How the Coptic Christian Church Endures

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Christianity Today

Religion, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.3 • 622 Ratings

🗓️ 15 December 2016

⏱️ 40 minutes

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Summary

Egypt’s Coptic Christians are in a state of mourning after a suicide bomber killed at least 25 people at a Cairo church on Sunday. “Egypt always tends to rally around Christians at moments like this,” said Jayson Casper, CT’s Middle East correspondent. “But over time, [ISIS is] trying to hammer and hammer and hammer the Christians in Egypt and put so much pressure on the internal government that it itself may collapse.” Even if the government does collapse, the Coptic Church “is equipped to deal with it,” said Casper. “They can say, ‘This has always happened to us in our history. It is how God has treated us and he perseveres with us through it.’” While the attack was the worst to target Copts since the 2011 New Year’s bombing of a church in Alexandria that killed 23 people, the population has been the victim of sectarian violence for years. In 2015, ISIS, who also claimed responsibility for the latest attack, beheaded 21 Coptic Christians in Libya. Casper joined assistant editor Morgan Lee and editor-in-chief Mark Galli this week to discuss the fascinating and important history of Coptic Christians, how the Egyptian church relates to a changing government, and why this most recent attack is unique. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you in part by The Apologetics Guy Show, the podcast that helps you find clear answers to tough questions about Christianity.
0:11.0	Learn to explain your faith with courage and compassion.
0:14.5	Join Moody Bible Institute professor Dr. Mikhail del Rosario at apologeticsky.com.
0:29.0	Music Michael Del Rosario at Apologeticsguy.com. Hey, it's Morgan Lee.
0:30.7	You are listening to Quick to Listen.
0:32.5	Each week we go beyond hashtags and hot takes and set aside time to explore the reality
0:37.2	behind a major
0:38.0	cultural event. Today, we're talking about a church bombing in Cairo, Egypt that killed at
0:43.9	least 25 Coptic Christians this Sunday. I'm Morgan Lee, and I'm an assistant editor here at
0:49.7	Christianity today. And as always, kind of as always. I'm joined by by Mark Galley CT's editor-in-chief
0:56.1	hello on this cold winter day in Chicago how cold is it Mark oh it's not too bad right now
1:02.5	about 15 degrees but by the end of the weekend it should be negative 15 degrees if not lower
1:08.1	you and I both spent stints in California and and look where we are. I know. God
1:12.4	had strange plans for people. It appears that way. So, Mark, who are we talking to today?
1:17.4	We're talking with Jason Casper. He's Christianity today's Middle Eastern correspondent. I'm really
1:22.7	excited to talk with him because I've seen his byline in our pages for many years now. And he's the best correspondent
1:29.2	we've had in that area. So I'm glad to have a chance for him to be on the show here.
1:32.7	Hey, Jason. Hey. How are you guys? Good. Where are you calling us from? Right at home, Cairo, Egypt.
1:40.3	There you go. Our longest correspondent ever. Well, thank you for bearing us with us through the time
1:45.2	change and the thousands of miles away. We appreciate it. My pleasure. Thanks. This week, as I mentioned,
1:52.2	we are going to be talking about a suicide bombing in Cairo, Egypt. So at least 25 Coptic Christians
1:59.3	died after a suicide bomber blew himself up in a church on Sunday.
	...

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