Religion and Atheism

[yerazhishda]

Re: Religion and Atheism

If you're an atheist I can deal with that and even sympathise with your position - although I wholeheartedly disagree with it and glorify Our Lord Jesus Christ and pronounce His Resurrection. However, what I can't understand or seem to wrap my head around are the Armenian so-called "atheists" who try to destroy and would love to see the destruction, demise and drop in attendance to the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church. This makes no sense to me. In my opinion, if you are against the Armenian Church, you are against Armenians and Armenia - that's it. If you want to be an atheist that's fine and dandy (at the same time, I will pray for your conversion), but don't claim to be Armenian while at the same time trying to bring down and draw people away from our Church.

[Eddo211]

Re: Religion and Atheism

a symbol of the Armenian people's deep rooted faith, even in the face of most vicious adversities. The original "Khatchkar/", carved on stone, was brought to Holy Echmiadzin Monastery, Armenia, in 1279 from the region of Mt. Ararat. Note that this Armenian Cross is an eight-point cross which makes it uniquely Armenian. The star which appears below the cross is the typical eight-pointed Armenian star. The eight points on both the cross and the star represent the eight directions of the compass and date back to pre-Christianity Armenia.

http://armenianembroidery.tripod.com/index.htm#Armenian%20Cross

[Sip]

Re: Religion and Atheism

If you want to be an atheist that's fine and dandy (at the same time, I will pray for your conversion), but don't claim to be Armenian while at the same time trying to bring down and draw people away from our Church.

I seem to end up wanting to say this every few pages: There were Armenians looooooooong before the Church. We have a rich history and culture that date much farther back than 300AD (as much as Turks and Azeris want to claim otherwise). And I hope we will continue to exist long after this latest religious fad changes for something else (history has shown over and over that religious beliefs are temporary and change as humans do).

[Armanen]

Re: Religion and Atheism

I seem to end up wanting to say this every few pages: There were Armenians looooooooong before the Church. We have a rich history and culture that date much farther back than 300AD (as much as Turks and Azeris want to claim otherwise). And I hope we will continue to exist long after this latest religious fad changes for something else (history has shown over and over that religious beliefs are temporary and change as humans do).

Armenians have always had a God or Gods. Before Christianity there was Zoroastrianism, and before that it was the Armenian pantheon of gods, and before that it was Sun cults, etc. Regardless, all are paths to the Divine.

And Yerazhishda is correct. I know a few Armenian atheists, and they realize the importance of the AAC and support it. What I dislike are when 'Armenians' talk poorly of the AAC on a regular basis, and this is made even worse when that person is an atheist. It is adding insult to injury.

[Sip]

Re: Religion and Atheism

Armenians have always had a God or Gods. Before Christianity there was Zoroastrianism, and before that it was the Armenian pantheon of gods, and before that it was Sun cults, etc. Regardless, all are paths to the Divine.

I often wonder what will come next. It is interesting to see how the various religious phases have evolved and sort of adjusted themselves over time. But at least for me it is very hard to picture how things will shape up in the next 2000 years.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Religion and Atheism

Armenians have always had a God or Gods. Before Christianity there was Zoroastrianism, and before that it was the Armenian pantheon of gods, and before that it was Sun cults, etc. Regardless, all are paths to the Divine.

And Yerazhishda is correct. I know a few Armenian atheists, and they realize the importance of the AAC and support it. What I dislike are when 'Armenians' talk poorly of the AAC on a regular basis, and this is made even worse when that person is an atheist. It is adding insult to injury.

ARMENIAN SILVER HOLY RIGHT HAND OF GOD

A very rare Armenian Holy Right Arm in silver representing the right hand of God. The thumb and index finger fold inwards in the form of blessing. The outer surface of the wrist is chased with lines representing veins, and the arm has floral and ornamental zig-zag patterns engraved on the outer and inner sides. It is 29 cm long.

