Topic: It beats an Ak47 every time...

[tpl]

Israeli police had to break up a fist fight that erupted between Greek and Armenian Orthodox clergymen at one of Christianity's holiest sites.

The scuffles broke out at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Orthodox Palm Sunday.
Brawls are not uncommon at the church, which is uneasily shared by various Christian denominations.
In this case, witnesses say an Armenian priest forcibly ejected a Greek priest from an area near the tomb of Jesus.
They say the attacker felt the Greek priest had spent too long at the tomb.

When police arrived to break up the fight, some were reportedly beaten back by worshippers using palm fronds.

Its all blamed on the crusades....but if Bin Laden can blames stuff on the crusades then I guess anybody can
from the BBC rss feed

[safristi]

..I prefer PALM OLIVE Branch DAVIDIAN knobkerries.......................Oooh my achin' heid.......

[PJungnitsch]

Not the first time:

Since the renovation of 1555, control of the church oscillated between the Franciscans and the Orthodox, depending on which community could obtain a favorable firman from the Sublime Porte at a particular time, often through outright bribery, and violent clashes were not uncommon. In 1767, weary of the squabbling, the Porte issued a firman that divided the church among the claimants. This was confirmed in 1852 with another firman that made the arrangement permanent, establishing a status quo of territorial division among the communities.

The primary custodians are the Eastern Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and Roman Catholic Churches, with the Greek Orthodox Church having the lion's share. In the 19th century, the Coptic Orthodox, the Ethiopian Orthodox and the Syriac Orthodox acquired lesser responsibilities, which include shrines and other structures within and around the building. Times and places of worship for each community are strictly regulated in common areas.

Establishment of the status quo did not halt the violence, which continues to break out every so often even in modern times. On a hot summer day in 2002, the Coptic monk who is stationed on the roof to express Coptic claims to the Ethiopian territory there moved his chair from its agreed spot into the shade. This was interpreted as a hostile move by the Ethiopians, and eleven were hospitalized after the resulting fracas.[3]

In another incident in 2004 during Orthodox celebrations of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a door to the Franciscan chapel was left open. This was taken as a sign of disrespect by the Orthodox and a fistfight broke out. Some people were arrested, but no one was seriously injured.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Sepulchre

It's a tremendously interesting place to wander through, as it's area is carefully divided amongst the oldest Christian churches (mainly to avoid all the scrapping). So you go from the Eastern Orthodox to Armenian Apostolic  to Coptic Orthodox and so on. Very old school with the incense in the air and everything reeking of history. Awesome.

One example, the main gate is actually controlled by two Muslim families, who were given the key by Saladin and have faithfully opened and closed the place ever since.

[Snowman]

Believing in something that does not exist really up people. Where do I sign up for the Gordon Sinclair religion?

[vdk]

Believing is one thing. Taking it to the extreme is another.
Pretty much anything in moderation is good, including religion.