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.