DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - The Cross has been banned in school, a sign of the times?

**DF9sLGSU** · 09-22-2006, 06:17 AM

I had not planned to post here, since Pope Benedict's speech has been taken up on another thread, and the reaction to it really is a sign of our times, but I had a conversation today that I would like to share with others on this site.

The Coptic Chaplain at my University (yes, we do have one, as we do a Greek Orthodox - and an Imam) was asked by two students whether he was Osama bin Laden, presumably because of his complexion and beard. As a monk, he was in clerical garb, which, as he pointed out to his interlocutors, included a very large silver pectoral crucifix. The students looked puzzled and very politely asked what it was. He told them, and they asked what it signified. He said 'Christ crucified', to which they seemed none the wiser. He then explained what that meant.

Being a very nice man, he confined himself to asking me how it was that in a Christian country such as the UK, two University students could be so ignorant of the Faith which, in his home country, is held at the risk of persecution.

I would like to have had a decent answer, but could only say that he was mistaken in thinking that the UK was a Christian country.

A depresing sign of the times, I fear.

In Christ

John

09-22-2006, 06:17 AM	#29
DF9sLGSU Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 438 Senior Member	I had not planned to post here, since Pope Benedict's speech has been taken up on another thread, and the reaction to it really is a sign of our times, but I had a conversation today that I would like to share with others on this site. The Coptic Chaplain at my University (yes, we do have one, as we do a Greek Orthodox - and an Imam) was asked by two students whether he was Osama bin Laden, presumably because of his complexion and beard. As a monk, he was in clerical garb, which, as he pointed out to his interlocutors, included a very large silver pectoral crucifix. The students looked puzzled and very politely asked what it was. He told them, and they asked what it signified. He said 'Christ crucified', to which they seemed none the wiser. He then explained what that meant. Being a very nice man, he confined himself to asking me how it was that in a Christian country such as the UK, two University students could be so ignorant of the Faith which, in his home country, is held at the risk of persecution. I would like to have had a decent answer, but could only say that he was mistaken in thinking that the UK was a Christian country. A depresing sign of the times, I fear. In Christ John
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