Sabeel's (and Sizer's) Demonizing Liturgy

Below is a 2007 article from CAMERA which should be read by all. Sabeel describes itself as a Christian organization yet it is thoroughly steeped in pro-Palestinian liberation theology that uses revisionist history and anti-Israeli propaganda. Sabeel is also heavily endorsed by the crusading anti-Zionist (they're deadly) and Israeolophobic Stephen Sizer:

When Rev. Dr. Gary Burge, the man who turned God’s promise to Abraham into a cosmic “kick me” sign permanently affixed to the back of the Jewish people in his error-laden book, Whose Land? Whose Promise? appeared on Hank Hanegraff’s show in May 2007, he invoked an essay by Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek, founder of Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center as evidence that there are Palestinians opposed to acts of terror against Israel.

If you go on the web and you just simply were to Google an article by a Christian leader named Ateek A-T-E-E-K and he has an article published on the web [about] suicide bombers. Just type in Ateek and suicide bombers and there you will have a Christian leader, a Palestinian who actually comments on that kind of Muslim violence.

Readers who do as Rev. Dr. Burge suggests will find hundreds of links confirming that indeed, Rev. Dr. Ateek has condemned suicide bombings – in an essay written in English and using Christian theology.

While Rev. Dr. Ateek’s essay is often invoked before Christian audiences in the U.S. to demonstrate that indeed, Sabeel is a peacemaking organization, it is unlikely that Rev. Dr. Ateek’s essay contributed to the decline of suicide attacks that has taken place since 2004. Israel’s security barrier was built to stop attacks perpetrated by Arabic-speaking Muslims living in the West Bank or Gaza Strip, not English-speaking Presbyterians, Episcopalians or Congregationalists who are Rev. Dr. Ateek’s primary audience in the U.S. Still, for what it’s worth, different versions of Rev. Dr. Ateek’s essay are available here, here, and here. It is also appeared in the September/October 2003 issue of Church and Society, a defunct journal previously published by the Presbyterian Church (USA)...keep reading

Speaking of Sizer; Moriel's Jacob Prasch still has an open invitation to debate him:

Repeated Debate Challenge

Jacob Prasch wishes to repeat his challenge to publicly debate Anglican Stephen Sizer on Sizer's contentions that Zionism is apartheid and that the modern state of Israel does not fulfill biblical prophecy. As an Anglican in a church ordaining homosexual clergy and with a Druid Arch Bishop of Canterbury now calling for Britain to integrate elements of Islamic Sharia, anti Zionists like Sizer in a church with a pro Islamic hierarchical agenda must be challenged.

We are compelled by the evidence to regard Sizer as hypocritical and biblically ignorant and would relish the opportunity to demonstrate this in public debate before a video camera in a properly moderated format.

It is also difficult for us not to additionally suspect Sizer of being a pseudo-academic fraud, but he at least deserves the opportunity to demonstrate otherwise in a public forum.

In view of the widespread persecution of Arab, Persian, Asian, and African Christians throughout the Moslem world it is nothing short of ludicrous that Sizer continually targets Israel as the perpetrator of injustice when Israel is the solitary country in The Middle East assuring the rights and security of its Christian population.

Our expectation is that Sizer will continue to run as usual. This however simply serves to underscore the indefensible implausibility of his pseudo-scholarly and pseudo-biblical antics.

Apparently Rev. Sizer is currently too busy worrying about Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's recent treatment of the hapless President Obama, and all those TV interview trips to Indonesia and Malaysia to discuss those naughty Jews takes up a lot of his valuable time.

Sizer appears to be ignorant of the fact that the above countries are notorious for their selective tolerance towards Christians. I can vouch that I've met (and worked for) Christians who migrated to Australia to escape the intolerance of the dominant Muslim Indonesia and Malaysia.

Perhaps Sizer can discuss this with them during any forthcoming trips.

The Mainstreaming of Anti-Semitism

From American Thinker:

In a recent Shabbat sermon, the senior rabbi at one of Baltimore's largest congregations explained why, whether he liked it or not, he felt compelled to talk about Israel. He suggested that due to the voluminous number of e-mails he received discussing an article written by Ed Koch and a sermon delivered by local rabbi Mark Wohlberg, he felt compelled to discuss the topic on everyone's mind.

