Atheism and being Armenian

[Mos]

Re: Atheism and being Armenian

My interpretation is basically the Turks, who are aware of their Armenian roots and don't want to forget those roots. However, we must realise historically who these people are. I'm not going to all of a sudden embrace some traitors that have lived comfortably among Turks, as Turks, for decades. You just can't be so naive.

[Siggie]

Re: Atheism and being Armenian

Crypto just means that you're secretly Armenian. It's like being an Armenian secret agent. At any time they can turn against whatever organization/group they've joined and work for Armenian interests once they make the right connections. There are probably some among Turks and Kurds.

This is at least better than Mos's interpretation of the word. Not nearly as offensive, but you're still implying he's not working toward any Armenian interests now. That's awfully presumptuous; you know practically nothing about the guy except that he is critical of religion. I think we can only assume that you've concluded as much based entirely on prejudice regarding the non-religious.

[Mos]

Re: Atheism and being Armenian

Was the conversion to Christianity peaceful and of the peoples' free will? Oh wait... the Christian church didn't preserve that part of our history. I wonder why...?

Our Christian faith has always been integral to the Armenian nation. It helped preserve our culture, literature, and other academics. It served as protector and centre point of Armenian identity. During Ottoman Ampire, converting to Islam was the equivalent to becoming a Turk. That's how people were turkified. There people chose to Turkify rather than stand up and protect their heritage and nation. They are cowards.

[Siggie]

Re: Atheism and being Armenian

Most of those Crypto-Armenians were traitors to Armenians as they betrayed their religion and nation for mercy by the Turks, while other Armenians were resisting and trying to survive and preserve their heritage.

Betrayed their religion? Only that time counted as betrayal? That's pretty short-sighted.
Was the conversion to Christianity peaceful and of the peoples' free will? Oh wait... the Christian church didn't preserve that part of our history. I wonder why...?

[KanadaHye]

Re: Atheism and being Armenian

Most of those Crypto-Armenians were traitors to Armenians as they betrayed their religion and nation for mercy by the Turks, while other Armenians were resisting and trying to survive and preserve their heritage.

Crypto just means that you're secretly Armenian. It's like being an Armenian secret agent. At any time they can turn against whatever organization/group they've joined and work for Armenian interests once they make the right connections. There are probably some among Turks and Kurds.

[Mos]

Re: Atheism and being Armenian

I don't really know what that means.

OK, I looked it up

Crypto-Armenians (Armenian: ծպտյալ հայեր; Turkish: Kripto Ermeniler) - Armenians living mainly in towns of eastern and central Anatolia who have gradually became Muslims but have kept their Armenian spirit and while settled in Istanbul have converted to Chritianity and changed their names to Armenian ones. These people are sometimes referred to as Secret Armenians (Armenian: թաքուն հայեր)

None of my ancestors that I know of ever practiced Islam. As far as I know, my (great great...) grandparents were originally from 'Artsakh', the language that my grandparents speak is the same or almost the same Armenian language that is spoken in Nagorno Karabakh.

Most of those Crypto-Armenians were traitors to Armenians as they betrayed their religion and nation for mercy by the Turks, while other Armenians were resisting and trying to survive and preserve their heritage.

[Samael]

Re: Atheism and being Armenian

I guess you would fall into the "crypto" Armenian category.

I don't really know what that means.

OK, I looked it up

Crypto-Armenians (Armenian: ծպտյալ հայեր; Turkish: Kripto Ermeniler) - Armenians living mainly in towns of eastern and central Anatolia who have gradually became Muslims but have kept their Armenian spirit and while settled in Istanbul have converted to Chritianity and changed their names to Armenian ones. These people are sometimes referred to as Secret Armenians (Armenian: թաքուն հայեր)

None of my ancestors that I know of ever practiced Islam. As far as I know, my (great great...) grandparents were originally from 'Artsakh', the language that my grandparents speak is the same or almost the same Armenian language that is spoken in Nagorno Karabakh.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Atheism and being Armenian

Why does he have to be in a category?

Same reason you have identification papers in your wallet.

[Sip]

Re: Atheism and being Armenian

Why does he have to be in a category?

[KanadaHye]

Re: Atheism and being Armenian

I don't speak Armenian, I've never been to Armenia, I was born in a muslim soviet state, most of my friends were Russians, I don't practice any religion, and yet at no point in my life did I view myself as someone other than Armenian.

I guess you would fall into the "crypto" Armenian category.