The Forge 2.09.12

Here are links of interest this week:  Often those antagonistic to Christianity try to find weak spots of morality to argue against, yet the ironic fact is that they are arguing inside the Christian moral framework that shaped the Western World.  Here is one such example of how the West was shaped: The Christian Origin of Hospitals

Have you heard of St. Brendan?  He was an Irish missionary that traveled great lengths by a small boat.  Some believe he may have made it to the new world, and there is evidence that Irish monks found their way to America from scribblings found throughout the East Coast.  This man is on a similar journey: Ghost in the Brendan Voyage

The Arab Spring is been anything but springtime for Christians living in Muslim countries and Newsweek covers it in their latest issue:  The Global War on Christians in the Muslim World

I am horrible about keeping up with the news, but this is a hot topic right now: 65 Orthodox Church Bishops Call on Obama to ‘Rescind’ the ‘Unjust’ Contraception Mandate

And finally, here's some interesting WW II history, and the struggle of Christians against Hitler:  Russian Orthodox Church Canonizes New Martyr Who Died at the Hands of the Nazis

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