Admiral Thomas Moorer, Chair of the Joint Chief of Staff under
Ronald Reagan, wrote about the consequences of Jewish power over the U.S.
policy towards Israel:
I have never seen a president - I
don’t care who he is – stand up to the Israelis. It just boggles the mind. They
always get what they want. If the American people understood what a grip those
people have on our government, they would rise up in arms. Our citizens don’t
have any idea what goes on.[1]
Screenwriter and film director, Oliver Stone appearing on
the Stephen Colbert Late Show said, “Israel interfered in the U.S. election
more than Russia. Why don’t you ask me about that?” That was too rich for the
American audience. CBS deleted it. Israel cannot be disparaged on national
television.
But, that is the world of politics which I seldom understand. My question is about the responsibility of
the church. The Christian community in Palestine has cried for the church to be
their voice and to take up their cause for 70 years. Yet, the pulpits across
America have been mostly muted. Marc Ellis, years ago, wrote about the
“ecumenical deal” in which the church agreed to never question the oppression
of the Palestinian people by Israel in exchange for peaceful relationships with
the Jewish community.
So, now, after years of failed “peace talks,” hundreds of
check points, major bombardments on Gaza and a settler population of a half
million, I find myself wanting to boycott the church of which I have been a
part my entire life. I want to find other places for my money and support.
But, the church does so much good, I am told. And that is
true. But, if to “do good,” means to sweep decades of gross injustice under the
rug, I am ready to separate myself from the church and jump out of its wagon. Let me be clear, I am not being pushed, I am
choosing to jump.
If all the parts of my body work just like they should and
just one organ, say, my liver, does not do its thing, I am not 99% healthy, I
am 100% sick. In the same way, if all
the missions of the church function just as planned, but it has nothing to say
about the injustice done to the Palestinians, supported and financed by our
government, and the church remains mostly silent, the church is not almost
healthy, it is totally sick.
Do I think my criticism of the church will cause it to speak
up and do right.? Of course not. But
even a casual reading of the Old Testament prophets and almost any part of the Gospels
should.
The church can continue to comfort its members or it can
take a stand against injustice, but I don’t know how it can do both at the same
time.
Thomas Are
July 12, 2017
[1] These
quote from Thomas Moorer and Olive Stone are confirmed by Philip Giraldi, Israel’s Dirty Little Secret, How it drives
US policy exploiting a spineless Congress and White House., June 20, 2017
100% ! The late Robert Andrews, long the chaplain of the University of Delaware taught that Palestine and the Palestinians are the pivotal moral issue of our time. Since the 50 day war in 2014, we ask a church if they support Israel and if the answer is not an unequivocal "No" we pass by.
ReplyDeleteTruly amazed at how so many so called Christians are conditioned to support 'israel' which by rights should not even exist. So easily conditioned and never to ask questions. So much for Christian values.
ReplyDeleteObama was pretty rational about Israel. He went toe to toe with Bibi Netanyahu.
ReplyDeleteDearest Thomas,
ReplyDeleteReading your latest letter brought tears to my eyes and I felt a strong desire to write you a few words. So here they are in form of a small quote:
“When you come to the place where the branch in the road is quite apparent, you cannot go ahead. You must go either one way or the other. For now if you go straight ahead, the way you went before you reached the branch, you will go nowhere. The whole purpose of coming this far was to decide which branch you will take now. The way you came no longer matters. It can no longer serve. No one who reaches this far can make the wrong decision, although he can delay. And there is no part of the journey that seems
more hopeless and futile than standing where the road branches, and not deciding on which way to go.
It is but the first few steps along the right way that seem hard, for you have chosen, although you still may think you can go back and make the other choice. This is not so. A choice made with the power of Heaven to uphold it cannot be undone. Your way is decided. There will be nothing you will not be told, if you acknowledge this.”
We may be strongly opposed to the people who has occupied the holy land, but we should always remember that they too are our brothers.
I am confident that your chosen way is the right way.
In love and respect
Erik Refner
The things written here are true, but there are also extenuating circumstances. George Washington was guilty of murder in regard to the natives who sided with the British during the revolutionary war, but few take the side of the natives. Villages and peoples were annihilated. In war, atrocities are the norm as with our current wars in the Middle East. Israel has been at war for 70 years. The Arabs have declared their intent to annihilate them. While it is true that they cause the Palestinians to suffer, it is also true that the Palestinians have caused Israel to suffer. It is the nature of the beast. Every culture and religion strives to survive. If they perceive an enemy, they turn their eyes from injustices. In their minds injustice is deserved. This is true for everyone. I have seen no one exempt.
ReplyDeletePure rationalizing....In our day there is nothing so arrogantly one sided and evil as this effort by Zionists to masquerade their cause as pure and undefiled
DeleteThe self-proclaimed state of Israel permenantly forfeited it's right to exist.
ReplyDelete