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Christian Witness

The Jerusalem Declaration on Christian Zionism

A statement by the Patriarch and Local Heads of Churches In Jerusalem:

“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

Christian Zionism is a modern theological and political movement that embraces the most extreme ideological positions of Zionism, thereby becoming detrimental to a just peace within Palestine and Israel. The Christian Zionist programme provides a worldview where the Gospel is identified with the ideology of empire, colonialism and militarism. In its extreme form, it laces an emphasis on apocalyptic events leading to the end of history rather than living Christ’s love and justice today.
We categorically reject Christian Zionist doctrines as false teaching that corrupts the biblical message of love, justice and reconciliation.

We further reject the contemporary alliance of Christian Zionist leaders and organizations with elements in the governments of Israel and the United States that are presently imposing their unilateral pre-emptive borders and domination over Palestine. This inevitably leads to unending cycles of violence that undermine the security of all peoples of the Middle East and the rest of the world.

We reject the teachings of Christian Zionism that facilitate and support these policies as they advance racial exclusivity and perpetual war rather than the gospel of universal love, redemption and reconciliation taught by Jesus Christ. Rather than condemn the world to the doom of Armageddon we call upon everyone to liberate themselves from the ideologies of militarism and occupation. Instead, let them pursue the healing of the nations!

We call upon Christians in Churches on every continent to pray for the Palestinian and Israeli people, both of whom are suffering as victims of occupation and militarism. These discriminative actions are turning Palestine into impoverished ghettos surrounded by exclusive Israeli settlements. The establishment of the illegal settlements and the construction of the Separation Wall on confiscated Palestinian land undermines the viability of a Palestinian state as well as peace and security in the entire region.

We call upon all Churches that remain silent, to break their silence and speak for reconciliation with justice in the Holy Land.

Therefore, we commit ourselves to the following principles as an alternative way:

We affirm that all people are created in the image of God. In turn they are called to honor the dignity of every human being and to respect their inalienable rights.

We affirm that Israelis and Palestinians are capable of living together within peace, justice and security.

We affirm that Palestinians are one people, both Muslim and Christian. We reject all attempts to subvert and fragment their unity.

We call upon all people to reject the narrow world view of Christian Zionism and other ideologies that privilege one people at the expense of others.

We are committed to non-violent resistance as the most effective means to end the illegal occupation in order to attain a just and lasting peace.

With urgency we warn that Christian Zionism and its alliances are justifying colonization, apartheid and empire-building.

God demands that justice be done. No enduring peace, security or reconciliation is possible without the foundation of justice. The demands of justice will not disappear. The struggle for justice must be pursued diligently and persistently but non-violently.

“What does the Lord require of you, to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

This is where we take our stand. We stand for justice. We can do no other. Justice alone guarantees a peace that will lead to reconciliation with a life of security and prosperity for all the peoples of our Land. By standing on the side of justice, we open ourselves to the work of peace – and working for peace makes us children of God.

“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Cor 5:19)

His Beattitude Patriarch Michel Sabbah
Latin Patriarchate, Jerusalem

Archbishop Swerios Malki Mourad,
Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate, Jerusalem

Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal,
Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East

Bishop Munib Younan,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land

To which I say Amen.

Tip ‘o the biretta to Fr. Jim Tucker.

Christian Witness

To whom are we bound – part 2

…and Derek the Ænglican states while commenting on “The Liturgical Spectrum”:

One of the ironies of the modern world, of course, is that nobody can remember exactly why we ordain with a red stole (though it’s white in some places). Yes, red is for Pentecost…which means the new deacon/priest has an expensive bit of liturgical formalwear to be worn exactly one day out of the year… It makes a lot more sense in an establishments [sic] that celebrates the martyrs. Not only is it handy and frequently used, but it gives a slightly different cast to the notion of ordination and the priesthood; you are reminded, through color, of the martyrs and your place in their ranks. It is incumbent upon you to hold true to the witness for which they died and to remind people not only of their sacrifice but why the faith is something worth dying for…

Christian Witness, Current Events, Political

To whom are we bound?

