A reason to hate?
Peter Sammons reflects upon the 2021 Methodist Conference endorsement of “Cry for Hope”.
Taking sides
Methodist Conference 2021 affirmed the Kairos ‘report’ “Cry For Hope” which weighs in on the “side” of the Palestinians in the ongoing difficulties in Israel. Kairos in turn issued “a call for decisive action”, that this is “time to recognise Israel as an Apartheid State” and to “confirm the Palestinians’ right to resist”. On the latter, this is presumably a Methodist endorsement of military action. Am I being unfair?
Words, words, words ….
Methodist Conference debate sessions were recorded and initially uploaded to the Methodist UK website, but have since been taken down with only their polite and loving “public” videos remaining. However, whilst they were still available online I followed a long and rather boring video session on “Cry for Hope”. One of their speakers (a woman) said “Soldiers of Hamas should not be referred to as terrorists, they should be referred to as soldiers”. Ironic, given that western governments universally perceive Hamas as a terror organisation. But not some Methodists!
That such a foolish and un-Christian comment should be made publicly is, perhaps, unsurprising. That this incendiary statement was not commented upon at the Conference – and was later uploaded to the Methodist website – is rather more shocking.
Excuses
The motion to affirm the Kairos “Cry for Hope” report was widely endorsed by the Conference. It’s funny how Christians can always find “excuses” to persecute Jews – they seem only to need a casus belli, in this case the all- too- convenient Palestinian ‘cause’.
In my book “Rebel Church” (2013) I anticipated growing anti-semitism amongst the institutional churches in the years ahead (and up to the return of our Lord) and invited readers to ‘watch this space’ in terms of Church-based anti-semitism dressed up as anti-Israelism. Sadly, I seem to have been 100% right. Despite recent Anglican calls for public renunciation of mediaeval years of anti-Jewish persecution (link below), the feeling that antisemitism lurks just below the surface of the institutional churches is difficult to avoid.
We’re nice, really!
Oh yes! These calls are always accompanied by censures against anti-semitism and statements that all that is desired is ‘peace for all’. These calls may sound very “Christian” but ignore that, under current plans, it is the Israelis – as always – who will have to pay the price. Still, so long as we have a REASON to hate ……
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Note – The Conversation is a decidedly anti-Christian website, but this report is interesting, nevertheless:
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Why the near universal Jew hatred? Steve Maltz explores this in his book Outcast Nation: https://www.sppublishing.com/outcast-nation-15-p.asp
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Rebel Church – A challenge and an encouragement to the Believer. Freely available as a PDF here:
https://christian-publications-int.com/images/PDF/RebelChurch.pdf
Rebel Church – A challenge and an encouragement to the Believer, paperback, here:
https://christian-publications-int.com/default-42.html?ID=122
Why the near universal Jew hatred? Steve Maltz explores this in his book Outcast Nation: https://www.sppublishing.com/outcast-nation-15-p.asp
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