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| Protestant denomination calls on Israel to tear down its wall | |||
| 2005-07-28 | |||
| A major Protestant denomination demanded Israel tear down the security barrier it has built along the West Bank and pay reparations to Palestinians harmed by it, a vote that provoked criticism by Jewish leaders. More than 3,000 delegates of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a resolution stating the barrier has had "devastating effects on the lives and livelihoods of Palestinians living in the occupied territories" and they should be compensated for their losses. "We might say — sarcastically — along with Robert Frost that good walls make good neighbors. No, they do not," William McDermet III of Panama, N.Y., an ordained Disciples minister, told delegates attending the church's general assembly.
The resolution was denounced by Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, who attended the congregation's general assembly in Portland. "This resolution is an abomination," said Cooper. "It demands that Israel take action that would put millions of its citizens in immediate harm's way...no other nation would ever be asked to do the same and as a result, this politically-driven resolution is functionally anti-Semitic," he said. Cooper, who traveled to Portland along with a 25-year-old survivor of the Cafe Hillel suicide bombing, had hoped the young woman would be allowed to speak before the general assembly. But he said church leaders told him only congregation members could address the assembly during the debate. "We came here to present a Jewish voice — but were not allowed to," said Cooper. "We have traditionally had very warm and very strong relations with Protestant groups....left unaddressed, these kinds of actions will begin to corrode" that, he said. Tzippy Cohen, 25, of New York, who accompanied Cooper, said she came to tell the general assembly about what it was like to be inside Jerusalem's Cafe Hillel on Sept. 9, 2003, when a suicide bomber killed seven people. "When I hear the words 'tear down the wall' — I hear exploding cafes, buses blowing up," she wrote in the statement she had hoped to read to the assembly. In New York, the American Jewish Committee called the resolution "unfortunate," but stressed that a single resolution does not destroy an entire relationship, said David Elcott, who is the group's director for interreligious affairs.
But the church also heard from 40-year-old Rula Shubeita, a Palestinian who belongs to the congregation and who flew in from Jerusalem to urge her church to pass the resolution. The wall, she said, has divided her family — a 3-mile trip to visit her brother has turned into a 40-mile excursion. "The Israelis claim they are building this for security. Obviously, they do so to take more Palestinian lands," she said. | |||
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #15 Real Christian churches would be sending money to help build the wall! Screw these twits. The mainline churches are dying and this is one reason why. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom 2005-07-28 19:19 |
| #14 Dad's been fighting the same shit in the Lutheran Church. Me I don't care anymore. FckEm. What happened dates back to Vietnam. Remember that draft with draft exemptions for clergy. Well, guess who became clergy in large numbers and are now starting (due to age) to run all the churches. END OF STORY and maybe END of MAINLINE churches. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2005-07-28 18:04 |
| #13 As for the Berlin Wall, that was to keep people in rather than keep them out. Well, actually it was to keep people out... namely East Germans, who kept going into West Berlin and asking for asylum. You know, we don't want the rubes to escape from paradise, do we? |
| Posted by: Thaviter Hupavirt2830 2005-07-28 15:36 |
| #12 Hear, hear Danielle. Actually, He was not "pro-Jewish" but was Jewish Himself! |
| Posted by: BA 2005-07-28 15:36 |
| #11 The Christian Church broke with the Disciples because many do consider them a cult. We even dropped the Church of Christ and changed our church name because we don't agree with their philosophy. I assure you most Christians are pro-Jewish, just as our founder was. |
| Posted by: Danielle 2005-07-28 13:07 |
| #10 There is a long history of putting up walls to protect people and livestock from wild beasts. I fail to see how this situation is any different. As for the Berlin Wall, that was to keep people in rather than keep them out. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2005-07-28 12:57 |
| #9 Ed, I'm talking about a statement, not a cult. That can come later. A lot of pressure groups are made up of a lot fewer folks than we have at Rantburg. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2005-07-28 12:53 |
| #8 Not enough wimmen, and Fred will probably want to hog them all. |
| Posted by: ed 2005-07-28 11:51 |
| #7 fred, how many posters do you get on Rantburg? Perhaps its time you form the Church of Rantburg (reformed) (or church of Fred, whatever floats your boat) and send out a press statement in support of the wall on our behalf. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2005-07-28 11:48 |
| #6 Rock of Ages Where's my snake? Let's us to the geld embrace, From the morons in the aisle To the screechers pedofile Screeching Jezus that's the game Please don't knock us we're insane |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-07-28 10:55 |
| #5 "We might say — sarcastically — along with Robert Frost that good walls make good neighbors. No, they do not," William McDermet III of Panama, N.Y., an ordained Disciples minister, told delegates attending the church's general assembly. Actually, I agree with this assessment (although from a different viewpoint). I'd say the Paleos are STILL bad neighbors, even with the fence up. The vote by the Disciples of Christ follows passage of a similar resolution by the United Church of Christ earlier this month. 2b, good observation on the 3,000 number. If this group (Disciples of Christ) are tied to the Church of Christ, that would explain it. Talk to a guy very often who's a member of Church of Christ (I believe it's the United CoC, but not 100% sure). Many other Christian denominations consider them almost a cult. Started by a man up in Boston back in the 70's. But, even so, I know they probably have 3,000 members alone in 1 of their churches here in Atlanta (they've met their founder's goal of having a church in each city worldwide with a 100,000 population or more). Pretty impressive expansion, but are currently undergoing a MAJOR shakeup and power struggle, as their leader has been found w/ his hands in the cookie jar to say the least. This group (of 3,000) could be the moonbat group looking to seize power and a "voice" for the church. |
| Posted by: BA 2005-07-28 10:38 |
| #4 I suppose these people would have Taiwan eliminate its coastal defenses too. And South Korea eliminate the DMZ. And let's just throw open our border for any Mexican or terrorist who can walk or crawl across it. What the heck, China should tear down the Great Wall too -- it's a vestige of old hostilities. And raze all the castles in Europe and walled cities in the Middle East... Apparently the 770,000-member Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is similar to the U.N. -- passing lots of resolutions so they they can feel all warm and fuzzy that the've done their part for world peace. And it accomplishes nothing except to encourage more Islamic fanaticism that would ultimately like to convert or kill them. Brilliant. F'ing brilliant. |
| Posted by: Neutron Tom 2005-07-28 10:34 |
| #3 the barrier has had "devastating effects on the lives and livelihoods of Palestinians living in the occupied territories Yeah, well, those suicide bombers are kind of a downer, too, ya know. |
| Posted by: Dreadnought 2005-07-28 10:27 |
| #2 More than 3,000 delegates of the Christian 3000? Come on!!! That's like saying that 20 people showed up for a protest in Pakiland. Most of America views themselves as Christian, yet we have a mere 3000 stating view? Pleeeeas...f'n please! Who pays these people to be such rubes? |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-07-28 10:20 |
| #1 darn, I'm tired right now. So..having only skimmed this in a major way I can only say...who cares what these frauds say. So fricken sad that in a world where Christ's teachings could really benefit the disenfranchised, willing to blow themselves up rather than feed the poor, we have to put up with freaking frauds. As God wills it. Inshallah. As rantburger's already know, I'm a fan of Christ's message, but who the **&^ are these guys? |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-07-28 10:11 |