Posted on 09/04/2006 7:31:31 PM PDT by Esther Ruth
Sep. 5, 2006 0:51 | Updated Sep. 5, 2006 2:13
Christian Zionists Angry Over Slur
By ETGAR LEFKOVITS
The leaders of three Jerusalem-based Christian Evangelical organizations on Monday voiced distress over a recent proclamation by the Latin Patriarch and the heads of three other churches in Jerusalem issuing a stinging and virtually unprecedented public criticism of Christian Zionism and their unflinching support for the State of Israel.
The bitter inter-Christian tiff followed an August 22 "Jerusalem Declaration on Christian Zionism" signed by the outgoing Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah, Archbishop Swerios Malki Mourad of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate, Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal of the Episcopal Church and Bishop Munib Younan of the Lutheran Church, was indicative of the deep discord and resentment within the Christian Church over the Evangelicals' support for Israel.
The declaration lambasted Christian Zionism as a "false teaching" that "condemn[s] the world to the doom of Armageddon."
"It is with concern that we note the negative opinions about Christian Zionism voiced by certain church clerics in Jerusalem... using inflammatory language they have expressed views that are far from the truth," read a joint response by the heads of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, Bridges for Peace and Christian Friends of Israel.
"We find the paper unbalanced and notably one-sided. It totally ignores the jihadist goals of the Hamas Government and turns a blind eye to terrorism perpetrated by this regime," the statement read.
The unusually-harsh statement by the Latin Patriarch, who is a Palestinian, comes at a time of burgeoning ties between Israel and the Christian Evangelical community around the world.
"Christian Zionism is a modern theological and political movement that embraces the most extreme ideological positions of Zionism, thereby becoming detrimental to a just peace within Palestine and Israel," the Jerusalem declaration claimed, calling Christian Zionism "a false doctrine that corrupts the biblical message of love, justice and reconciliation."
"A Christian Zionist believes in a literal interpretation of the Bible, and rejects replacement theology which played a pivotal role in the persecution of Jews through the centuries and under-girded the Holocaust," the Evangelical leaders wrote in their six-point response. "Christian Zionism is not heretical; in fact, Christians from all traditional backgrounds have held such a view for two thousand years.
"We pray for peace but we note with sadness that the present Palestinian government is totally dedicated to the destruction of Israel."
The assault on Christian Zionism, which also included an attack on their alliance with Israeli groups, were the clearest signs to date that the ever-growing friendship between the two sides is increasingly worrying to non-Evangelical Christian groups.
"We further reject the contemporary alliance of Christian Zionist leaders and organizations with elements in the governments of Israel and the US that are presently imposing preemptive borders and domination over Palestine," the proclamation reads, in what appears to be a indirect reference to the Knesset's increasingly-influential "Christian Allies Caucus," the cross-party parliamentary lobby that works with Christian supporters of Israel around the world.
The acerbic and open attack on Christian Zionists also served as an indication of the immense chasm that exists between the various Church leaders living in Jerusalem.
The three Christian Evangelical leaders who wrote the response, Malcolm Hedding, Rebecca Brimmer and Ray Sanders, noted that there has been no dialogue whatsoever between the Jerusalem clerics and themselves, calling such meetings a "Biblical prerequisite."
"We feel that we have been treated with disrespect and disdain, and attacked by the issuing of this public declaration," they wrote. "They present themselves as lovers of justice, mercy, truth and peace. This public attack seems lacking in those qualities."
Imo, Lutheranism in America long ago lost any claim to being a Christian chuch.
BTTT
"....who is a Palestinian."
Sabbah is a joke. When the Pali's took over the Church of the Nativity in 2002 and completely desecrated it, who did he blame, the Israelis.
"A Christian Zionist believes in a literal interpretation of the Bible, and rejects replacement theology which played a pivotal role in the persecution of Jews through the centuries and under-girded the Holocaust," the Evangelical leaders wrote in their six-point response.
I'm thinking most of the 'Jewish replacements' will still be here after the Rapture...No wonder they don't want to believe it's true...
How can you be Christian and be pissed off only if it feeds you political way of being mad at the Repuplican Party
Not all fundamentalist churches are proIsrael. Israel should be supported because it is an ally. Other than that, it should be considered about the same as any other country with friendly ties to the United States who is surrounded by neighbors who are trying to get rid of it (Taiwan is another case in point, though it only has one neighbor but that neighbor is far stronger than all the Middle East (southwestern Asia) combined).
The pali Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, and the usual feckless mainline protestent Epicopalian and Luthern ministers are good little pc dhimmi christians. What a pathetic performance.
Why? Because, Islam insists on not co-existing with any other religion. Its that simple. So, Israel has irritated the situation but it isn't even barely the cause.
Quick course in remembering the cause.
Convert or Die Video from our friends at Al Qaeda. via Hot Air (edited)
Oh bull. This is so absurd one does not know where to start. Are you even aware that Yasir Arafat's uncle was known as the "fuhrer of the Muslims", and helped convince Hitler to exterminate Jews rather then simply kick them out or Germany? The Palestinian conflict is a continuation of this attempt to exterminate them, plain and simple.
Can you not figure out that when one side is asked to supply "land" and the other to supply "peace", which side must have been the aggressor?
Are you not aware that Arabs cared very little for the whole "Promised land" until the state of Israel was restablished?
The problem is that the Muslim world is largely controlled by followers of the blood thirsty tyrant Mohammed.
Are you both either drugged or insane? Get a frickin clue. The problem is Islam. Try reading English.
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel.
also Keywords 2006israelwar or WOT [War on Terror]
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ping
Oh goody! Another posting policeman!
Like we don't have enough of those here.
Well, there's the problem, isn't it? Identifying the enemy.
People like Michael Sabbah & Co believe "our common enemies" include the nation of Israel and evangelical Christians.
And people like me would put Pali-lovers like Michael Sabbah into that category.
Lay the blame for the strife on the people who started it by this unnecessary attack on their fellow Christians, not upon the people here who are only reacting to it.
I'm sorry you feel that way. FR is place for voicing opinions, and that is my opinion.
No, sauropod, of course, is entitled to his/her opinion, as I am entitled to mine.
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