what's the difference?

Antiochus Epiphanies had pigs slaughtered on the altar in the Temple of Jerusalem. As the pig is an unclean animal in Judaism, this is a huge sacrilege. He had idols of Greek gods put up, as well. Again, a direct violation of Jewish law. “No other gods before me” and “no graven images.”

It is interesting how a major festival comes out of defeating a foreign power who trashed a house of worship. Granted this is not just any house of worship. Yet, how different than the reaction of Christians over the desecration of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem by Palestinian terrorists back in 2002. Tradition holds that this church is built on the site of the birthplace of Jesus. Priests and nuns were taken hostage and the church became a “sanctuary” for known terrorists.

Finally, after a negotiated settlement, they left. The church was left in shambles. There will be no major holiday commemorating the cleaning out of the Church of the Nativity and getting rid of the explosives left behind. My guess is you have forgotten about this event, or perhaps weren’t even aware of it.

A holiday commemorated 2100 years later or an already forgotten event three and a half years ago. Why the difference? Chanukah or ? Christians didn’t seem to have a sense of outrage when one of their historic churches is desecrated. I am going to think on this today.