Priests fight at Jesus' tomb

[n2doc]

Christians clash at Jesus' tomb on Orthodox Palm Sunday
By SARAH EL DEEB | Associated Press Writer
1:49 PM CDT, April 20, 2008


JERUSALEM - Dozens of Greek and Armenian priests and worshippers exchanged blows at one of Christianity's holiest shrines on Orthodox Palm Sunday, and used palm fronds to pummel police who tried to break up the brawl.

The fight came amid growing rivalry over religious rights at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built over the site in Jerusalem where tradition says Jesus was buried and resurrected.

It erupted when Armenian clergy kicked out a Greek priest from their midst, pushed him to the ground and kicked him, according to witnesses.

When police intervened, some worshippers hit them with the palm fronds they were holding for the religious holiday. The Eastern Orthodox churches, including the Armenians and Greek Orthodox, follow a different calendar from Western Christians and celebrate Easter next Sunday.

more:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-israel-clashing-christians,0,3613113.story

Prince of peace, indeed...

[swag]

1. Thank you, God, for your healing gift of religion.

[quip]

12. What more proof do we need that all religion is ridiculous?

[spoony]

52. Well clearly posting one story invalidates the entire thing

:eyes:

[quip]

62. Thank God; now we can all move on religion free!

[roguevalley]

63. not religion. just the more obtuse practicianers. (that is misspelled

I am sure) :+

[quip]

64. Nobody is perfect; everyone is obtuse every now and then.

Even religious leaders.

[stevedeshazer]

23. Boy Howdy

Ain't that the truth.

[mike_c]

2. this thread really is worthless without pictures....

Priests fighting with palm fronds! :rofl:

[sandnsea]

3. lol, you are so bad

I was all frought with disappointment in the behavior of holy men - until I read your post and spit coffee out my mouth. for shame.

[XemaSab]

4. That was my reaction

Bonus points if they're wearing cassocks. :D

[n2doc]

15. Your wish is granted...

Worshippers reportedly tried to fend off police using palm fronds




http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7357496.stm

[Contrary1]

19. OK...just remember, you asked for it.

Classified photos from the priest uprising in Jerusalem, hereafter referred to as 4/20

Current threat level yet to be determined:




Pandemonium breaks out as rival tribes clash. Many police officers were reported to be in critical condition after being palmed mercilessly:




An undercover officer of Jesusland Security discovers a hidden stash of PMD's:




PMD's confiscated from the insurgents are displayed for the press:




In his haste to flee security forces, one of the renegade priests leaves behind his helmet:

[coriolis]

27. Somebody needs to beat the shit out of them with olive branches.

:eyes:

[pnorman]

58. I was just getting ready to excerpt:

"some worshippers hit them with the palm fronds they were holding for the religious holiday", and make a suitable comment. But you beat me to the punch! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

pnorman

[Richard Steele]

5. Man, I'll bet Jesus is spinning in his grave.

:hide:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

6. I'm a betting LaBamba

I'm taking the Armenian. They can whup the Greeks any day. Even in dresses.

[silverlib]

7. Did this happen on 4/20?

I really hope they have a good excuse!

Oops - couldn't happen if they were celebrating 4/20 instead of Easter. (and yes I'm Christian, just not the kind that would kick out a priest and beat him with Christian ornaments.)

[knitter4democracy]

46. Our calendar's different.

We never changed to the Julian, so today's Palm Sunday for us.

[peekaloo]

8. "What Jesus fails to appreciate is that it's the meek who are the problem"

We need you Brian.

[kath]

18. BWAH! I *love* Life of Brian, but I'd forgotten that line.

Thanks!

[peekaloo]

59. no pwobwem

fiwst thing that came to mind. ;-)

[scarletwoman]

9. Prelates Gone Wild!

How long 'til the video is up at YouTube?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

10. if god were alive today s/he would be an atheist.

i believe thats from vonnegut

[FloridaJudy]

11. I would *pay* to see this!

Where is someone with a video phone and a YouTube account when we need them? Assault with a deadly palm frond! Though those things can give you wicked paper cuts.

[Warpy]

13. I can't look down my long blue Buddhist nose at this one

because there was a story a year or so ago about Buddhist monks from different monasteries representing different sects in Thailand getting into a physical altercation as they passed each other in the street.

Violence over nothing isn't limited to religion. It infects differing philosophical opinions, too, as well as something as banal as rooting for different corporate sports teams.

The monks, however, were disrobed and sent packing from their respective monasteries.

I doubt anything will happen to the priests.

[matcom]

14. I smell a STEEL CAGE MATCH coming!

:rofl:

Best.Thread.EVAH!

[kentuck]

16. That's very Christian of them...

:shrug:

[Fox Mulder]

17. I would totally pay to watch that on Pay Per View.

[rurallib]

20. Is Bush sending in troops or don't they have oil?

[Turbineguy]

21. "Gentlemen

you can't fight in here. This is the war room."

[malaise]

22. This is seriously funny

:rofl:

[undeterred]

24. This sounds like its straight out of the Onion.

[stevedeshazer]

25. Best fight since Tonya Harding vs. Paula Jones

[TexasProgresive]

26. This happened 6 weeks ago

Why is it news now?
Britney and Paris being too quiet?

