Tuesday, February 22, 2005
World Council of Churches gives nod to Israeli divestment proposal
"Multinational corporations have been involved in the demolition of Palestinian homes," the WCC's main governing body said in a statement adopted during a February 15-22 meeting in Geneva. They "are involved in the construction of settlements and settlement infrastructure on occupied territory, in building a dividing wall which is also largely inside occupied territory, and in other violations of international law."
The WCC's central committee commended the action of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in initiating a process of phased, selective divestment from multinational corporations involved in the occupation.
"This action is commendable in both method and manner, uses criteria rooted in faith, and calls members to 'do the things that make for peace'," the WCC committee said, referring to a biblical text (Luke 19:42). It encouraged the WCC's 347 member churches "to give serious consideration to economic measures that are equitable, transparent and non-violent."
Churches with investment funds had "an opportunity to use those funds responsibly in support of peaceful solutions to conflict", the WCC central committee noted. "Economic pressure, appropriately and openly applied, is one such means of action."...
Unstated in the release is the steps taken by the WCC and PCUSA to ensure that sales of goods and delivery of economic aid to Palestinian Arab groups do not go to assist any violent entities, and that funds disbursed to the Palestinian Authority are used for their intended purposes and do not feed the PA-produced culture of terror.
That is, of course, because there are no such steps planned.
The WCC is the parent organization of our own Leftist National Council of Churches. Discover the Network just happens to have a significant entry on them today, here which states the NCC is...
- Largest coalition of leftwing religious denominations in the United States
- Has long record of financial support for Communist regimes
- Remains faithful ally of Communist Cuba
- Reserves criticism on moral issues for Israel and the United States
- Makes common cause with environmentalist radicals
- Masks leftist politics in faith-based declarations
Thus we have yet another example of the convergence of Leftist and Islamist goals as Leftist church leaders now stand together with and empower the representatives of forces they should be opposing - in this case Palestinian Arab radicals - against the people they should be supporting - a democratic government trying to defend its people against the most genocidally motivated groups since the 1930's.
oh this one hits home to me. For years I was a Presbyterian until I couldn't take it anymore. Nice local church, but way too much moonbattyness at the national level.
As you may know, the PCUSA has had almost a 40% drop in it's membership since the late '60s. Stories like this is why.
I'm convinced that the reason they have any members at all is that the vast majority of Presbyterians have no idea what their national leadership is up to. At my local church you never heard the first word about HQ. Very surreal.
And the WCC? Like the NCC, they were virtually a Soviet front group during the Cold War. But that probably doesn't surprise you.
Nice post.
I didn't know that about the membership, although it doesn't surprise me. I'm sure that's true about a lot of denominations. It's seems so unwise for large religious denominations to get too close to any particular side in a political fight. They're bound to offend a portion of the membership.
Despite my focus on Israel and anti-Semetism, I'm not exactly a big practicing Jew, but we did decide to attend the big Passover Seder at the Synagogue my parents belong to. Thought it might be fun. Now, I'm somewhat ambivilent about Gay Marriage - I guess I'm in the "Can't we just compromise on Civil Unions" grouping - but the way they arranged the whole thing...you'd think Same-Sex Unions was the #1 issue on the minds of the ancient Israelites as they escaped Pharaoh's Egypt...I mean, yeesh.
Oh yeah, someone sent me a link to a Presbyterian Minister working the Israel issue into his sermon I'll be posting about at some point soon.