[Joanna Lytton-Vasey]

Re: Greetings

One wonders if a small substitution in your very precise ingredients list could be made, for those who might not fancy the vodka. I was thinking ...

I, on the other hand, was thinking (towards the end of what has seemed like an unusually long day) that a mere 70cl was a little light on the vodka. I would love to try Sister Mitza's recipe - we have enjoyed so many of her creations - but sadly stale cake is unknown in this house. Even with five ovens I am unable to keep up with my boys' voracious appetites.

[MitzaLizalor]

Re: Greetings

Originally Posted by Isabella White
Diet Coke?

Originally Posted by Joanna Lytton-Vasey
stale cake

Thanks for appreciating my recipe. Normally this would serve two persons but for more hungry mouths the quantities could be increased. If ingredients were being substituted, such as diet cola, what about shop-bought croutons instead of cake? For a savoury note perhaps the rose petals could be replaced with dehydrated onion flakes and maybe the sugary element would be better done as a stilton mix with walnuts and dried pears? I would add some Turkish chillies in that case.

[MitzaLizalor]

Re: Greetings

I would not describe the government as socialist. Maybe it was under Hafez, but definitely not under Bashar. Right now, it can't really be said that Syria has an economy at all.

Thank you for replying. I thought it was a Ba’athist government?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-18582755

The party's early slogan "unity, freedom, socialism" attracted a generation of Arab political activists who wanted to overthrow the European-backed governments of the Middle East and create a modern industrial economy.

In 1953, the Baath Party merged with Akram Hawrani's Arab Socialist Party to become the Arab Socialist Baath Party. The shrewd alliance helped the new group quickly become a serious challenge to its rivals.

In 1973, the Syrian constitution was amended to give the Baath Party unique status as the "leader of the state and society", ushering it into all areas of public life.

Its main role was to issue directives from the central government to regional representatives, mobilise the masses for political activities, and gauge the "mood" of the general population.

Ahead of a rare Baath Party regional conference in 2005, state media talked of an opportunity for the party's "revitalisation". But expectations that the constitution would be amended to remove the article making it the leader of state and society were never met.

Sounds socialist to me.

[Basilissa]

Re: Greetings

I would not describe the government as socialist. Maybe it was under Hafez, but definitely not under Bashar. Right now, it can't really be said that Syria has an economy at all.

The only Hafez I know of was a Persian poet who really appreciated women and lived 1000 years ago.

It's kind of both. The Shiites (or Alawites) are much more reasonable because they know what it's like to be despised by the Sunnis.

When I say Orthodox, I mean the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, which is different from the Syriac Orthodox Church, which is one of the Oriental Orthodox churches. As such, we reject monophysitism. However, we do believe in transubstantiation.

Well, you are still going to Hell for not following God's Word. There are many bad things that can be said about the crusades, but the one good thing is that European crusaders were equal opportunity killers, wiping off Muslims, Jews, and Orthodox Christians alike.

[MitzaLizalor]

Re: Greetings

Hell was also the best I could expect when I was born. These days folk suggest that words in The Bible do not mean what they say but have "special" "magic" meanings that we have to work out for ourselves. Somehow. They never seem to know how, exactly. “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

This is the sin transmitted to every baby (other than Jesus) from Adam, once he had been contaminated and started reproducing, and the reason Jesus had to die so horribly to set us free.

The Bible explains that an alternative exists. Hell need not be one's eternity, even though everybody deserves it, because of love and grace. Accepting it leads to everlasting delight praising Him in the world to come. Saying, "No thank you Jesus, I'd rather dress up and show off here on earth for a few decades, dissing your advances," has a different result: molten brimstone or (for those who like to make up their own meanings for words) everlasting torment of an undefined nature, wailing (metaphorical or otherwise) and tooth gnashing (symbolic of infinite duress or literal) over and over again.

The shallow love of this world is just that. Shallow. Fleeting. A century at best. Jesus offers Real Love with real consequences; joy for accepting, yes, but the outcome is just as real for rejection.

Christians choose Christ. I understand this may be difficult in Syria but it's always possible to read The Bible and understand the foundation of the hope offered in its pages because once The Truth is known it becomes possible to share with others and build a world not based on lies.

[Shabiha]

Re: Greetings

The Greek Orthodox community in the Middle East has been known for its involvement in communist groups, believe it or not. Like George Habash, founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

[Mary Etheldreda]

Re: Greetings

Well Shabiha, you're not utterly offensive, and you seem to have a clever head on your shoulder. I will pray for you to repent of your commie-homer-orthodox indoctrination, so cruelly unleashed upon you from infancy, in joyful anticipation of your Acceptance of Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior. I look forward to more of your thoughts on other topics throughout our humble little forums.