Jeff Culbreath at Hallowed Things comments on California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s signing of SB 1441, a Bill that seeks to prevent any government funding of any private institution that follows a code of conduct contrary to the wishes of the State. In California: The Slide Continues he states:

Today, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB1441 into law. This tyrannical bill further marginalizes Californians with traditional beliefs by preventing “parochial schools, such as private, Christian, Catholic, Mormon, and many other religious universities, from receiving student financial assistance if they also maintain a student code of conduct preventing behavior deemed immoral by their religious beliefs.— Homeschoolers could be impacted, as many California homeschoolers use public charter school programs or the homeschooling programs of registered private schools. The remainder of California homeschoolers are independently registered as “private” schools with the state: these should not be affected (unless they are somehow receiving state assistance), but the stage is set to go after them next.

I follow Huw Raphael’s line of thinking. In Dance all you want he states:

Religious groups accept money from the state and then discover that the state can change the rules.

Oopsie.

Any school, college, daycare provider, business or entity, social service agency, hospital, or other organization that provides services to the state and receives state funding for those services must set aside their moral/religious views or face an elimination of contracts and funding. There are no exceptions in the new California Law.

Now I do not expect a huge change in the landscape of California’s educational, healthcare, or social service network. Nothing will happen right away because the state will only selectively enforce the law when someone or some group is denied services. Everyone will cover their ears and sing a merry tune in the meantime, at least until they get slapped. Then there will be a lot of hand wringing.

Newer Christian organizations (at least under Bush initiatives) and Catholic organization (for a long time now) have tied themselves too tightly to the cash flow coming from the government. Sure, government is a cash cow – but it is also a golden calf.

We are being offered another opportunity to witness to the strength of our faith. Which will it be, values or money?

I do not pray for success, I ask for faithfulness. — Mother Teresa

Church leaders should heed those words.

Christian Witness

Beheading the witnesses

On this Solemnity of the Beheading of the Baptist I think it is right to reflect on the trend toward making public expressions of faith a crime.

There is a slow moving degradation of our ability to witness to Christ without outright persecution.

I’m not calling our ability to witness a ‘right’ because it is more than that —“ it is a Divine command and an obligation. The rights handed to us by governments can change in fairly rapid order. The obligations we have toward God are eternal. Regardless of the existence of a right, we must remain faithful to the Lord.

A recent case in point is the criminal charges that were pressed against Artur Boruc, a Catholic Pole who plays goal for the Celtic soccer club. Mr. Boruc makes it a regular practice to make the Sign of the Cross as soccer matches. The Scottish prosecutor thinks that doing so is a bad idea and that the Sign of the Cross —provoked alarm and crowd trouble— and —constituted a breach of the peace—. For showing his faith Mr. Boruc received a formal police caution. Some in the football crowd showed that they are little more than racists and bigots.

The opposing team at the match was the Rangers. The match occurred on their home field. Their fan club had this to say: —Boruc should have been dealt with immediately after the February 12 incident by his club.—

That’s right, lets deal with these people. I’m thinking gladiators and lions…

An excerpt from the Evening Standard article: Footballer gets criminal record for making sign of the cross follows:

Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc has been cautioned for blessing himself in a match against arch rivals Rangers.

The Catholic Church has condemned the cautioning of a Polish footballer for gestures which allegedly included blessing himself at an Old Firm match.

Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc was cautioned after complaints were made about his behaviour at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow in front of Ranger’s fans.

Strathclyde Police investigated claims that Boruc, 26, angered a section of the home support after allegedly making the religious gesture at the start of the second half of the game on February 12.

Officers submitted a report to the Procurator Fiscal.

A Crown Office spokesman said: “The procurator fiscal has issued an alternative to prosecution in this case.

“On this occasion, the actions included a combination of behaviour before a crowd in the charged atmosphere of an Old Firm match which provoked alarm and crowd trouble and as such constituted a breach of the peace.

