Who are these Protestants?
I’m gonna go out on a limb and slam church on a Sunday. Tough.
I have a question for certain Protestants. Do you pay attention to the politics of your Church (at the national level)? For example, Presbyterians: Does it not bother you that they are targeting five US companies that they say “ target="_blank">impede efforts to secure a just peace among Israelis and Palestinians?”
The companies selected for initial focus are:
* Caterpillar – Caterpillar manufactures heavy equipment used for demolition of Palestinian homes, the uprooting of olive trees, construction of roads and infrastructure in the occupied territories for use only by Israeli settlers, and facilitating by the Israeli military.
* Citigroup – Citigroup is a large international bank cited by the Wall Street Journal on April 20, 2005, for having moved substantial funds from charities later seen to be fronts funneling money to terrorist organizations. Some of these funds ended up as payments to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers.
* ITT Industries – ITT Industries is a diversified manufacturer that supplies the Israeli military with communications, electronic and night vision equipment used by its forces in the occupied territories.
* Motorola – Motorola recently won a contract to develop wireless encrypted communications for the Israeli military in the occupied territories. Additionally, it is a majority investor in one of Israel’s four cell phone companies. This investment is controversial because cell phone companies, according to the Oslo Agreement of 1995, must be licensed by the Palestinian Authority in order to operate in the West Bank and Gaza. With powerful facilities in the settlements, with a range covering all of the occupied territories, this licensing has not occurred.
* United Technologies – United Technologies is a large military contractor whose subsidiary has provided helicopters to the Israeli military. They have been used in attacks in the occupied territories against suspected Palestinian terrorists. The company also provides other military hardware.
I’m asking this sincerely. I can’t believe all Presbyterians are left-wingers who support the “Palestinians.” (Scare quotes intentional.)
Citigroup is one thing; that shi’ite disgusts me and you can be sure I won’t have anything to do with them–I don’t currently, and now I never will. But the others–they target one of our strongest allies!
I said this is just one example. WTF is going on with mainstream Protestant churches? Nobody I know supports this kind of shi’ite!
- November 2004: The Episcopal Church voted to undergo a yearlong study of its investments in companies linked to the Israeli occupation, as well as to groups responsible for violence against Israel.
- February 2005: The Geneva-based World Council of Churches urged its 347 member churches to consider using economic pressure in the Middle East.
- June 2005: The policy-setting panel of the worldwide Anglican Communion commended the efforts of the Episcopal Church and encouraged other Anglican churches to consider initiating similar studies.
- June 2005: The Virginia and New England conferences of the United Methodist Church approved resolutions to investigate whether they have holdings in companies that profit from the Israeli occupation.
- July 2005: The General Synod of the United Church of Christ voted to investigate the possibility of using “economic leverage” as a way of pressuring both sides in the Middle East conflict.
I don’t even really know what to say. I can’t quit the church, I don’t go to any of them. I do know a hell of a lot of people who do, though, and like I said, they’re not Jew-hating moonbats. (Really, how many “Palestinian”-sympathizing moonbats even go to church at all?) Is this some kind of dirty little secret that the parishioners aren’t even aware of?
Jo's Cafe says:
Linking Love from Jo
Alrighty!! Now that on Sunday’s we don’t have Specials of they Day anymore, I am going to try every other week or so to run my blog roll and favorite websites and do some linking.
Remember - I’m doing this so you can see what others write about, an…
MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy » Blog Archive » The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly says:
[...] ackback post, and you can’t even work up a good rant because you blew it all out two days ago? Hand out reading assignments and linky love! [...]
dingo says:
1) please stop saying that if you are a liberal who wants an independent Palestine, you are a “Jew hater.” While most of my Jewish friends will just laugh it off and say it shows how disingenuous the right really is by using Jews for their own political gain, it really is offensive to the many Jews who believe that Israel should pull the settlements out of the West Bank. If even the Jewish community is split on the issue, it is just plain childish to blanket lable people.
2) believing that there should be an independent Palestinian state does not make you anti-Israel. I believe in an independent Palestinian state… I marched in the Israeli day parade last year. The two are not antithetical. In fact, many of us believe the two are dependant on each other.
3) Would you criticize the church if it pulled its money out of companies that made equipment to perform abortions?
4) If you can’t find the distinction between the controversy over the settlements in the West Bank, and the controversy over the existence of Israel, then there is no way to ever really debate the issue. You have to address them as two distinct problems.
SANEE says:
Please donot spread hate, whether against Muslim or others just on the basis of religion.