WIESENTHAL CENTER: PROPOSED LUTHERAN DIVESTMENT RESOLUTION DENIES LEGITIMACY OF JEWISH STATE

Simon Wiesenthal Center ^ | 8-9-05

[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.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

This church body lost me sometime ago -- refuse to support any Church that belongs to the National Council of Churches. Not one red cent of mine is going to the liberal National Council of Churches.

AMEN!!! Either the schmucks still sitting in the pews don't know that they're supporting a left-wing political organization, which is working against them , or they don't care. Ignorance is bliss.

[familyop]

Thank you. I'll add the Nation of Islam to the list, along with Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad. The names of all of those organizations will look appropriate together on the list.

[CzarNicky]

As I have said in previous posts. These clowns have no ability to do that. No one listens to them as it is. In 100 years even their "churches" will be gone.

[familyop]

"As I have said in previous posts. These clowns have no ability to do that. No one listens to them as it is. In 100 years even their "churches" will be gone."

...except that they're calling for all of their national socialist corporate investor members to divest from the few businesses that are friendly to Israel.

I'm collecting a list of closet Caligula lobby (board members and officers) corporations to boycott.

[PhiKapMom]

I got in a disagreement about the NCC during the Elian travesty. I haven't been back in a NCC affiliated church since.

[AmishDude]

You know, their 100% right, but I would think that the Simon Wiesenthal center might have bigger fish to fry than the Caribbean Lutherans. I'm quite sure that only 4 out of the 13 Caribbean Lutherans are truly anti-Semitic.

[PhiKapMom]

I had it with the ELCA sometime back over their heading in a liberal direction. I don't intend to go to Church to come away irritated. Last time I was in an ELCA I almost walked out on the sermon so I didn't return. After the Elian debacle, I started checking out what Church bodies were members of the NCC -- not going to any of those either.

Think this may be why local nondemoninational churches are beginning to gain members. We had a church start up with 20 members and it now has over 2,000 and attracted people from a lot of the so-called "mainstream" churches. Kind of like the "mainstream" media if you ask me with both very liberal!

[AmishDude]

The kinds of people that get into the hierarchies of Protestant churches are a real problem. I'd guess, though, that the Caribbean synod is in reality less than a synod and more of a mission.

The PCUSA's actions are much more heinous, far-reaching and damaging.

[moonman]

I've been a Lutheran for over 40 years, having left the Mennonite Church in my mid-teens. This article is nothing but bonk, intended to throw a stink blanket over an entire Christian denomination. I never heard of a 'Church's Caribbean Synod'. Have any of you before this article?

I personally have never been to a church service and listened to anything derogatory toward the Jewish State (Israel), but I sure have heard about radical psycopathic Palestinian Muslims.

I find it amazing that they go on and cite other Christian denomiations by name, so that the ignorant readers would think that they also have taken part previously in the degrading of the Jewish State, but, not quite as bad as these asswipe 'Church's Caribbean Synod' did.

I find it very offensive, after being life time supporter of Israel and Jewish people to read this sh*t!

Rule #1: Always check the motive.

The motive here is obvious to me.

[AmishDude]

The free media attention that they get from this is worth more, I'd imagine, than the Caribbean synod's total investment in Israel.

[AmishDude]

their=they're. Brain fart, I know better.

[Sabramerican]

The motive here is obvious to me.

I'm not as discerning as you. Could you explain it to me?

[bvw]

Maybe YOU should take your own good advice. Not only check the motive of that last post, but to check the facts that the Wiestenthal Center represented regarding the Evangelical Lutherans. Being as you were born plain, so to speak, I'd doubt that you are an evangelical. You might be, but I'd be surprised. Always something to be learned, though.

[LittleBoPeep]

I'm ELCA and I hope they lose 99% of their membership!!!

[Artemis Webb]

Before converting to Catholicism six years ago I was a member of the ELCA. Even being well aware of the church's liberalism I was quite happy there.

Having said that I will never forgive the ELCA if they even come close to passing this resolution.

[AmishDude]

Well, the motive isn't obvious to me. The fact is that the church hierarchy often operates wildly at odds with the people in the pews. Your church might be excellent, there are awesome ELCA churches out there. I had to leave a great one in Pittsburgh.

Link to the Caribbean synod. No indication of the divestment resolution on their website.

The email is info@lutherancariboffice.com

Link to the congregations in the synod. There are only 35. That's not much. A quick guesstimate has me calculating about 3000 in the pews on Sunday. That's not much for a synod.

[Artemis Webb]

"In 1998 the Caribbean Synod celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Lutheran presence in Puerto Rico. Missionaries were sent to Puerto Rico from the General Synod, the General Council, and later the United Lutheran Church, all of which were predecessors of the Lutheran Church in America, now part of the ELCA. The Augustana Synod sent many long-term and experienced pastors and church workers. Notable among them were missionaries Albert and Betty Ostrom, who served from 1905 - 1931and began training Puerto Ricans for pastoral service.

The Lutheran Church in Puerto Rico is part of the Caribbean Synod of the ELCA. It has 27 congregations with 26 active pastors and approximately 4,500 members. Congregations in Puerto Rico participate fully in the programs and missions of the ELCA. All use the Spanish language except one congregation in San Juan which has English services to serve the needs of expatriates from the Virgin Islands and other places. Puerto Ricans have been citizens of the U.S.A. since 1917, and Puerto Rico has been a Commonwealth since 1952."

Source: elca.org

[AmishDude]

They have a partnership with the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin (includes Madison). As Leftist as Madison is, my guess is that the rest of that synod would not be amused by this little action.

[DoughtyOne]

It's interesting that you linked the media and the NCC churches. In truth, they are part of the same sickness. When the move toward Christianity comes as the pendulum swings, it's the NCC churches that will gain members IMO. The media will whoop it up and damn those who have remained steadfast and ventured out on their own.

The left doesn't fear the apostate. It fears the true believer.

Take a look at the church a lot of movie starts have now clamoured onto. Need I say more?

I do lament even their lost souls. There will be a lot of wailing.

IMO, we have entered a period where two clear sides are taking form. The left has chosen. The apostate have chosen. It should surprise no one that their actions will begin to resemble more and more the demonic leader whose call they have answered.

It's time for study, devotion and steadfastness.