Posted on 01/26/2008 4:14:25 AM PST by fweingart
Methodist renewal advocate Mark Tooley says United Methodist Church officials are urging church agencies and members to divest their holdings in Caterpillar Incorporated, for doing business with Israel.
Tooley, who directs the United Methodist Committee at the Institute on Religion and Democracy, says the UMC has about $15 million of Caterpillar stock in its pension fund. But he says the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society has unveiled a proposal to divest from Caterpillar ahead of the church's governing General Conference in April. Several United Methodist regional conferences have endorsed anti-Israel divestment, according to Tooley.
"It's another example of the anti-Israel bias of the mainline churches," he argues. "[They] tend to turn a blind eye towards the human rights abuses and support of terrorism of Arab regimes, but yet are very critical of and hostile towards Israel."
Tooley says the Methodist recommendation only targets Caterpillar because of the controversy that stemmed from the Presbyterian Church USA's divestment policy in 2006. "That was rather disastrous. The Presbyterians fairly quickly revoked their policy," he says. "So I think the Methodist lobby office is trying to avoid that example by simply going after one company in a symbolic way. But nonetheless, the intent is the same -- which is to punish Israel."
The Methodist renewal advocate says he is fairly hopeful that most Methodists will not go along with this divestment plan, and thinks most Americans will remain friendly toward Israel.
Good! More stock for us.
“... the UMC entity Duke University.”
Duke University and the Methodist Church severed their formal relationship many (30 or 40) years ago. There is a plaque at the entrance to the beautiful Duke Chapel that explains the historical relationship and the current situation. The UMC has absolutely no control over the operation of Duke University.
Where’s the rachel corrie graphic?
Makes one wonder how large a pension fund portfolio the Methodist Church controls and who, besides pastors, are entitled to a pension.
Our church has one and only one position on Israel and the Jews...
Unwavering support of both!!!
Hillary claims to be a devout Methodist, but then she’s an habitual liar.
I don’t need Mark Tooley to do my thinking for me, he can stick his advice in the same place as United Methodist Church officials!
Think how pleased the islamists are with crap like this.
America should shove it's big nose out of Israel completely. As Netanyahoo stated a few years ago, Israel would be much better off and could clean up the arab mess quickly.
Peace talks. Failure. Jimmy Kahtah and Arafat won Nobel Peace Prizes for absolutely nothing.
This act, on the part of the Methodist elite, in punishing Caterpillar is patently ridiculous.
Remember: each Methodist Church sends money to their synod to support nonsense like this.
Apparently, they find they have more in common with Israel’s enemies.
She's a devout worshiper of Mammon.
*sigh* this election is between a mammon, a Mormon, a muslim, a maniac, and a muchkin...
(Who did I leave out?)
The Methodist Church I grew up in in West Texas bears little resemblance to today’s ‘church’.
“The support the local church but send no funds to the national Methodist organization.”
a growing trend among methodists
What really ticks off the Palestinians is that when they look upon the vineyards of Israel they know full well that the quality of the wine is excellent, but their religion forbids drinking it.
If these raggedy heads would drink more wine, beer and spirits, they might be happier and not be so anxious to blow up innocent westerners.
Where’s the bulldozer?
“I don’t know if this is a widespread problem or just everytime a few idiots do something stupid they make a big deal about it.”
at the UMC national agencies and denomination run schools and seminaries it is worse than an epidemic (i personally have known many people at those institutions for years)
They just ignore it, or so it seems.
The church of satan will regret this when they stand before God on Judgment Day!
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy - Benjamin Franklin
Sharia law is proof that allah hates us and wants us to be miserable - nully
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