[Contrary1]

28. Orthodox Palm Sunday...Today n/t

[TexasProgresive]

39. My bad - but they got into it a few months ago- see below

I guess I was remembering this incident which was near Christmas and in Bethlehem with the one following in Jerusalem. Both incidents involving Armenian and Greeks.

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) 12/28/2007 -- Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests attacked each other with brooms and stones inside the Church of the Nativity as long-standing rivalries erupted in violence during holiday cleaning on Thursday.

The clean-up turned ugly after some of the Orthodox faithful stepped inside the Armenian church's section.

The basilica, built over the grotto in Bethlehem where Christians believe Jesus was born, is administered jointly by Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic authorities.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/12/27/clashing.clergy.ap/

JERUSALEM-04/20/2008: Dozens of Greek and Armenian priests and worshippers exchanged blows in Christianity's holiest shrine on Palm Sunday, and pummeled police with palm fronds when they tried to break up the brawl.

The fight is part of a growing rivalry over religious rights at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built over the site where tradition says Jesus was buried and resurrected. It erupted when Armenian clergy kicked out a Greek priest from their midst, pushed him to the ground and kicked him, according to witnesses.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/20/africa/ME-GEN-Israel-Clergy-Fight.php

[Canuckistanian]

29. My money's on the Armenians

They're scrappy - and pound for pound, they've got real heart.

[scarletwoman]

30. I think it depends on the size of their palm fronds.

[coriolis]

31. With fronds like that, who needs anemones?

:D
:rofl:
:evilgrin:

[scarletwoman]

32. OMG! You are SO going to hell!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Killer post! :yourock:

[coriolis]

36. Heehee....I wish I could remember who I stole that from...a very long time ago!

:D

[Rosemary2205]

55. That was GOOD......... er uh, bad........

LOL :)

[Fleshdancer]

33. The first rule of Jesus fight club is

you don't talk about Jesus fight club.

[Prefer]

34. There is an ethopian village on the roof

A long time ago they claimed thehe Ethopians papers of twere contaminated with the plague, so they burned the papers and then locked them out. So the men had to move to the roof.

Fighting is not unheard of there.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/07/30/wmonk30.xml

[Steven_S]

35. I would bet on the Armenians...

But the Greeks would take it from behind. :evilgrin:

[libodem]

37. Blessed be the Peacemaker

and 'Turn the other cheek', my ass!

[AlCzervik]

38. what's the first rule about Priests fight club?

[Solly Mack]

40. my frond and my staff , they pummel you

[Jack Sprat]

41. Don't you recognize a WWF event when you see one?

Ric Flair was probably dressed in priest garb wielding one of those palm fronds. He would have used a metal folding chair, but the scene called for something less violent and more reverent.

[Crabby Appleton]

42. My priest can kick your priest's ass!!11!!

[pleah]

43. Real Christian love coming across with these asshats!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Pierre.Suave]

44. Didn't I see this in a movie once...

I swear I did...

[knitter4democracy]

45. Again?!

It's way beyond freakin' time to get the patriarchs involved, clean house at the church and get all new staff there, and work out a better way. It's Palm Sunday, for crying out loud!

[SalmonChantedEvening]

47. There weren't any stonings, were there?

:smoke:

[uppityperson]

48. Pummeled with a Palm Frond! The Indignity!!!!!

[pokerfan]

49. Reminds me of a story

I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump. I ran over and said: "Stop. Don't do it."

"Why shouldn't I?" he asked.

"Well, there's so much to live for!"

"Like what?"

"Are you religious?"

He said, "Yes."

I said, "Me too. Are you Christian or Buddhist?"

"Christian."

"Me too. Are you Catholic or Protestant?"

"Protestant."

"Me too. Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?"

"Baptist."

"Wow. Me too. Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?"

"Baptist Church of God."

"Me too. Are you original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?"

"Reformed Baptist Church of God."

"Me too. Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915?"

He said: "Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915."

I said: "Die, heretic scum," and pushed him off.

[Blue_Tires]

57. lol

I heard Garrison Kellior tell that one once....of course he had about 10 more minutes of questions...

[Duer 157099]

50. I think they must have been watching Big Brother and were inspired by Team Christ

No doubt.

[bushmeister0]

51. These clerics aren't like those "radical clerics" like those damn Islamofacsists, though.

They're naturally prone to violence, beheading etc. No ever lost their head with a palm fronds.

[tavalon]

53. Ah, sweet irony.

[Rosemary2205]

54. Didn't Carlos Mencia already do this? Stone Cold was the ref I think.

bunch of religious icons in a wrasslin match. I think Mother Teresa won.

[EstimatedProphet]

56. Priestfight!

Priests! Beating each other!

[Javaman]

60. Let's get reeeeeeady to Ruuuuuuuuuumbllllllle!!!!! nt

[Dorian Gray]

61. Didn't they get into a broom fight

a few months ago, too?

(That church is shared by three churches: The Catholic, The Greek Orthodox and the Armenian Orthodox.)

It's ridiculous.