istanbul and oppress Orthodox Christians in their homeland. Just because the Muslims shut down our seminary and oppress our people does not give us the right or any Christian justification to oppress them back. The golden rule is given to us by Jesus for us to live by not to judge by because God is the only one who has the right to judge mankind. And that goes for any oppression of any other religion by Christians. Look into your hearts and ask yourself, what would Jesus do? Is there any place in the bible that calls for such hatred? Jesus himself did not condemn the Gentiles but rather called out to them to bring them into the light. That is what we should be focusing our energy on, not this hatred and oppression. I'm not saying we should take up a collection to support another religion, I am saying that it is not right and not Christian for us to condemn other religions as we so often do.
From an American point of view America is the land of the FREE, and always has been. That is how our country started and lately I think people are beginning to forget that in a time where National Security is so imperative. However I don?t think we should let fear override our ideals and morals. Our forefathers created our constitution on the ideals of a free nation where everyone has the freedom to Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness and I think we need to stick to these ideals. If we are not living free just and moral lives then we are not living and we will be judged either in this life or the next by God.
Everyone I beg you, please put aside your hatred. Do not be afraid because god is with us and everyone who seeks Him. Trust in the Lord and he will protect us. Now more than ever we need to stick to our morals and do what is right and what Jesus would have wanted us to do. Embrace one another whether Christian Muslim Atheist or anything else and spread the good news. Not all Muslims are terrorists and many are good people just like you and I who only need to be shown the light of god. Don't push them away but rather welcome them and show them the light just as Jesus did while preaching his ministry. Until we can put aside our hatred and act as Jesus told us to act, we are no better than the Muslims who oppress our patriarch in Istanbul and we are not fully living lives in Jesus Christ...
May the grace of god be with you and bless you
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Next »
See all 39 Comments