Methodist Agency Head Winker Wants Divestment of Caterpillar

Christian News Wire, Peoria Journal Star, IRD Renew et al. ^ | 10 Jan 2008 | Christian News Wire

[mbarker12474]

from the Christian News Wire release:

Methodist Lobbyist Takes Anti-Israel Divestment Agenda to Doorstep of Caterpillar Tractor

"The United Methodist Board of Church and Society apparently believes that the roadmap for Middle East peace leads through Peoria, Illinois. Does anyone really think that punishing Caterpillar will help create a peace in the Middle East?" -- Mark Tooley, Executive Director UMAction

Contact: Loralei Coyle 202-682-4131, 202-905-6852 cell, lcoyle@ird-renew.org; Radio Interviews: Jeff Walton, jwalton@ird-renew.org; both with the Institute on Religion and Democracy

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 /Christian Newswire/ -- The chief of the United Methodist Church's official lobby office is meeting tomorrow in Peoria, Illinois with Jim Owens, President and CEO of Caterpillar in order to convey his opposition to Caterpillar equipment sales to Israel. Jim Winkler and the United Methodist Board of Church and Society are urging church members and church agencies to divest their holdings in Caterpillar, Inc. Their resolution, which will go before the United Methodist General Conference in April 2008, accuses Peoria-based Caterpillar of facilitating Israel's destruction of Palestinian property.

The 7.9 million member United Methodist Church's pension agency reportedly has $5 million in Caterpillar stock out of $15 billion in assets. Similar anti-Israel divestment actions have been rejected by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the Church of England, among others. .......... ----

http://christiannewswire.com/news/939695314.html

Peoria Journal Star:

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/011208/TRI_BFFK0570.027.php

United Methodist General Board of Church & Society Resolution for 2008 General Conference:

http://www.kintera.org/atf/cf/{325AB72F-313E-4CC3-BB1A-EF0A52968A8D}/Divestment%20and%20Caterpillar.pdf

All UMC Genral Board of Church & Society proposals:

http://www.kintera.org/site/apps/fs/filesharing.asp?c=fsJNK0PKJrH&b=2176581&thisFolderID={97ADDF9E-28C6-470A-9AD4-57529F813699}

[justiceseeker93]

Ping!

[Convert from ECUSA]

The UMC, like the PCUSA, ECUSA, ELCUSA, went lefty starting way back in the sixties and seventies when they started supporting radical Marxist Turd World “liberation” groups and “leaders” like Arafart and Mugabe. Like the World Council of Chuckleheads (alias World Council of Churches), they would not know the Bible if it fell on them. Nothing but radical social clubs.

[tabsternager]

“Any church that goes against Israel is going against Jesus.”

Supporting Israel’s right to exist and protect its citizens is one thing. But supporting demolishment of homes that belong to people because they’re not Jewish is quite another.

The following is an excerpt from an article by Stephen Sizer (written in 1999 but, according to Sizer and others, it apparently still occurs):

Bishara Awad : Bethlehem Bible College
“I also visited an old friend, Bishara Awad, the Principal of Bethlehem Bible College. Bishara is a father figure, gracious, patient, yet this time, when we met, he was clearly distressed. The story he shared typifies the reasons why peace is so elusive and why many Palestinians are sceptical of ever seeing the Oslo agreement implemented. ‘Tony is a student of the College. He loves the Lord. He is a Christian. All his family are Christians. The family own a piece of land on the outskirts of Bethlehem which they bought in 1924. One day the family went to work on their land and found a bulldozer opening up a new road into their land near the edge of the Neve Daniel settlement. When they tried to stop the bulldozer, the Israeli settlers took Tony’s brother to the police station. He was not released until he signed a document promising never to go back to his land again. This has naturally been very disturbing for the family. It’s not strange for us because it is happening all the time. But this is something near to our hearts and to our students. It happened just two weeks ago. All we could do as a College is have a prayer right on the land. We prayed for peace, for justice. We prayed for the settlers, that the Lord would give them a soft heart, that they would not take someone else’s land.’”

[ariamne]

The majority of so-called “Palestinian” homes were bulldozed because they harbored terrorists, or terrorist activities, such as tunnels into Israel. Tough luck. Play by the sword, die by the sword.

[tabsternager]

“The majority of so-called ‘Palestinian’ homes were bulldozed because they harbored terrorists, or terrorist activities, such as tunnels into Israel.”

Also, in some cases, a convenient excuse to make room for more settlements.

This may come as a shock to you, but not all Palestinians are not terrorists and some of them are Christians, whom nobody seems to care about.

[GunRunner]

This may come as a shock to you, but not all Palestinians are not terrorists and some of them are Christians, whom nobody seems to care about.

Palestinians frequently, or in the case of Gaza, always, elect terrorists as their leaders. Tell me again why I should have sympathy for them.

