Posted on 08/09/2005 4:32:07 PM PDT by SJackson
The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a leading Jewish human rights organization, is urging Bishop Mark Hanson and the leadership of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to reject a proposed resolution by the Church’s Caribbean Synod that denies Israel’s legitimacy and calls for ELCA to push for divestment of the Jewish State. ELCA is convening its biennial Assembly in Orlando today.
"The Caribbean Synod’s proposed resolution is a major escalation in the worldwide political campaign to delegitimize Israel and is in keeping with the spirit of the 1975 UN resolution that equated Zionism with racism," charged Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Wiesenthal Center.
The language of the proposed resolution alleges "57 years" of Israeli occupation, effectively rejecting Israel’s legitimacy as a sovereign state and casting her as "tyrannical," a "colonizer" and an "occupier."
"This resolution goes way beyond any of the resolutions recently passed by the U.S. Presbyterian Church, the United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ," continued Cooper. "It dispenses with politically-correct window dressing including any concern for the security of Israel or of Israel’s right to a secure future."
The Caribbean Synod’s resolution also depicts Israel’s anti-terrorism security fence as a "cement wall on confiscated Palestinian land" with no reference to the suicide bombing campaign launched by Palestinian terrorists which has killed over 1,000 Israeli citizens, the equivalent to 50,000 Americans.
"The Wiesenthal Center urges Bishop Hanson and all of the delegates to the ELCA Assembly in Orlando to reject this one-sided racist document, continued Cooper. "Its passage will not help a single Palestinian, but will damage interfaith relations. We instead urge ELCA to find proactive and positive ways to further humanitarianism and peace in the Holy Land," he concluded.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe.
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This is the first I've heard of this evil.
It pays to know your own church and it's affiliations well these days. It would be quite fitting if this church lost 80% plus of it's membership.
I don't know much about the ELCA, nor the Caribbean Synod, which I presume isn't particularly significant. However many of the members of the Christian Groups taking an anti-Israel stance recently complain that a "fringe group" snuck the proposition by us, though with the exception of the British academics, nothing seems to be withdrawn.
By refusing to recognize Israel's right to defend her citizens, as well as attempting to destroy Israel economically.
Probably more accurate to characterize these folk as Christian jihadists, out to destroy the Jewish state.
The Leftist campaign against Israel continues. Why do I belong to one of these "Christian" denominations?
It's not going to. Loyalty to one's church is just like loyalty to your local high school football team. They will take anything. There will be a gradual drip, drip, drip but forget 80% of ELCA Lutherans waking up and saying they have enough.
Why do you?
I'm sure they're no worse than any other religions population base. It's a sad commentary on each of us when bad things happen withing our church, yet we defend it blindly.
Probably more accurate to characterize these folk as Christian jihadists, out to destroy the Jewish state.
Or groups divesting their money from a country they do not support. Just because you don't agree with them does not mean you have the right to tell them what to do with their money.
>>>It pays to know your own church and it's affiliations well these days. It would be quite fitting if this church lost 80% plus of it's membership.
They've pretty much lost me...
This is NOT surprising at so many levels.
Far too much importance is being placed on this week's vote. If the resolutions get beat back, it does not mean the denomination has retreated back to its biblical roots one bit.
It's well known that many African-Americans hate Jews and hate Israel, and that has been true for years.
I guess if that's what it takes...
Too bad really...
Not to imply, I didn't think your actions were right BTW.
You asked how it's an attack on Israel's legitimacy, I explained it to you.
Personally, I don't care what they do with their money. They can burn it. They can give it to Abu Mazen. They can't give it to Hamas. My guess they're NOT investing it in Israeli companies to begin with.
Not investing in companies investing in Israel, their business I suppose, and their Arab allies.
Pressuring American companies not to do business with Israel, or companies doing business with Israel, which is what they're doing, imo getting close to cooperation with the Arab boycott (illegal), but who cares. Laws are in the eye of the beholder after all, and no one is going to go after a Church group.
Yes, just time to regroup and try another angle.
Thanks for the comments.
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