Palestinian Mayors Lobby for Christian Support

[Micah68]

Palestinian Mayors Lobby for Christian Support
08-Nov-07 Forward,
Facing the growing influence of Christian Zionists in the United States, the dwindling Christian minority in the Palestinian territories is making a renewed push to capture American hearts and minds.

Among the groups leading the call for Christian organizations to support the Palestinian cause is the Sabeel Center, a network of international organizations that draws support from key activists in liberal Christian denominations. During Sabeel’s conference at Boston’s Old South Church, the keynote speaker was Desmond Tutu, the South African Anglican Bishop.
The issue being discussed by Sabeel and other activists is the P.A.’s remaining Christians, who once made up almost 20% of the Palestinian population but have now shrunk to less than 2% due to steady emigration out of the area. The reasons for the Christian exodus from the West Bank and Gaza are in dispute. Palestinian activists claim that hardship caused by the Israeli occupation has made life unbearable and has led the generally more affluent and educated Christians to seek a better future elsewhere.
Bethlehem’s mayor, Victor Hanna Jubrail Batarseh, said that the recent rise to power of Hamas, the Islamic movement, has not been a danger to the Christian minority, though he did say that “at the end, we want to see a secular Palestinian state.”
Many Israeli advocates argue that Muslim Palestinians violently harass the Christian minority, causing the Christian exodus. Justus Reid Weiner, a lawyer who is a member of the hawkish Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs think tank, equates Palestinian Christians with battered women who decline to recognize the problem.
“It’s classical denial,” he said in a phone interview from Jerusalem. “It is so obvious who is telling the truth and who is being squeezed.”
The message that the mayors carried was one of Palestinian unity, denying any tension between Christians and Muslims despite recent flare-ups of violence in the West Bank and Gaza.
“We as Christians and Muslims live under the same culture,” Nasser said. “The only way to differentiate us is to follow us on Friday or Sunday and see where we go to pray.”
Within the Bush administration, there are signs that alternative Christian voices are beginning to be heard. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met two weeks ago with a group of evangelical leaders who support a two-state solution and oppose the views taken by such Christian Zionists as the Rev. John Hagee.
A few days later, though, Hagee put out a call to CUFI’s supporters, asking them to contact the White House to urge America’s administration not to pressure Israel into making territorial concessions.
“President Bush has been a great friend of Israel,” Hagee wrote. “But he and his team are creating a situation that is likely to place Israel in great danger.”

 

[ContentInHim]

What happened to the Christian minority in the Palestinian areas? Why did they leave?

 

[Micah68]

What happened to the Christian minority in the Palestinian areas? Why did they leave?

If you are sincere, a good place to start would be here

 

[minister50]

Liberal Christian Denominations? Isn't Liberal and Christian an oxymoron?

 

[ContentInHim]

If you are sincere, a good place to start would be here

I am sincere and I did check out your reference but couldn't get very far because of the anti-semitic viewpoint.

Do you have any references other than anti-Jewish, anti-Israel Palestinian propaganda? Just wondering.

 

[Maynard Keenan]

Liberal Christian Denominations? Isn't Liberal and Christian an oxymoron?

Not at all. There are lots of us. The problem is the conservative definition of liberal which goes something like "godless homosexual abortion-fetish atheist."

 

[Micah68]

Liberal Christian Denominations? Isn't Liberal and Christian an oxymoron?

Well, when you think of the people Christ surrounded himself with, I would say he was pretty liberal. Curoius, what makes a liberal so bad?

 

[Micah68]

Not at all. There are lots of us. The problem is the conservative definition of liberal which goes something like "godless homosexual abortion-fetish atheist."

Yep, It's a great propaganda machine isn't it?

 

[ContentInHim]

Well, when you think of the people Christ surrounded himself with, I would say he was pretty liberal. Curoius, what makes a liberal so bad?

Wow! I believe you misunderstand the meaning of liberal and conservative and confuse the spiritual and the carnal.

 

[Micah68]

Wow! I believe you misunderstand the meaning of liberal and conservative and confuse the spiritual and the carnal.

And WHAT do you think I misunderstand? Please Tell me whom did Christ surround himself with? Who did he go amongst and teach, help and heal?

 

[minister50]

Liberal and Christian? What than is a Liberal's definition of being "liberal"?

 

[Micah68]

Liberal and Christian? What than is a Liberal's definition of being "liberal"?

Well this definition sounds pretty good to me.

lib·er·al
[SIZE=-1]ADJECTIVE: [/SIZE]

1. 1. <LI type=a>Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry. <LI type=a>Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
   2. Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism.
   3. [FONT=arial,sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Liberal[/SIZE][/FONT] Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.

For myself I will add that for me God is first, I am pro-life, pro-family, pro-peace with justice for all, pro-education,I'd love to see starvation and poverty wiped out. I hold family traditions dear to my heart and adhere to the values of loving my neighbor as myself. When someone needs help I lend a hand. I believe that God loves all people, regardless. I am far from worthy of judging another or his faith as righteous.

Now my own definition, by today's standards, of a conservative pro-life and pro-war (what an oxymoron), very political on the verge of theocratic, an exclusionist and judgmental; either your in the club or you are out. I sincerely would love to see this opinion changed. Though the dictionary definition is this

con·ser·va·tive
[SIZE=-1]ADJECTIVE: [/SIZE]

1. Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change.
2. Traditional or restrained in style: [SIZE=+0]a conservative dark suit.[/SIZE]
3. Moderate; cautious: [SIZE=+0]a conservative estimate[/SIZE]

 

[ContentInHim]

And WHAT do you think I misunderstand? Please Tell me whom did Christ surround himself with? Who did he go amongst and teach, help and heal?

The sick and sinful. He healed them and told them to go and sin no more. Sounds like he wanted them to return to God's idea of the good life.

If they would not listen or did not give up their sin, his orders to his disciples were "kick the dust off your sandals and leave". Again good conservative advice.

 

[Micah68]

The sick and sinful. He healed them and told them to go and sin no more. Sounds like he wanted them to return to God's idea of the good life.

If they would not listen or did not give up their sin, his orders to his disciples were "kick the dust off your sandals and leave". Again good conservative advice.

And WHAT do you think I misunderstand?