I’m Arab and Christian- why are people always so surprised ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think some people understand that Muslim countries still have pockets of Christians and sometimes up to million to a million and a half Christians.

Some of the Christians in Muslim countries come from very, very ancient sects.

The title of your post is misleading. Most Christians in the Middle East are not Arab but rather Assyrian, Copt, Armenian, Greek, Chaldean, Aramaic (Syriacs), and Phoenician (as many Lebanese Christians identify).
But you are right, they are very ancient communities. The hatred and persecution they have suffered and continue to suffer from the Arabs is wholly tragic. Pope Francis has often brought attention to this.

OP here. Christians in the Arab countries of the Middle East are Arabs! I know many Lebanese Christians who will tell me - in plain Arabic - they are not Arab, they are Pheonician. Several DNA studies have shown that both Lebanese Muslims and Christians are descendant from the Phoenicians but somehow Lebanese Christian’s want to distance themselves from the Arabs because of the common misconception than Arabs are mostly Muslim.

LOL.
I’ll take their word regarding what they are over yours. Go label someone else.

I am Coptic and I tell people my parents are Egyptian. People barely understand where Egypt is, much less what Coptic means and I’m not getting into sectarian divides with acquaintances and strangers.

You have to remember that the Lebanese went through a very traumatic sectarian war recently and many people from these other groups faced really heinous treatment from the Muslim majority and thus refuse to identify as Arabs. A lot of Coptic people refuse to identify as Arab as well but I find it somewhat silly. My parents have more in common with a Lebanese Muslim than an American baptist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm white and nothing. I have no idea why people think I'm Christian. I have no idea what Christian is.
I even had to fill in my religion when I came here in 1996. I asked the people who were helping me what religion I was. They told me I may be Lutheran. People just make crap up.

Where is here? Who asked you your religion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get that the large majority of Arabs are Muslim .. but he was Jesus of Nazareth, not Jesus of New Jersey!

People in USA don't believe Jesus was any kind of Semite. He was white like us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think some people understand that Muslim countries still have pockets of Christians and sometimes up to million to a million and a half Christians.

Some of the Christians in Muslim countries come from very, very ancient sects.

The title of your post is misleading. Most Christians in the Middle East are not Arab but rather Assyrian, Copt, Armenian, Greek, Chaldean, Aramaic (Syriacs), and Phoenician (as many Lebanese Christians identify).
But you are right, they are very ancient communities. The hatred and persecution they have suffered and continue to suffer from the Arabs is wholly tragic. Pope Francis has often brought attention to this.

OP here. Christians in the Arab countries of the Middle East are Arabs! I know many Lebanese Christians who will tell me - in plain Arabic - they are not Arab, they are Pheonician. Several DNA studies have shown that both Lebanese Muslims and Christians are descendant from the Phoenicians but somehow Lebanese Christian’s want to distance themselves from the Arabs because of the common misconception than Arabs are mostly Muslim.

Of course. It’s just like how there are many Iranian-Americans who will tell you that they are Persian. They do not support the current government and/or religion and don’t want to be associated with it.

It’s not a misconception that Arabs are mostly Muslim, it is an absolute reality based on data. Over 90% of Arabs are Muslims.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think some people understand that Muslim countries still have pockets of Christians and sometimes up to million to a million and a half Christians.

Some of the Christians in Muslim countries come from very, very ancient sects.

The title of your post is misleading. Most Christians in the Middle East are not Arab but rather Assyrian, Copt, Armenian, Greek, Chaldean, Aramaic (Syriacs), and Phoenician (as many Lebanese Christians identify).
But you are right, they are very ancient communities. The hatred and persecution they have suffered and continue to suffer from the Arabs is wholly tragic. Pope Francis has often brought attention to this.

OP here. Christians in the Arab countries of the Middle East are Arabs! I know many Lebanese Christians who will tell me - in plain Arabic - they are not Arab, they are Pheonician. Several DNA studies have shown that both Lebanese Muslims and Christians are descendant from the Phoenicians but somehow Lebanese Christian’s want to distance themselves from the Arabs because of the common misconception than Arabs are mostly Muslim.

LOL.
I’ll take their word regarding what they are over yours. Go label someone else.

I am Coptic and I tell people my parents are Egyptian. People barely understand where Egypt is, much less what Coptic means and I’m not getting into sectarian divides with acquaintances and strangers.

