May 1, 2012

The World Week of Peace in Palestine and Israel is coming soon, and there are now two full services and additional worship ideas created by United Church folks available, as well as links to other ideas for May 27-June 3.  

This is also Annual Meeting time for a number of Conferences--these could be good ready-to-go resources for those doing pulpit supply! 

So as the National Post sees it, a group of 15 activists gets to define all United Church members basically as anti-Semitic? This article is pretty unfair to the United Church I think. 

National Post: Why United Church activists are targeting Israel

Do you think veteran White House news reporter Helen Thomas  resigned rather than stay in the  boiling tea pot after some Anti Israeli comments she made blew up in her face? 

Is she an extreme and famous case of what happens to those who go public in the US with a little sympathy for Palestinians or with opposition to something Israel does? 

Did something about the way Ms Thomas offered her comments make her deserve to be attacked from all sides as though she had committed treason ?

An armed Israeli ship has attacked an aid ship in international waters, killing at least nineteen people and injuring dozens more. It was carrying food and medical supples to Palestine. The law calls that piracy and murder.

Is it at all possible that this might been seen in the context of religion and faith?

Nah, it's far more important to discuss basic concepts, like whether Mary might have been a lesbian.

Most of the discussion about Israel and Palestine has been nothing more than fuss and bluster. That's because most people who post have little knowledge of the nature of war, and so become suckers for the propaganda of both sides. We get windy statements about international law when, in fact, there is almost no effective international law dealing with this. We get tales of how the "other side" hides behind civilians when, in fact, all urban fighting leads to high civilian casualities, and always has done so.

We already have a very long thread on Palestine. I have often added to it, and it has probably said as much as can be said for now. But what has bothered me from almost the start is that we may have been neglecting the christian perspective in shaping our thoughts. We have talked almost exclusively about bringing peace to the region and, by connection, who is responsible for what is going on.