Posted on 02/25/2018 9:49:15 AM PST by richardtavor
Christian leaders today took the rare step of closing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, in protest of Israeli tax measures and a proposed property law.
The decision was made in protest against the bill, which is expected to be discussed today by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation, allowing the State to expropriate land that the churches have sold since 2010, as well as to protest the Municipality's intention to collect municipal property taxes.
"We are following with concern the systematic campaign against the churches and the Christian community in the Holy Land, in flagrant violation of the existing status quo," the church leaders wrote.
It was not immediately clear how long the closure of the church, announced by Christian officials at a news conference which began around noon, would last.
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
Thanks for clarifying! I guessed it was something like this. Sad to see some of the churches falling into this.
Render unto Caeser?
This clarifies why so many different religious organizations occasionally get into big fights over the Church. It’s because it’s not about the Church but about all of the graft that’s been attached to it.
A similar situation that I am familiar with. I grew up in Dallas, TX a few decades ago. The YMCA had a 17 story building in the middle of Downtown Dallas (605 Ervay Street) that housed a major YMCA Facility, but also had low cost housing to the indigent. It was demolished a few years ago and was replaced with a modern mixed use complex. It became perhaps the most expensive real estate in Downtown Dallas. How much more could the YMCA (or the First Baptist Church across the street) have commanded if it had its tax exempt status preserved? How much lost revenue would the city of Dallas had?
“they are trying to prevent the abuse of this policy by organizations that are trying to sell their properties for operational funds”
Not completely accurate. Bill taxes church land previously tax exempt(some of it hotels or vacant) and also allows Israel to take land(currently vacant) from the Christian Church.
“bill that would give the Israeli government power to confiscate church property. The ‘Bill of Church Lands’, sponsored by Israeli settler groups and signed by 40 members of Israel’s Knesset, was branded ‘discriminatory and racist’ as well as ‘abhorrent’ in the strongly worded statement signed by Theophilos III, Patriarch of Jerusalem”
https://www.christiantoday.com/article/jerusalems-church-of-holy-sepulchre-shuts-indefinitely-amid-fierce-row-with-israel/126376.htm
Traditional location of:
Matthew 27:59-60
And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
Interesting times!
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Similar to US tribes, particularly non reservation, who acquire property, commercial and non commercial, to be put in trust by the Dept. of Indian Affairs taking them off local real estate rolls.
Bttt.
5.56mm
Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve ELoHIM and mammon.
Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve ELoHIM and mammon.
Christian leaders, clearly an oxymoron.
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