Thursday, October 11, 2007
Dexter Van Zile has an excellent backgrounder on Sabeel and the controversy surrounding their upcoming conference at Boston's historic Old South Church: Boston's Old South Church Welcomes Sabeel. It's too lengthy for any meaningful excerpt, but here's the start:
On Oct. 26-27, Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center will hold a conference at Old South Church, the flagship church of the United Church of Christ (UCC) in Boston. Old South’s decision to allow its worship space to be used by Sabeel is only the latest instance in which a prominent UCC institution has helped legitimize an anti-Zionist organization that traffics in anti-Judaic themes. Despite complaints from mainstream Jewish groups in the United States about Sabeel’s hostile rhetoric and agenda, the United Church of Christ continues to portray the organization as an ecumenical “partner” for peace in the Middle East...
Also see UCCTruths: Nancy Taylor stumps for Sabeel (so don't blame everyone in the UCC).
An active response to the event is planned. Those interested can get started at the page for Christians and Jews United for Israel.
I am a member of the old south church were Nancy Taylor is the senior pastor. Nancy Taylor did not alone make this decision to rent the church space to sabeel. The congregationist way of decision making is that the most important issues of the day are brought before the church council (basically the house of representatives) and a vote is taken. The church council voted to allow the meeting space to be used by this group. I think it has been clearly stated that the church is interested in hearing both sides of an issue. The most victimized minority is the one who has no voice no matter what side of issue they are on. The gospel of Christian Love is what is preached at the Old South Church on weekly bases. The sign out in front of the church with this week"s sermon title as "blame the jews" has never been post by a sexton or a member.