The inscription says, "Amen. This is in memory from Margarit Yakobian to the Holy Church of St. Paul and Saint Peter in Tomarza". The Church of St. Paul and St. Peter in Tomarza in central Turkey was built in 1570, and then reconstructed in 1837 into a massive structure that could hold 2,500 people. It was destroyed in 1915. Perhaps this Holy arm was made for the occasion of the reconstruction in 1837.





SILVER CROSS DATED 1711

Gilded silver processional cross with symbols of the four Evangelists and the body of Christ cast and fastened with nine nails (25 cm ht x 19 cm width). Above the head of Christ is a plank -shaped metal bearing the initials for 'Jesus of Nazareth King of the J3ws'.

On the back there is a long Armenian inscription with the date of 1711 A.D. The cross was given to the church of Holy Saint Mary in Arapkir, which is 30 klm north of Malatiya. The area had seven churches, but in 1915 most of the Armenian population was killed and the 800 survivors migrated to Armenia in 1922, where near the capital city of Erevan on November 29th, 1925 they laid the foundation of a new city called Nor Arabkir.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Religion and Atheism

Seriously, learn more about the body. Who would design people to eat and breathe through the same opening? That's marvelous engineering?

This explains a lot. If everything you're consuming is being inhaled through your nose, I'd have to conclude that you're not getting the nutrition needed for your brain to function properly.

[yerazhishda]

Re: Religion and Atheism

ARMENIAN SILVER HOLY RIGHT HAND OF GOD

A very rare Armenian Holy Right Arm in silver representing the right hand of God. The thumb and index finger fold inwards in the form of blessing. The outer surface of the wrist is chased with lines representing veins, and the arm has floral and ornamental zig-zag patterns engraved on the outer and inner sides. It is 29 cm long.

The inscription says, "Amen. This is in memory from Margarit Yakobian to the Holy Church of St. Paul and Saint Peter in Tomarza". The Church of St. Paul and St. Peter in Tomarza in central Turkey was built in 1570, and then reconstructed in 1837 into a massive structure that could hold 2,500 people. It was destroyed in 1915. Perhaps this Holy arm was made for the occasion of the reconstruction in 1837.

See the circular capsule on the top of the hand? That's a relic (remains of a saint) I think, I wonder who's relic it is. They have this same sort of "hand" in Echmiadzin and St. Grigor Lusavorich's relic is in the inside of it.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Religion and Atheism

See the circular capsule on the top of the hand? That's a relic (remains of a saint) I think, I wonder who's relic it is. They have this same sort of "hand" in Echmiadzin and St. Grigor Lusavorich's relic is in the inside of it.

These are Armenian Artifacts from the Melikian Collection. There are more here:
http://www.melikiancollection.com/Se.../6859826_jnsFH

People from the Middle East know very well about the Armenian people. I stopped off to get a Shawarma from this Arabic place and the owner took one look at me and asked if I was Arabic and I told him I was Armenian. He said his family's Pastor is Armenian (Dikran) so we chatted and turns out they're Christians from Jordan. I accidentally said Aryan instead of Ayran when his wife asked me what I wanted to drink, LOL.

[Siggie]

Seriously, learn more about the body. Who would design people to eat and breathe through the same opening? That's marvelous engineering?

This explains a lot. If everything you're consuming is being inhaled through your nose, I'd have to conclude that you're not getting the nutrition needed for your brain to function properly.

Do you make an effort to interpret what I say in the stupidest way possible? If you don't know that your mouth leads to both the trachea and the esophagus, I can't help you.

It would be cheaper and less abusive to the body if they invented a cream to reduce the the size of the gigantic cathedral that their organ was trying to charm.

Apparently you don't know much about "cathedrals" either (I would have guessed as much). The cathedral stretches to accommodates the weapon. The size issues about weapons lie in the minds of the men to whom they belong. The cathedral owners are satisfied with smaller weapons than are the weapon owners.