You have to remember that the Lebanese went through a very traumatic sectarian war recently and many people from these other groups faced really heinous treatment from the Muslim majority and thus refuse to identify as Arabs. A lot of Coptic people refuse to identify as Arab as well but I find it somewhat silly. My parents have more in common with a Lebanese Muslim than an American baptist.

In the recent past Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan all have brutally oppressed their Christian minorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FYI, Zionists/Israel need the people to think what's going on is "religious" so they can get dumb Americans to associate anyone Palestinian w/ screaming about "infidels." Meanwhile, the oldest churches in Christianity have been protected by Palestinian Muslims for over 1000yrs. Two Palestinian Muslim families for over 850 years have actually been the peacekeepers among the Christian factions for the Holy Church of the Sepulchre - they keep the keys for the Church. Look it up, it's actually a fascinating story. Palestinian Christians and Muslims are brethren who both live under occupation. They are brethren who serve in govt together.

Bob Simon actually did a 60 Minutes piece on the abuse faced by Palestinian Christians which Israel attempted to keep from being aired. Even he saw what israel had become...and this was over a decade ago.

Let’s be honest here. It’s not possible to claim with a straight face that religion is not involved in the Palestinian conflicts when there is video of Palestinian combatants chanting Allahu Akbar when kidnapping, raping, and murdering families. Of course there is a significant religious component to what is going on when people are commanded by god to murder all infidels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FYI, Zionists/Israel need the people to think what's going on is "religious" so they can get dumb Americans to associate anyone Palestinian w/ screaming about "infidels." Meanwhile, the oldest churches in Christianity have been protected by Palestinian Muslims for over 1000yrs. Two Palestinian Muslim families for over 850 years have actually been the peacekeepers among the Christian factions for the Holy Church of the Sepulchre - they keep the keys for the Church. Look it up, it's actually a fascinating story. Palestinian Christians and Muslims are brethren who both live under occupation. They are brethren who serve in govt together.

Bob Simon actually did a 60 Minutes piece on the abuse faced by Palestinian Christians which Israel attempted to keep from being aired. Even he saw what israel had become...and this was over a decade ago.

Let’s be honest here. It’s not possible to claim with a straight face that religion is not involved in the Palestinian conflicts when there is video of Palestinian combatants chanting Allahu Akbar when kidnapping, raping, and murdering families. Of course there is a significant religious component to what is going on when people are commanded by god to murder all infidels.

And videos of Israeli ministers of Knesset claiming dominion over Palestine in Gods name while proposing to kill all the Gazans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FYI, Zionists/Israel need the people to think what's going on is "religious" so they can get dumb Americans to associate anyone Palestinian w/ screaming about "infidels." Meanwhile, the oldest churches in Christianity have been protected by Palestinian Muslims for over 1000yrs. Two Palestinian Muslim families for over 850 years have actually been the peacekeepers among the Christian factions for the Holy Church of the Sepulchre - they keep the keys for the Church. Look it up, it's actually a fascinating story. Palestinian Christians and Muslims are brethren who both live under occupation. They are brethren who serve in govt together.

Bob Simon actually did a 60 Minutes piece on the abuse faced by Palestinian Christians which Israel attempted to keep from being aired. Even he saw what israel had become...and this was over a decade ago.

Let’s be honest here. It’s not possible to claim with a straight face that religion is not involved in the Palestinian conflicts when there is video of Palestinian combatants chanting Allahu Akbar when kidnapping, raping, and murdering families. Of course there is a significant religious component to what is going on when people are commanded by god to murder all infidels.

And videos of Israeli ministers of Knesset claiming dominion over Palestine in Gods name while proposing to kill all the Gazans.

I thought religion wasn’t involved here? Get your story straight comrade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think some people understand that Muslim countries still have pockets of Christians and sometimes up to million to a million and a half Christians.

Some of the Christians in Muslim countries come from very, very ancient sects.

The title of your post is misleading. Most Christians in the Middle East are not Arab but rather Assyrian, Copt, Armenian, Greek, Chaldean, Aramaic (Syriacs), and Phoenician (as many Lebanese Christians identify).
But you are right, they are very ancient communities. The hatred and persecution they have suffered and continue to suffer from the Arabs is wholly tragic. Pope Francis has often brought attention to this.

