Religion: Peace Maker or War Maker?
Rev. Habib Badr presented a lecture on Monday 20th of February 2017 at the Alumni Club of American University of Beirut (AUB) This lecture was organized by AUB Alumni Association (AAA) and Karaz w Laimoon group.
The lecture was on a controversial issue of religion: Peacemaker or War maker? Dr. Badr after defining what religion is and the different types of world religion as missionary (Christianity, Islam and Buddhism) and non-missionary (Druze Faith, Judaism, Sikhism), and how they hold on "The Truth", he said that in principle violence is not compatible with religion unless violence is prescribed within a certain religion (such as physical punishment to transgressors of the precepts of the religion, or execution of apostates). Since religion is practiced by so-called religious people, and these people cannot be always trusted, and they are subjected to psychological, social, economic, political culture, so religion maybe used or abused.
The issue here is whether religion can become a "violence maker", said Dr. Badr, and violence is not restricted to war. In this sense, unfortunately, religion is indeed a cause of violence and war. So religion can be either a peace maker or a conflict maker. Thus the new title should have been: Religion: Peacemaker and War maker.
Guests from Uniting Church in Australia
Delegates from Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) visited our church on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Stuart McMillan, the president of UCA, explained the aim of their visit to Lebanon. They wanted to show solidarity with Protestants in Lebanon and extend their relationship with other Christians in the Middle East. They also were interested to know more about people in this area of the world. They spoke about UCA and its ministries. Rev. Badr talked as well about our church, its history and mission.
The guests also had the chance to attend the closing Week of Prayer for Christian Unity service on Sunday, Jan. 22, at St. Louis in downtown of Beirut. Pastor McMillan introduced the UCA during the worship service stressing the love of Christ that unites us regardless of our race, nation, color and gender. The delegates met as well the church leaders (Patriarch John X, Patriarch Raee, Patriarch Aphrem II) and the President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, accompanied by the Australian Ambassador in Lebanon.
From left: Rev. Emmanuel Audisho, Rev, Krikor Youmshakian, Pastor Stuart McMillan, Rev. Habib Badr, Rev. Nabil Mamarbashi, Rev. Rob Floyd, Rev. Gabi Kobrossi.
2nd Lebanese Pipe Organ Week
Prof. Bernhard Gfrerer, one of Austria's leading Organists, performed on our church pipe organ many wonderful musical pieces: Mozart, Bach, Wagner, Mendelssohn, Lefébure-Wély, Dubois and Gigout. This is the second consecutive year that Notre Dame University-Louaize and Terra Sancta Organ Festival organizing this Week of organ music in Lebanon. And they concluded the Week celebration at our church on Sunday, Feb.5, 2017. Rev. Habib Badr introduced the organist and welcomed the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, Gabriele Caccia; Ambassador of Austria, Marian Wrba; Head of the School of Music of Notre Dame University–Louaize, Fr. Khalil Rahme, and the superintendent of the Terra Sancta Organ Festival and Delegate for Music of the Custody of the Holy Land, Br. Riccardo.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2017
As every year of this time between 18th and 25th of January churches of different denominations come together to pray for their unity. This year was a special one since it is the year of 500th anniversary of Reformation. The opening prayer was at the Evangelical Church in Rabieh, Beirut on Sunday 15th, 2017. The patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox church, Mor Ignatius Aphrem II attended the worship service with many bishops, pastors and faithful people.
Rev. Habib Badr preached from the Prodigal Son parable (Lk15:11-24) on the chosen theme of reconciliation. "We ALL went astray from the Father," said Rev. Badr, "we turned every one to his own way... but the Father, and out of His mercy, went out after them both: the younger son and the elder". Therefore, reconciliation is necessary to come back to ourselves and to the Father again.
Executive Committee of MECC in our Church
Our church hosted the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) on the 16th and 17th of January 2017. Rev. Habib Badr as president of the Evangelical Family in MECC welcomed the Patriarch Youhanna X, the president of the Orthodox Family and Patriarch Aphram II, the president of the Oriental Orthodox Family along with the General Secretary Fr. Michel Jalakh.
Rev. Badr underlined 5 important points concerning the future of MECC. First, the necessity to make MECC activities known to churches, after 42 years of services. Second, the image of MECC for the international organizations needs to be crystallized through united and standard documents on crucial issues that concern us as churches in the ME. Third, a kind of reforming the MECC relationship with Muslims is needed, since MECC played a significant role in strengthening the connection with them. Fourth, MECC played a major role in the diakonia among churches and therefore this should be improved and expanded. Finally, the potential for MECC’s advocacy in different issues, as the issue of Palestine in the past, should also be given much attention.
The MECC executive members also had the chance to visit the Lebanese President Michel Aoun at the presidential palace.