The opening remarks of the sermon reminded me of Obama's recent statement that "... whether we like it or not, America remains a military superpower." And while Americans have come to expect Obama's ridiculous apologies for America's exceptional nature, American Jews do not and should not accept this attitude from anyone -- least of all our rabbis. Our history and faith dictate, and our survival depends upon, our leaders -- our rabbis -- celebrating Israel's greatness and the success of the Jewish people...Read more

*************************

Don't forget the latest Off The Wall News

The Pathology of Jewish Anti-Semitism

From FrontPageMag:

Jewish anti-Semitism. It sounds like a contradiction in terms, an oxymoron or a Jackie Mason joke. If only this were the case.

Jewish anti-Semitism is all around us, part of the political air we breathe, a modern disease. In the twenty-first century the world is experiencing an explosion of it, a virtual plague. Among the most malicious and venomous of all bigots, the Jewish anti-Semites are at the forefront of every smear campaign against Israel and every attempt to cow Jews of America and the West into guilty support for those in the Middle East who would like to annihilate them. Jews today are leaders in the campaigns to boycott and “divest from” Israel, and in the leadership of the “Solidarity with Terrorists” groups. They make pilgrimage to the camps of Hamas and the Hezb’Allah, cheering on terrorists and their atrocities against Jews. They pioneered the smear campaigns to paint Israel as an apartheid regime and to stigmatize it as the moral equivalent to Nazi Germany.

Western campuses are crawling with Jewish anti-Semites. Some even hold leadership positions in Hillel houses. Many others are tenured professors. An anti-Semitic Jewish judge (Richard Goldstone) chaired a UN commission demonizing Israel. A Jewish member of Britain’s Parliament (Gerald Kaufman) compared Hamas terrorists to Jewish fighters in the Warsaw Ghetto and denounced Israel as a Nazi entity. Nor is this only an American phenomenon: a shockingly large number of Jewish anti-Semites are Israelis or ex-Israelis...continue reading

*********************

As I’ve often stated, the phenomenon of Jews attacking their own nation baffles me. Unfortunately, when this occurs it tends to legitimize anti-Semitic sentiment and inherent prejudice. In other words, if a Jew speaks out against Israel then there must be a good reason for it. But the worldwide condemnation of Israel by churches, organizations such as the UN and individuals is patently bizarre when you examine the facts and try to rationalize the behavior. As far as churches are concerned, I lay the blame squarely at the feet of a doctrine called Replacement Theology. But sometimes, eschatology can be the culprit.

Just recently I’ve been reading materials by Steve Wohlberg who is a prolific writer and front man for the Seventh Day Adventist church and who has written a book called “Exploding The Israel Deception”. In his case, the motivation for replacing Israel with the church runs much deeper than RT because his eschatology owes much to the teachings of SDA prophetess Ellen G White.

I’ve read some of Wohlberg’s articles on his WEBSITE – he’s articulate and clever but he’s no exegete. He cherry picks verses that he feels support his presuppositions. He has been called courageous by his readers for speaking out against Zionism and Dispensational errors regarding Israel. But far from being brave; he’s joined the biggest club in the world.

His understanding of Dispensationalism appears to be incomplete. There seems to be some confusion as to what Dispensationalism teaches about salvation and Israel. There is only One Way to salvation - for Israel and Gentiles. I am a Christian and belong to the body of the Church but I will never be an Israelite. My ethnic background is Gentile. A Jew can be saved, become a member of the Church and still be an Israelite inheriting all the promises extended to that nation that have NOT been abrogated. However, I realize this is a complex issue that covers much more ground than that.

Also, contrary to popular opinion, Dispensationalists do not think Israel can do no wrong. The purpose in God’s divine plan is to bring the nation back to Himself despite her failings. That will occur when she acknowledges the true Messiah. This is one of the purposes of the Great Tribulation. But judging by what I’ve been reading, I rather think that some people are seeking to find innovative ways to denigrate Israel and hold her up to a standard not applied to any other nation in the world.

One last thing, Wohlberg’s Jewish heritage has been touted as some sort of credibility factor to support the contentions found in “Exploding The Israel Deception”.

My counter to Wohlberg’s 128 page book is to recommend Dr Arnold Fruchtenbaum’s 1000 + page “Israelology” which was his doctrinal thesis. Dr Frucht’s bio.

Jer 31:34-37 "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: "If this fixed order departs From before Me," declares the LORD, "Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever." Thus says the LORD, "If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done," declares the LORD.

************************

Don't forget to read the latest Off the Wall News