OP here. Christians in the Arab countries of the Middle East are Arabs! I know many Lebanese Christians who will tell me - in plain Arabic - they are not Arab, they are Pheonician. Several DNA studies have shown that both Lebanese Muslims and Christians are descendant from the Phoenicians but somehow Lebanese Christian’s want to distance themselves from the Arabs because of the common misconception than Arabs are mostly Muslim.

I’m confused. Are you saying that Lebanese Christians are wrong about how they self-identify? And why do you think they “somehow” want to distinguish themselves?

Anyway the actual answer to your question is that there are a very small number of Arabs in the US and an even smaller proportion of them are Christian. So most Americans will never meet a Christian Arab.

This is actually false. The majority of Arab Americans, in fact, Christians. I believe the numbers were roughly 60% Christian to 40% Muslim or other denominations. So in the US if you meet an Arab, they are more likely to be Christian.
The Muslim population in the US is primarily comprised of the Asian (Indian, Pakistani, SE Asian, etc) community, though of course the number of Arab Muslim immigrants has increased in recent years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think some people understand that Muslim countries still have pockets of Christians and sometimes up to million to a million and a half Christians.

Some of the Christians in Muslim countries come from very, very ancient sects.

The title of your post is misleading. Most Christians in the Middle East are not Arab but rather Assyrian, Copt, Armenian, Greek, Chaldean, Aramaic (Syriacs), and Phoenician (as many Lebanese Christians identify).
But you are right, they are very ancient communities. The hatred and persecution they have suffered and continue to suffer from the Arabs is wholly tragic. Pope Francis has often brought attention to this.

OP here. Christians in the Arab countries of the Middle East are Arabs! I know many Lebanese Christians who will tell me - in plain Arabic - they are not Arab, they are Pheonician. Several DNA studies have shown that both Lebanese Muslims and Christians are descendant from the Phoenicians but somehow Lebanese Christian’s want to distance themselves from the Arabs because of the common misconception than Arabs are mostly Muslim.

I’m confused. Are you saying that Lebanese Christians are wrong about how they self-identify? And why do you think they “somehow” want to distinguish themselves?

Anyway the actual answer to your question is that there are a very small number of Arabs in the US and an even smaller proportion of them are Christian. So most Americans will never meet a Christian Arab.

This is actually false. The majority of Arab Americans, in fact, Christians. I believe the numbers were roughly 60% Christian to 40% Muslim or other denominations. So in the US if you meet an Arab, they are more likely to be Christian.
The Muslim population in the US is primarily comprised of the Asian (Indian, Pakistani, SE Asian, etc) community, though of course the number of Arab Muslim immigrants has increased in recent years.

See - https://www.arabnews.com/node/1208576

https://web.archive.org/web/20060601221810/http://www.aaiusa.org/arab-americans/22/demographics

Christian Arabs are 60% of total Arab Americans in the US. Obviously, that is not true for Arabs worldwide, but in the US Christians are the majority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think some people understand that Muslim countries still have pockets of Christians and sometimes up to million to a million and a half Christians.

Some of the Christians in Muslim countries come from very, very ancient sects.

The title of your post is misleading. Most Christians in the Middle East are not Arab but rather Assyrian, Copt, Armenian, Greek, Chaldean, Aramaic (Syriacs), and Phoenician (as many Lebanese Christians identify).
But you are right, they are very ancient communities. The hatred and persecution they have suffered and continue to suffer from the Arabs is wholly tragic. Pope Francis has often brought attention to this.

OP here. Christians in the Arab countries of the Middle East are Arabs! I know many Lebanese Christians who will tell me - in plain Arabic - they are not Arab, they are Pheonician. Several DNA studies have shown that both Lebanese Muslims and Christians are descendant from the Phoenicians but somehow Lebanese Christian’s want to distance themselves from the Arabs because of the common misconception than Arabs are mostly Muslim.

LOL.
I’ll take their word regarding what they are over yours. Go label someone else.

I am Coptic and I tell people my parents are Egyptian. People barely understand where Egypt is, much less what Coptic means and I’m not getting into sectarian divides with acquaintances and strangers.

You have to remember that the Lebanese went through a very traumatic sectarian war recently and many people from these other groups faced really heinous treatment from the Muslim majority and thus refuse to identify as Arabs. A lot of Coptic people refuse to identify as Arab as well but I find it somewhat silly. My parents have more in common with a Lebanese Muslim than an American baptist.

In the recent past Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan all have brutally oppressed their Christian minorities.