“This quite properly resulted in the matter being reported to the procurator fiscal for consideration. Having looked at the full circumstances in this instance the public interest has been best served by the decision to resolve the matter with an alternative to prosecution.”

The alternative to prosecution being persecution…

We are being reminded in not so subtle ways that our duties toward God are going to run up against both subtle and vehement opposition. The question for each of us is whether we will persevere. Through the intercession of St. John the Baptist may we be granted the grace of humble and final perseverance.

Christian Witness, Political

Please, don’t speak truth to power

The word is out. Sister Helen Prejean, the tireless Catholic crusader against the death penalty has been uninvited from a Roman Catholic speaking engagement by a Bishop.

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Duluth, Minnesota, the Most Rev. Dennis Schnurr, disagrees with the good sister’s public criticism of President Bush’s war policies. She has publicly called for his removal from office.

Perhaps the Bishop doesn’t personally think he should have uninvited her? Perhaps powerful money interest Roman Catholics wanted her gone? You think?

The Duluth News Tribune ran an article on the issue: Diocese cancels nun’s Duluth talk because of anti-Bush newspaper ad. In the article they state in regard to the Bishop’s actions:

In a letter to some diocese residents sent Monday, Duluth Bishop Dennis Schnurr said the decision to cancel the event and Prejean’s address was based on her name appearing on an Aug. 3 New York Times advertisement calling for President Bush to be removed from office.

Schnurr said the ad was brought to his attention by lay people in the diocese.

“Upon reviewing the advertisement, I find that I share their concerns,” Schnurr said in the letter. “Therefore we have made the difficult decision to cancel her appearance.”

Perhaps the Bishop wasn’t listening, he was simply obeying the ‘lay’ Republican deep pockets in his diocese?

You can see the good sister’s take on these events at her website. She states in part:

I signed the ad because as a follower of the way of Jesus and a U.S. citizen, I cannot stand by passively and silently as I witness my government wage such grievous oppression and violence. It has been this same spirit of engaged citizenship that has for the past twenty years led me to speak out against the death penalty while encouraging my fellow citizens and my church to deeper reflection on the issue…

Exactly! Perhaps the Bishop forgot that sister is a U.S. Citizen and is entitled to have an opinion. She is also entitled to publicly advocate her views. More than forgetting the duties and rights of citizens, he has forgotten his obligation to speak truth to power. That’s telling the moneyed:

“There is still one thing left for you: sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

or

‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”

or

For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

And he should remember:

…if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful.

Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.

The Church has a treasure in the sister’s work. It has a treasure in her voice. The Bishop should re-invite sister and pastor those who have complained, teaching them Catholic truth.

The Church’s message trumps politics and must always witness truth, tax exempt status notwithstanding.

Take a moment and let the Bishop know how to witness. Check out the Diocesan website which opened tonight to Psalm 27:7-9

Of you my heart has said, —Seek His face!—

If only…

Tip o’ the biretta to the Young Fogey who highlights the comments at The Gaelic Starover: Diocese Punishes Work of Mercy.

Christian Witness, Current Events

How dare you say peace…

Check out the posting from Eunomia: War Is the Worst Solution. The writer is commenting on the Pope’s calls for peace and certain ‘Christians’ who are calling for his head, as noted in First Things.

It’s sad really when Christians can’t see history clearly (as the Young Fogey points out), can’t see their faith clearly, and can’t separate faith from a political agenda.

Faith and loyalty to God are so far beyond politics. As governments and politics change (you can check out all the examples throughout history), today’s Christo-politicos will become tomorrows dinner for lions.

All we have is our faith —“ let’s get with the program.

Christian Witness, Media

Billy Graham interview

Newsweek magazine’s August 14th issue contains an interview with and retrospective on Billy Graham.

