The Rapture Puzzle

Needless to say, the seizure of the 1,677-year-old church by 250 guerrillas affiliated with Islamistterror factions has hardly roused the armies of Christendom. Crusades, Christian-soldiering and allthat went out in the last millennium.Still, it's a shock to realize that this desecration of the ancientchurch built over what's believed to be the birthplace ofJesus Christ has brought down neither Christian wrath norinternational pressure on the desecrators to lay down their armsand leave.Palestinians celebrate Church of Nativity win, Israel notes theydesecrated the site.UNESCO Turns The Same Church Over To Palestinians That PLO Desecrated During IntifadaWhile Muslims have responded with deadly outrage to the now-retracted report by Newsweek ofalleged Quran desecration by U.S. interrogators, there was little outcry three years ago when Islamicterrorists holed up in Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity reportedly used the Bible as toiletpaper.The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said at the time, “The world needs to remember that the Church ofthe Nativity, which is sacred to Christianity, has been desecrated in the past by Palestinianterrorists.”The Church of the Nativity in the heart of Bethlehem marks one of Christianity's most sacred sites -the birthplace of Christ.Situated on Manger Square 8 kilometres (5 miles) from Jerusalem, the church is built over a grottowhere the Virgin Mary is said to have given birth to Jesus. The church's large fortress-like exteriorstands as a testament to its turbulent history. For centuries, it was one of the most fought over holyplaces. It was seized and defended by a succession of armies - including Muslim and Crusaderforces.The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is a major Christian holysite, as it marks the traditional place of Christ's birth. It is also oneof the oldest surviving Christian churches.The holy site, known as the Grotto, that the Church of theNativity sits atop, is today associated with the cave in which thebirthplace of Jesus of Nazareth occurred.No wonder Mr. Sharon told the Israeli Parliament he would"expect the international community to demand that they theterrorists lay down their arms and leave the holy place."One of Christianity's most holy places, the site's focal point is the Grotto of the Nativity, a rectangularcavern beneath the church that has been considered the site of Christ's birth since at least the 2ndcentury. A 14-pointed silver star set into the marble floor marks the precise spot where Jesus is saidto have been born.23