Dutch Church Holds 800-Hour Service To Protect Family From Deportation

[appalachiablue]

Source: CNN

By Simon Cullen, 6 hrs. ago.

A church in the Netherlands is holding an around-the-clock service that has lasted more than 800 hours, to shield a family from deportation. Under Dutch law, police officers are not permitted to enter a church while a religious service is taking place. So, for more than a month, hundreds of pastors and volunteers from across the country have been meeting to maintain the 24/7 service in support of an Armenian family whose asylum claim has been rejected.

Theo Hettema, chairman of the General Council of Protestant Ministers in the Netherlands, told CNN the service will continue "as long as it's necessary." "We want to love God and our neighbor. And we thought that this was a clear opportunity to put the love for our neighbor into reality," he said.

The Tamrazyan family, including three children Hayarpi, Warduhi and Seyran, fled Armenia and have been living in the Netherlands since April 2010 while their claim for political asylum was being decided. But their case was rejected, and they've now been told to leave the country.

Hayarpi Tamrazyan, now aged 21, says she is "incredibly happy and grateful to all volunteers." Since the service started, Hayarpi has been posting regular updates on Twitter, thanking people for taking part in the service. -MORE...


Read more: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/dutch-church-holds-800-hour-service-to-protect-family-from-deportation/ar-BBQfNad?ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

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A Dutch church has held 24/7 services and provided sanctuary to protect a migrant Armenian family from deportation.

[moreland01]

1. Don't you love it when . . .

churches actually do what Jesus instructed and care for the downtrodden? Good for them.

[IronLionZion]

2. The American churches have gone hard right over the years

it's not the case in other countries

[leftieNanner]

4. I'm a member of an Episcopal Church

in Southern Oregon and we are very inclusive and progressive. I think our congregation and Priests would do something like this. We aren't anything like the Evangelicals.

[Ms. Toad]

10. That's too broad a brush to be painting with.

Some American churches have gone hard right.

[Drahthaardogs]

15. To be brutally honest, most of those Churches are so far

Removed from the Coptics, many do not even consider them "Christian". I tend to agree.

My personal belief is that real Christian beliefs end where Calvinism begins.

[IronLionZion]

17. Correct, it's good to find a liberal church

usually in urban areas or college towns or any place where the congregants would be liberal

[mpcamb]

3. Praise be to this kind of use of religion.

Reminds me of clergy of a different era.

[appalachiablue]

5. For sure, what Christianity is essentially about.

[erronis]

6. And curses be to those that use religion as a way to power

Which I think is most of them, especially the catholic and protestant branches of christianity.

Are there other branches? Perhaps Orthodox? From my limited perspective they all seem like variations on a cult.

[thucythucy]

7. Beautiful people, all of them.

Please cross-post this in the Religions forum.

Edited to add: I noticed the photo of the White Rose at the bottom of your post.

Their leaflets make for amazing reading.

[appalachiablue]

9. I just x-posted in 'Religion.'The White Rose writings and group

are so inspiring. What courage those young people had in the most dangerous times.

[thucythucy]

18. Have you seen "Weapons of the Spirit"?

It's a documentary about a farming village in France, population approx. 5,000, which sheltered 5,000 Jews during the occupation. It was also a way station on the underground railroad to Switzerland, and a center for the French Resistance forging operations (phony identity papers for refugees, phony ration cards, etc.)

Another amazing story of incredible courage.

[appalachiablue]

19. I've read about a couple French villages that sheltered Jews

during the war but I never knew of this film. The trailer and what I read online are great, thanks for mentioning. Courageous people in the darkest times. The villagers are Huguenots, France's first Protestants who were persecuted and harassed in the 16th c.

If I get to France again it'll be Lyon and Le Chambon in south central where so much resistance activity took place.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

8. Hello American Churches -----

Are you seeing this ?

Because for the most part, all of you have stood silently by, while people who have been here in this country for DECADES, living as protected residents, have had their lives turned upside down and been ripped from the arms of their families, only to be sent to countries they don't know, sometimes speaking languages they've never spoken, to live in cultures they do not recognize. Some of these people have been forced to leave small children, businesses (that they have worked decades to build), and commitments, all in the name of trmp's "justice." We never hear in American media what happens to these people . . . .

And your clergy wonders why they are losing adherents.

[Iggo]

11. Good on you, Bethal Church And Community Center in The Hague.

Very well done!!!

[TygrBright]

12. And that, Christians, is how it's done. n/t

[Mr. Ected]

13. Wow, I'll be in The Hague on Sunday

I'm definitely going to visit and support their mission.

[diva77]

14. I hope the organist gets paid overtime!

[rpannier]

16. At the very least, generous bathroom breaks

[treestar]

20. They have obviously become part of that church

and considered neighbors by the people there. They've integrated to that part of the society. Too bad immigration has to be made out to be so technical.