Scuffles have broken out between rival groups of Greek Orthodox and Armenian clerics in a turf war at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity.
Bemused tourists looked on as about 100 priests fought with brooms while cleaning the church in preparation for Orthodox Christmas, on 7 January.
Palestinian police armed with batons and shields broke up the clashes.
Groups of priests have clashed before in the church, built on the spot where Christians believe Jesus was born.
"No one was arrested because all those involved were men of God," he said.
Nobody was seriously injured in the scuffles, according to the police.
Previous clashes between the denominations which share the administration of the church have been sparked by perceived encroachments on one group's territory by another.
59 comments
"No one was arrested because all those involved were men of God,"
If anything, that is a perfect reason to lock them up in an asylum to the wantonly deranged.
"No one was arrested because all those involved were men of God," he said.
How nice. A get out of jail free card. If anything, being a "man of God" and involved in a fight should automatically land you in jail, because as a "man of God" you're supposed to be held to higher standards. But maybe they're just men of the Old Testament God who constantly fought & slaughtered people.
Wait, so priests are above the law now? There is truly no hope for that area.
Seriously, why must any one Christian group own the Church of the Nativity? If it's one of the holiest sites in Christianity, that means, logically, that it should be open to all Christians. Can't they just cooperate, or at least have a rotating schedule, for crying out loud?!
"'No one was arrested because all those involved were men of God,' he said."
And?
"Previous clashes between the denominations which share the administration of the church have been sparked by perceived encroachments on one group's territory by another."
If you were really "men of God" then you'd know what you're supposed to do. Read your Old Testament. There's fairly detailed instructions about invading territory held by heathens, wiping them out, and claiming it for your own.
at first i was lol...
then i read it again...
and i lolled :-D
"No one was arrested because all those involved were men of God," he said.
Let me translate that ...
> Bemused tourists looked on as about 100 priests fought with brooms
...and here I thought the Christian fundamentalists were accusing Wiccans for all these nefarious and occult broom-fights. Oh well...
Aww, they were probably playing broom hockey and it just looked like a fight. Maybe they watched Slap Shot that afternoon. "About 100 priests" - plus/minus 50 guys on a side? It sounds a lot like 43 man squamish.
Besides, don't these guys do this every January 6th? As I see it, if they're all willing players battling it out with nothing more dangerous than brooms and nobody gets killed, why arrest anybody? Shit, high school football is more dangerous. Maybe they're just a buncha fun loving guys agreeing to disagree in their own way.
Damn, I'd love to watch it, though! With beer and popcorn.
Ooh Headache, isn't it true that these priests are not American? Doesn't that go against your whole, "in order to be this stupid, one must be American" theory?
@ Comrade Potatovitch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shFA_H8e11E
Needs a sound track instead of the voice-over.
10. O Little Town of Bethlehem (Hymn)
And the number one choice for a sound track ....
1. Yackety Sax - Boots Randolph and James Q. “Spider” Rich
It must have been quite a fun show for those tourists.
On the other hand, it shows how fundamentalism can cause humans to devolve into a lesser species. This looks no different from two animals fighting over territory.
I saw a picture of this in the paper and busted a gut laughing.
Fundies are usually infuriating, but this was hilarious.
aaaah, the annual broom fight. The church is divided in half, and anyone seen cleaning the other side's church gets hit with an opposing broom.
This has gone one for centuries..
This isn't fundie, this is adorable!
"Bemused tourists looked on as about 100 priests fought with brooms
"
Picturing that just brings a smile to my face. Such an odd image
These bozos are a disgrace! You're at the alledged BIRTHPLACE of the most important guy in your religion....one who taught beautiful things about charity & love....a place most sacred....a place of peace, meditation, reverance, solace, beauty & prayer....and you brawl like the cast of "West Side Story"! And to top it all off YOU'RE SUPPOSED "MEN OF GOD"...PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE THE MOST INCLINED TO TREAT THE PLACE WITH REVERENCE! Can't these bozos COOPERATE & SHARE?! Can't they both OWN THE PLACE EQUALLY?! Sharing & Joint Ownership, very simple to comprehend concepts, is alien to them! Same hold true for the Holyland, itself. Why is it so hard to have Israelis & Palenstinians own & run things equally?!!! GAH! THE STOOOOOOOPPPPIDDD!!! IT BUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!
"It was a trivial problem that... occurs every year," Bethlehem police Lt-Col Khaled al-Tamimi told Reuters.
At least it is trivial though, and I have heard about them fighting before. I even saw a video once I believe, a straight up brawl with several dozen involved, and ya'll, they were in their priestly regalia.
Oh my oh my! Geeking out to one thousand! This mirrors institutionalized clerical practices in medieval Spain vis-a-vis the Jewish quarters during Lent! Squeeee.
Only instead it's Christian branches marking out territory. With brooms. I actually find this old-fashioned form of violent self-expression vaguely heart-warming. Modern weaponry and culture has raised the stakes of violent confrontation so much there's usually no place for the kind of brawl that used to be normal. Guess this is the kind of place you should expect still to see it.
Oh my oh my! Geeking out to one thousand! This mirrors institutionalized clerical practices in medieval Spain vis-a-vis the Jewish quarters during Lent! Squeeee.
Only instead it's Christian branches marking out territory. With brooms. I actually find this old-fashioned form of violent self-expression vaguely heart-warming. Modern weaponry and culture has raised the stakes of violent confrontation so much there's usually no place for the kind of brawl that used to be normal. Guess this is the kind of place you should expect still to see it.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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