Punch drunk love in Bethlehem

I had a premonition of this a few days ago when I noticed CNN had mislabeled Bethlehem's Manger Square as Manger "Scare." Hmm.

In a microcosm of everything that's gone wrong in the history of the Christian church, two sects came to blows at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem today.

It seems the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic priests were cleaning the church in preparation for the Eastern rite observance of the birth of the Prince of Peace the first week in January.

The dispute started when the Greek Orthodox contingent wanted to place a ladder over the Armenian portion. (I know that always ticks me off). Four people were wounded in the fray.

This is a mere shoving match compared to the annual brawls over at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. In 2004, Greek and Russian Orthodox believers took offence at a door left open by members of the Franciscan order during a service. Five were injured then.

In 2002, monks from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church of Egypt--two groups which for years have been vying for control of the Jerusalem church's roof --fought over the position of a chair on the roof.

According to the BBC article, to prevent squabbling, two Muslim families have had guardianship of the key to the only entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre since 1178, when they were entrusted with it by the Muslim ruler Saladin.

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