Any group that elects Hamas to lead them deserves to be bulldozed.

[tabsternager]

“Tell me again why I should have sympathy for them.”

Who says to sympathize with terrorists?

I think the point is nobody who owns private property should have it bulldozed without compensation just because he isn’t the “right” race or religion.

But to assume all the millions of Palestinians are all terrorists is I think ridiculous.

[Larry Lucido]

I never got to be a Methodist head winker. I was always a first assistant winker.

[GunRunner]

I think the point is nobody who owns private property should have it bulldozed without compensation just because he isn’t the “right” race or religion.

What bull; that's Standard leftist anti-Israel crap that says that Israelis destroy houses because their tenants aren't the right race or religion. Arabs even serve in the Israeli legislature and can seek compensation if they' believe their property was destroyed unjustly. Can the same be true for Fatah or any Arab governments? I'd laugh if the insinuation weren't so sad and ludicrous.

Where was your outrage when Jewish property around the Arab world was confiscated after the 48 war?

[takenoprisoner]

“Their resolution, which will go before the United Methodist General Conference in April 2008, accuses Peoria-based Caterpillar of facilitating Israel’s destruction of Palestinian property. “

Then they best learn to speak Japanese. Last time I checked, a Japanese corp owns Catepillar.

[FrdmLvr]

The Methodists are very liberal, left-leaning.

[ohioman]

Are you Rachel Corrie’s Sister?

[Ignatz]

Maybe Rachel Corrie was a Pepsicolian?

[tabsternager]

“What bull; that’s Standard leftist anti-Israel crap that says that Israelis destroy houses because their tenants aren’t the right race or religion.”

Here’s just one of many accounts of Palestinian Christians
From Stephen Sizer (1999):
Bishara Awad : Bethlehem Bible College
“I also visited an old friend, Bishara Awad, the Principal of Bethlehem Bible College. Bishara is a father figure, gracious, patient, yet this time, when we met, he was clearly distressed. The story he shared typifies the reasons why peace is so elusive and why many Palestinians are sceptical of ever seeing the Oslo agreement implemented. “Tony is a student of the College. He loves the Lord. He is a Christian. All his family are Christians. The family own a piece of land on the outskirts of Bethlehem which they bought in 1924. One day the family went to work on their land and found a bulldozer opening up a new road into their land near the edge of the Neve Daniel settlement. When they tried to stop the bulldozer, the Israeli settlers took Tony’s brother to the police station. He was not released until he signed a document promising never to go back to his land again. This has naturally been very disturbing for the family. It’s not strange for us because it is happening all the time. But this is something near to our hearts and to our students. It happened just two weeks ago. All we could do as a College is have a prayer right on the land. We prayed for peace, for justice. We prayed for the settlers, that the Lord would give them a soft heart, that they would not take someone else’s land.”

I personally have heard similar stories from a friend of mine and my relatives, all U.S. Christians who lived there for years.

[JillValentine]

So even if that account is true, all the bulldozer was doing was making a new road. It doesn’t say anything about bulldozing houses.

All the houses that have been bulldozed by Israel were owned by people who were harboring terrorists. Even the Palestinians themselves don’t claim that Israel randomly bulldozes houses. The Palis simply believe that they have the right to harbor terrorists and not suffer any consequences from it. They honestly believe they have that right.

Your suggestion that Israel bulldozes houses simply because of the occupants’ race or religion is completely false. To put it another way, you are an anti-Israel bigot and you’re lying through your teeth. Your BS belongs on DU, Kos, or Aryan Brotherhood, not here. You are no conservative and it’s obvious that your so-called criticism from the right of Bush and the GOP is actually criticism from the left.

And don’t you dare try to signup-date attack me. My three years of conservative postings easily trumps your six years of liberal BS. Also, if you’ve been here this long, you should know that while there is lively debate here on FR over Israel policy, your false accusations of Israel being a racist state are absolutely not welcome. Standard policy for dealing with crap like yours is a swift ZOT.

[jwalsh07]

I’ll be sure to buy some CAT when I move out of cash.

[reg45]

When you stop reading The Bible and start reading Karl Marx instead, you tend to go in strange directions.

[humblegunner]

Head Wanker? What’s that?

One must train for many years to attain that title.

First, Wank-Helper.

Second, Wank Journeyman.

Third, Wank Foreman.

Fourth, Wank Superintendant.

Fifth, Wank Master.

Then finally Head Wanker.

It is a long wanking road.

[decimon]

It is a long wanking road.

Yeah, I remember that Beatles song.

[Alouette]

I think the point is nobody who owns private property should have it bulldozed without compensation just because he isn’t the “right” race or religion.

Please go and tell that to the Jews who were expelled from Gaza.