In Pilgrim’s Progress the Rev. Franklin Graham comments on his father and the culture wars: —…my father does not feel God has called him to speak out against any particular sin. He is against all sin…—

It is a wide ranging interview and well worth the read, especially if you believe that Christians are called to witness truth to power.

Amen.

Christian Witness, Current Events

Doing the right thing

The Buffalo News is reporting on two faith communities in Buffalo that are doing the right thing. They are reclaiming a portion of the city most people have written off as drug and crime infested. They are restoring value to a portion of the city where people who own homes have to abandon them. They cannot sell, as many of the properties have a negative value.

Check out the article: On the East Side, growth is at home: 3 new housing developments may be able to transform some moribund neighborhoods

Three new housing developments are popping up in an unexpected place – Buffalo’s East Side.

One development involves the transformation of one of the city’s oldest public housing complexes into a mix of rental properties and market-rate homes or townhouses.

Another plans the transformation of a 16-block area around the Masjid Zakariya mosque on Sobieski Street.

And the third – being built without any government subsidies – includes the construction of 40 suburban-style homes around St. Stanislaus Catholic Church on Peckham Street.

Religious institutions are centerpieces of two of the housing initiatives as faith-based groups get more active in revitalizing neighborhoods.

The projects also are within a mile or two of each other in a part of the city where such activity – no matter who sponsors it – has not been the norm.

Christian Witness

The Bishops Speak

Metropolitan Herman, Primate of The Orthodox Church in America

Metropolitan Herman expresses deep concern over Middle East crisis to the patriarchs of Jerusalem and Antioch

SYOSSET, NY [OCA Communications] —” As the crisis in the Middle East widens, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, Primate of The Orthodox Church in America, sent letters of support to His Beatitude, Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch and All the East, and His Beatitude, Patriarch Theophilus of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine, in which he shares the concern and prayers of the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America.

The text of the letters, dated July 26, 2006, reads as follows.

“It is with deep sadness and profound distress that we watch the conflict in the Middle East escalate to such already devastating proportions. We deplore the continuing bloodshed and violence that afflicts those lands rich in Biblical history and Christian ancestry. And we call upon all persons involved to negotiate an immediate cease-fire and to work together for a just, peaceful, and lasting solution, not only to this present crisis, but also to the many probems that are the source of such conflict.

“We implore all persons of good will to prayerfully reflect upon the evil nature of the violence that continues to plague the Middle East. We urge them to remember that Our Lord, Jesus Christ, never condoned violence or war in any form, but rather calls upon us to ‘love your enemies’ [Matthew 5:44]. And we encourage them to seek an enduring peace, which alone is the final solution to all human strife and discord.

“We join Your Beatitudes and the entire Patriarchates of Antioch and Jerusalem in praying for the innocent people, of all faiths, whose lives are, and will continue to be, torn apart by the untold violence, suffering, and death that are the results of such conflict. And we especially pray for the Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, and Greek Orthodox Christians, so often ignored by the world community as an insignificant minority. Knowing that every human life is precious in the sight of God, we are asking our faithful to unite all the more fervently in ‘prayer and fasting’ [Matthew 17:21], that this present crisis will be resolved quickly, ending its toll of suffering and death.

“On behalf of the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America, please accept from my unworthiness our expression of solidarity and love during this difficult time.”

Archbishop Christodoulos of the Greek Orthodox Church

Greek Orthodox Church warns Israel: ‘Fear God’s wrath’

The leader of Greece’s Orthodox Church, Archbishop Christodoulos, accused Israel on Sunday of “sacrificing innocent civilians” in its bombardment of Lebanon.

“Israel’s actions within its right to self defense have long exceeded any rational limit,” Christodoulos said on Sunday.

“[They are] sacrificing innocent civilians by the hundreds, and creating refugees by the thousands,” he added, telling the Israeli authorities, “Do not provoke our consciences. Do not feed the world condemnation against you. It is not in your interest…Fear God’s wrath.”

The church has played a lead role in sheltering Greek evacuees from Lebanon who have no home or close relatives in Greece.

