chaldean Mug

A lot of Assyrians are too proud of their roots, so they love proving that Chaldeans are really Assyrians. Let me say, if you are Chaldean, more than likely, you are historically Catholic. The name came from the Catholic church back in the 15th century to break ties Chaldeans (babylonians at the time) from their previous ties identities to other groups. Chaldeans maintain full communion with the Pope in Rome today. But the Assyrian population is not constrained by the Catholic religion. There are many different religious affiliations with the Assyrian identity, such as the Assyrian Church of the East, Assyrian Evangelical Church, and Assyrian Pentecostal Church, to name a few. Assyrian Catholics and Chaldean Catholics are ancient people, and chaldeans, syriacs, and assyrians came from one people and then split off into 3 groups, but both groups have evolved, so for anyone to say we are the same people are extremely ignorant. But let's say we are all Assyrian. Taking this information from the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA), 45% of Assyrians are Chaldeans (i.e. THE MAJORITY). The Assyrian identity proponents want a majority to change their name? Finally, as a little anecdote, as my uncle/boss was reading the article (he is around 38 years old), he asked me "what is an Assyrian?" If that doesn't clearly illustrate to you why we shoud not change our name, then I don't know what will. If a man does not even know what an Assyrian is, how can we forge through the trenches and call him an Assyrian, something he knows nothing about? Chaldeans can unite with Assyrians not through name change; it is completely unnecessary and irrelevant. When you say "Save Christians of Iraq" that encompasses all Christians, not just Chaldeans, Assyrians, and Syriacs. "Assyrian" is NOT a great unifier. Whoever decided to start this whole Assyrian campaign is an idiot. It is offensive, unintelligent, and based on hubris. It is the sole reason that there is a division today. I'm happy that Chaldeans aren't laying down and taking everything they are being spoon fed for face value. I am one of those THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of Chaldeans. Chaldeans seperating from Assyrians is older from the Americans seperating from the English. Does that make Americans truly English? NO. - H.S.