Please give examples. This is the second time you have alleged this and you cited it as the reason for Christian emigration. If Christians were so oppressed in that area, why did so many Armenians emigrate to the Middle East when facing persecution in Turkey?

FYI, neither Christian nor Muslim Arabs were big fans of the Ottomans; Christians were not singled out by Ottoman authorities.

In fact, Christian emigration from the Levant began in the 19th century for economic reasons. You can see this especially in the last names of prominent people from South America.

But you see it here too. For example the Sununus of New Hampshire, whom I am sure our "I've never met a Christian Arab" poster does not recognize as Arab.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think some people understand that Muslim countries still have pockets of Christians and sometimes up to million to a million and a half Christians.

Some of the Christians in Muslim countries come from very, very ancient sects.

The title of your post is misleading. Most Christians in the Middle East are not Arab but rather Assyrian, Copt, Armenian, Greek, Chaldean, Aramaic (Syriacs), and Phoenician (as many Lebanese Christians identify).
But you are right, they are very ancient communities. The hatred and persecution they have suffered and continue to suffer from the Arabs is wholly tragic. Pope Francis has often brought attention to this.

OP here. Christians in the Arab countries of the Middle East are Arabs! I know many Lebanese Christians who will tell me - in plain Arabic - they are not Arab, they are Pheonician. Several DNA studies have shown that both Lebanese Muslims and Christians are descendant from the Phoenicians but somehow Lebanese Christian’s want to distance themselves from the Arabs because of the common misconception than Arabs are mostly Muslim.

LOL.
I’ll take their word regarding what they are over yours. Go label someone else.

I am Coptic and I tell people my parents are Egyptian. People barely understand where Egypt is, much less what Coptic means and I’m not getting into sectarian divides with acquaintances and strangers.

You have to remember that the Lebanese went through a very traumatic sectarian war recently and many people from these other groups faced really heinous treatment from the Muslim majority and thus refuse to identify as Arabs. A lot of Coptic people refuse to identify as Arab as well but I find it somewhat silly. My parents have more in common with a Lebanese Muslim than an American baptist.

In the recent past Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan all have brutally oppressed their Christian minorities.

Please give examples. This is the second time you have alleged this and you cited it as the reason for Christian emigration. If Christians were so oppressed in that area, why did so many Armenians emigrate to the Middle East when facing persecution in Turkey?

FYI, neither Christian nor Muslim Arabs were big fans of the Ottomans; Christians were not singled out by Ottoman authorities.

In fact, Christian emigration from the Levant began in the 19th century for economic reasons. You can see this especially in the last names of prominent people from South America.

But you see it here too. For example the Sununus of New Hampshire, whom I am sure our "I've never met a Christian Arab" poster does not recognize as Arab.

Are you claiming that Middle Eastern Christians are not persecuted? This is easily disproven by anyone who can use google.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think some people understand that Muslim countries still have pockets of Christians and sometimes up to million to a million and a half Christians.

Some of the Christians in Muslim countries come from very, very ancient sects.

The title of your post is misleading. Most Christians in the Middle East are not Arab but rather Assyrian, Copt, Armenian, Greek, Chaldean, Aramaic (Syriacs), and Phoenician (as many Lebanese Christians identify).
But you are right, they are very ancient communities. The hatred and persecution they have suffered and continue to suffer from the Arabs is wholly tragic. Pope Francis has often brought attention to this.

OP here. Christians in the Arab countries of the Middle East are Arabs! I know many Lebanese Christians who will tell me - in plain Arabic - they are not Arab, they are Pheonician. Several DNA studies have shown that both Lebanese Muslims and Christians are descendant from the Phoenicians but somehow Lebanese Christian’s want to distance themselves from the Arabs because of the common misconception than Arabs are mostly Muslim.

LOL.
I’ll take their word regarding what they are over yours. Go label someone else.

I am Coptic and I tell people my parents are Egyptian. People barely understand where Egypt is, much less what Coptic means and I’m not getting into sectarian divides with acquaintances and strangers.

You have to remember that the Lebanese went through a very traumatic sectarian war recently and many people from these other groups faced really heinous treatment from the Muslim majority and thus refuse to identify as Arabs. A lot of Coptic people refuse to identify as Arab as well but I find it somewhat silly. My parents have more in common with a Lebanese Muslim than an American baptist.

In the recent past Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan all have brutally oppressed their Christian minorities.

