Friday, May 19, 2006
Here is a must-read piece on where we stand with regard to divestment and the mainline Protestant denominations for those who need to get caught up to speed or refreshed on the subject: Divestment roils Jewish-Presbyterian ties
Two years ago, the Presbyterian Church USA passed a resolution calling for “phased, selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel.”
Those who long have followed Jewish-Protestant relations weren’t surprised.
“It was the culmination of decades - not years, but decades - of hostility toward Israel and Zionism, not by the rank-and-file members of these churches, but by some of the leadership,” said Rabbi A. James Rudin, senior interreligious adviser for the American Jewish Committee, where he staffed the interfaith department for 38 years.
The passion ignited by the divestment resolution at the last General Assembly is likely to erupt again at the June 15-22 meeting in Birmingham, Ala...
Also, Will Spotts at Truth in Love has a run-down on all of the "overtures" that have been forwarded to the Presbyterian General Assembly, here. Nine generally "for," nineteen "against," and three neutral. Remember that the fix is already somewhat in due to some procedural wrangling as reported previously, here: Presbyterian Moderator Forwards Proposal that Would Bury Anti-Divestment Motions in Committee, but it remains to be seen how things finally shake out at the GA.
Notice in the linked article how many times Clifton Kirkpatrick uses the phrase "peace and justice" when he doesn't want to answer a tough question with any specificity. I become leery and suspicious anytime I hear a leftist employ the words "peace" or "justice" these days--as far as I can tell, they are codewords for appeasement and/or surrender on the part of Israelis and Americans.
Rudin nails it with his comment:
"“It was the culmination of decades - not years, but decades - of hostility toward Israel and Zionism, not by the rank-and-file members of these churches, but by some of the leadership,†said Rabbi A. James Rudin, senior interreligious adviser for the American Jewish Committee, where he staffed the interfaith department for 38 years."
What the Presbyterian Church does with their money is their business.
Would you like Presbyterians to start telling jews how to manage the money in their synagogues?
Since jews are inherently alien to America you should probably just make aliyah.
Actually, Chuck, when the Presbyterian church funds anti-Semites (the Sabeel Center) condones terrorism (Hezbollah) and attempts to undermine a small democracy fighting agatinst hose who would exterminate it (divestment) the immoral behavior of this church becomes the business of all decent people.
Jews arrived in this country in 1654 and participated in the founding of the Republic. A Republic, by the by, founded on the principle of inclusion of everyone willing to support the ideals expressed in the Declaration and the Constitution.