'Kairos Palestine Document' Site Added to Conference Website

9/2/2010

A section devoted to the Kairos Palestine Document has been added to the Israel-Palestine Task Force site on cnumc.org, the website of the California-Nevada Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.

The site's introductory material states the document is Palestinian Christians' message concerning the "oppression, displacement, suffering and clear apartheid" they have faced for more than six decades. More than a year in the writing, the document asks the international community to stand by the Palestinian people.
 
In June, the Israel-Palestine Task Force petitioned the California-Nevada Annual Conference Session, commending study of the Kairos Palestine Document. The task force urges all congregations, boards, agencies, and caucuses to read it and to "join in an appropriate response in covenant with our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land."
 
The Israel-Palestine Task Force falls under the Conference Board of Missions. To locate it on the website, click on "Ministries" to bring up the Ministries Home Page. There, under "Outreach and Justice Ministry Team," you'll find "Board of Missions" and below it, a link to the Israel-Palestine Task Force site. (You also may navigate to it by clicking on "Boards and Agencies" in the menu on the right side of the Ministries Home Page.)
 
Clicking on any link to Israel-Palestine Task Force will bring up a right-side menu that includes a link to Kairos Palestine Document.

Comments

1. David Marshak wrote on 10/1/2010 4:59:40 PM
"Our Lord Jesus Christ came, proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was near. He provoked a revolution in the life and faith of all humanity. He came with "a new teaching" (Mk 1:27), casting a new light on the Old Testament, on the themes that relate to our Christian faith and our daily lives, themes such as the promises, the election, the people of God and the land. We believe that the Word of God is a living Word, casting a particular light on each period of history, manifesting to Christian believers what God is saying to us here and now. For this reason, it is unacceptable to transform the Word of God into letters of stone that pervert the love of God and His providence in the life of both peoples and individuals. This is precisely the error in fundamentalist Biblical interpretation that brings us death and destruction when the word of God is petrified and transmitted from generation to generation as a dead letter. This dead letter is used as a weapon in our present history in order to deprive us of our rights in our own land." That seems to criticize Judaism. If Methodists do not intend to do that, they should explain what they do mean by it. "In light of the teachings of the Holy Bible, the promise of the land has never been a political program, but rather the prelude to complete universal salvation. It was the initiation of the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God on earth." Jews believe it was a political program which Joshua and others implemented. It is not intended as a modern political program. "It is the duty of those of us who live here, to respect the will of God for this land. It is our duty to liberate it from the evil of injustice and war. It is God's land and therefore it must be a land of reconciliation, peace and love." We could all benefit from large doses of humility in thinking we know for sure the details of what God wants. "Therefore, we declare that any use of the Bible to legitimize or support political options and positions that are based upon injustice, imposed by one person on another, or by one people on another, transform religion into human ideology and strip the Word of God of its holiness, its universality and truth." Here again that can be construed as criticizing Judaism. "We also declare that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land is a sin against God and humanity because it deprives the Palestinians of their basic human rights, bestowed by God." The implication is that everyone who supports Israel and opposes boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) is a sinner. That includes many Jews. If Methodists don't mean that, it would be nice for them to explain how they do view us. "God alone is good, almighty and loving and His goodness will one day be victorious over the evil in which we find ourselves." We can all agree with that even though we have very different ideas about God's plans for humanity. "Hope means not giving in to evil but rather standing up to it and continuing to resist it." The human condition is that any of us can support evil while being sure we are doing God's will. That includes Jews, Muslims, and Christians. So again, large doses of humility and careful thought about why we are sure we are right are very appropriate. Those of us who oppose this document and BDS are also sure we are fighting for what is right. Some of us are not however as quick to view those we don't agree with as evil. "Finally responsibility lies with the perpetrators of the injustice; they must liberate themselves from the evil that is in them and the injustice they have imposed on others." Again, that seems to be saying evil is in a lot of Jews. Not a helpful message of peace and not a new thing for Christians to believe.