Philip, Antiochian Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America

Metropolitan Philip’s Appeal

Brother Hierarchs, Reverend Clergy, Esteemed Members of the Archdiocese Board of Trustees, Parish Councils and God-fearing Faithful of our Archdiocese:

Greetings in the name of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I write to you while the bombs are falling on Lebanon. As you have been hearing in the media (i.e. television, newspapers and the internet), Lebanon is being systematically destroyed, both the infrastructure and, more importantly, the people. Everyone agrees that the result is a humanitarian disaster for the people of Lebanon.

As of today, there are close to 400 Lebanese men, women and children who have been killed. The number of displaced Lebanese is approaching one million! We see in the news men, women and children being killed, maimed and burned by phosphate bombs. At the same time, Red Cross ambulances carrying the sick and wounded are being targeted; airports, communications systems, bridges and roads have been destroyed and entire neighborhoods have been leveled. To put things in real and human terms, we were recently informed of one of our faithful from the Archdiocese of Zahle who was driving with his two children. An Israeli bomb hit their car, seriously injuring the father and one child and killing the other, a 15 year old boy. Just yesterday, a family of eight was killed in their home by an Israeli bomb. These are but two stories from among thousands.

My beloved faithful, Lebanon is part of our Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East. So many of the people of our Archdiocese have their spiritual and cultural roots in Lebanon and especially in Beirut and South Lebanon (such as Jdeidet Marj’ayoun) where the majority of the destruction is taking place. Yesterday, I spoke with Metropolitan ELIAS of Beirut and he told me of the deplorable and dire conditions in his archdiocese and the Archdiocese of Tyre and Sidon (South Lebanon). He asked for our fervent prayers and help for Lebanon. I assured him of our unceasing prayers and that we will do our part to help. Therefore, I appeal to you to give generously to help the suffering people of Lebanon.

Finally, as we prepare to begin the Dormition Fast on August 1, let us beseech the most-holy Theotokos to intercede for the suffering people of Lebanon.

Your Father in Christ,

+Metropolitan PHILIP
Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America

Pope Benedict XVI

Angelus Message of Sunday, 23 July 2006

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Thanks to you all for such a warm and cordial welcome. Thank you, Your Excellency [Bishop Giuseppe Anfossi of Aosta], for your kind words, in which you mentioned that last Thursday, in the face of the worsening situation in the Middle East, I had convoked for this Sunday a special day of prayer and penance, inviting Pastors, faithful and all believers to implore the gift of peace from God.

I strongly renew my appeal to the Parties in conflict to immediately adopt a ceasefire, to permit the sending of humanitarian aid and to seek new ways with the support of the international community to begin negotiations.

I take this opportunity to reaffirm the right of the Lebanese to the integrity and sovereignty of their Country, the right of the Israelis to live in peace in their State and the right of Palestinians to possess a free and sovereign Homeland.

Furthermore, I am particularly close to the defenceless civilian populations, unjustly stricken in a conflict of which they are no more than victims: both those in Galilee who have been forced to live in shelters and the great multitude of Lebanese who are once again seeing their Country destroyed and have had to leave everything to seek safety elsewhere.

I raise a heartfelt prayer to God so that the aspiration to peace of the vast majority of the population will be realized as soon as possible through the unanimous commitment of those in charge.

I also renew my appeal to all charitable organizations to convey to those peoples the material expression of common solidarity…

Christian Witness, Poland - Polish - Polonia

Nativist Bigotry

It still goes on. Reference Guy in Store Is Clearly Polish by Doug McHone at CoffeeSwirls.

He posts this under the category skunkbusters. He explains what a skunkbuster is here.

Uh, sorry, I don’t get it (maybe I’m at a Home Depot rather that at a faith blog). How is laughing at and mocking people a means to spiritual growth?

Mr. McHone, stay away from the ethnic stuff. You just give the secular humanists another target to point to and say – ‘the Christians aren’t very Christian.’

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