Pp you are responding to. You mean the governments of those countries? How so?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think some people understand that Muslim countries still have pockets of Christians and sometimes up to million to a million and a half Christians.

Some of the Christians in Muslim countries come from very, very ancient sects.

The title of your post is misleading. Most Christians in the Middle East are not Arab but rather Assyrian, Copt, Armenian, Greek, Chaldean, Aramaic (Syriacs), and Phoenician (as many Lebanese Christians identify).
But you are right, they are very ancient communities. The hatred and persecution they have suffered and continue to suffer from the Arabs is wholly tragic. Pope Francis has often brought attention to this.

OP here. Christians in the Arab countries of the Middle East are Arabs! I know many Lebanese Christians who will tell me - in plain Arabic - they are not Arab, they are Pheonician. Several DNA studies have shown that both Lebanese Muslims and Christians are descendant from the Phoenicians but somehow Lebanese Christian’s want to distance themselves from the Arabs because of the common misconception than Arabs are mostly Muslim.

LOL.
I’ll take their word regarding what they are over yours. Go label someone else.

I am Coptic and I tell people my parents are Egyptian. People barely understand where Egypt is, much less what Coptic means and I’m not getting into sectarian divides with acquaintances and strangers.

You have to remember that the Lebanese went through a very traumatic sectarian war recently and many people from these other groups faced really heinous treatment from the Muslim majority and thus refuse to identify as Arabs. A lot of Coptic people refuse to identify as Arab as well but I find it somewhat silly. My parents have more in common with a Lebanese Muslim than an American baptist.

In the recent past Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan all have brutally oppressed their Christian minorities.

Please give examples. This is the second time you have alleged this and you cited it as the reason for Christian emigration. If Christians were so oppressed in that area, why did so many Armenians emigrate to the Middle East when facing persecution in Turkey?

FYI, neither Christian nor Muslim Arabs were big fans of the Ottomans; Christians were not singled out by Ottoman authorities.

In fact, Christian emigration from the Levant began in the 19th century for economic reasons. You can see this especially in the last names of prominent people from South America.

But you see it here too. For example the Sununus of New Hampshire, whom I am sure our "I've never met a Christian Arab" poster does not recognize as Arab.

Are you claiming that Middle Eastern Christians are not persecuted? This is easily disproven by anyone who can use google.

There have been incidents in Egypt and of course ISIS was crazy. But popular appeal of Islamic nationalism stuff came in reaction to the founding of Israel and loss of Arab territory (in which many Christians lived), particularly after 1967. Please cite evidence of Christian persecution before this, true persecution, not things like Muslims not being allowed to convert, which Arab Christians don't really care about.

DH is an Arab Christian, who lived in his Middle Eastern homeland the majority of his life. He and his family have never felt persecuted, nor have they ever referred to any historical instances of Christian persecution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think some people understand that Muslim countries still have pockets of Christians and sometimes up to million to a million and a half Christians.

Some of the Christians in Muslim countries come from very, very ancient sects.

The title of your post is misleading. Most Christians in the Middle East are not Arab but rather Assyrian, Copt, Armenian, Greek, Chaldean, Aramaic (Syriacs), and Phoenician (as many Lebanese Christians identify).
But you are right, they are very ancient communities. The hatred and persecution they have suffered and continue to suffer from the Arabs is wholly tragic. Pope Francis has often brought attention to this.

OP here. Christians in the Arab countries of the Middle East are Arabs! I know many Lebanese Christians who will tell me - in plain Arabic - they are not Arab, they are Pheonician. Several DNA studies have shown that both Lebanese Muslims and Christians are descendant from the Phoenicians but somehow Lebanese Christian’s want to distance themselves from the Arabs because of the common misconception than Arabs are mostly Muslim.

LOL.
I’ll take their word regarding what they are over yours. Go label someone else.

I am Coptic and I tell people my parents are Egyptian. People barely understand where Egypt is, much less what Coptic means and I’m not getting into sectarian divides with acquaintances and strangers.

You have to remember that the Lebanese went through a very traumatic sectarian war recently and many people from these other groups faced really heinous treatment from the Muslim majority and thus refuse to identify as Arabs. A lot of Coptic people refuse to identify as Arab as well but I find it somewhat silly. My parents have more in common with a Lebanese Muslim than an American baptist.

In the recent past Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan all have brutally oppressed their Christian minorities.

Pp you are responding to. You mean the governments of those countries? How so?

PP won't give any cites because they don't exist.