Jesus’ words, when he sent out 72
disciples two by two, like “sheep among wolves” in what might have been
the first evangelical mission trip, are found in the 10th chapter of the
book of Luke. He instructed them not to waste time with those who
refused to listen. He said if a certain city “received them not,” they
should move on, leaving a ringing proclamation and condemnation behind, “even the dust of your city which clings to us do we wipe off against you.” They did not mince words or waste time on those who would not listen, and neither should we.Our challenge to Christian Zionist
churches (1) must continue, especially on the internet and social media,
where we are having increased success. More of our time will now be
spent most productively in interaction with mainline church leaders who
are beginning to understand the tragedy they are witnessing. Several
serious and qualified persons have recently contacted us asking if we
can help them start vigils in their City, and the answer is yes, and
most welcome.We have held Vigil challenges at many Christians United For Israel
spectacles and at dozens of radically committed Christian Zionist
churches. We must now recognize that John Hagee is no longer widely
respected, even in the evangelical Dispensational circles from which he
came. He has become a rich, successful buffoon with a following among
only a narrow fringe of State of Israel worshipers. Politically his call
for war against Islam, wherever he finds Muslims, is useful only to the
John McCain-like warmaking fringe of both parties. We should realize
that even McCain does not want to be associated with Hagee’s maniacal
war chant and Israel worship.Christians United For Israel was
spawned by the State of Israel in July 1991, right after Operation
Desert Storm, through one of Israel’s propaganda front organizations
called Unity Coalition for Israel (UCFI).(2) It was originally called National Unity Coalition for Israel but quietly changed its name by dropping the “National” because all the directors were Israelis. Christians United For Israel was then spun off and handed off to San Antonio Pastor John Hagee.Art Preisinger, a Lutheran minister associated with the Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism, attended a “Night To Honor Israel” at Hagee’s Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas and had this to say: “From
dramatic processions to keynote addresses; from offerings taken and
offerings given — there was not a shred, a trace, a scintilla of
Christianity in the proceedings. It (‘A Night to Honor Israel’) could
well have been sponsored by the PTA or the Rotary Club.” The fact that Jesus is left out of
meetings that honor Israel is finally becoming recognized by some
influential minorities in more than a few mainline Christian churches,
Lutheran, Methodists, Presbyterians and Mennonite to name a few. Those
who have so proclaimed may have combined memberships of perhaps 30
million members, which is no small minority!Out of necessity I would guess, CUFI
has abandoned any real effort to follow Christ’s words in order to
stand for and justify every evil act Israel perpetrates against the
Palestinians (or to Americans) for occupation and virtual imprisonment
to outright torture and murder. Hagee’s meetings attract so much Israeli
support he is compelled to forget Jesus and replace it with the
unspoken but clearly present, Israel is our god.Churches like Trinity Life Center
that support Hagee’s meetings lavish praise on, and raise funds for
Israel, but do not display enough Christianity to even mention. Jesus’
words of love, tolerance and peace represent a problem for them. rather
than a purpose. As we learned from personal contact with its pastor,
“Trinity” church might just as well rename itself “Quad-Diety Life Center,” for Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and Israel.We have long anticipated eventual help
from the Mainline churches because they are free to see Israel as it
is. Recently some fifteen mainline denominations have asked Congress to
halt military aid to Israel, because Israel simply will not stop
occupying and bombing the children of Palestine. One of these is the Presbyterian Church of America (PCUSA).(3) And In 2004 the National Council of Churches published a valuable brochure, Why We Should Be Concerned About Christian Zionism. (4)
The mainline church has had truth at
hand for a long time; it is only now waking up and taking notice. It is
time for Project Strait Gate to move on, and at a time when Vigil and
Challenge are just starting to be fun because friends want to join in.
We must devote more effort to the support of positive voices within
recovering mainline Christian denominations challenging military aid to
Israel, and saying peace must begin with peace for the Palestinians.The Philistines, a
biblical people (Gaza was the center of Philistine culture) have been
denied the statehood promised to them in 1948. Increasingly mainline
missionaries and laymen have discovered what Christian Zionism is, and
why it must be put back in its bottle. Freedom for Palestinians will
mark the end of Christian Zionism.A “church vigil,” for the benefit of new
readers, is the delivering of usually unwelcome messages to a church
leadership by a personal appearance at the church during worship hours.
The messages are usually scriptural, printed on posters held up by the
vigil participants. They are clearly understandable, in four words or
less, and since they pointedly link to the church’s teachings, they are
well understood by most of the congregation.We usually know what the
pastor thinks and teaches before we arrive.Each message repeats a written one sent a few weeks ahead of the visit and is designed to drive a wedge between the mis-leaders
and the followers being misled. When we take up what appears to be an
adversary position in front of the church, displaying a clearly
Christ-like message “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS,” there can be
no doubt that we are telling the congregation that its church leaders
are ignoring these words of peace — words that all Christians believe
came from the lips of Jesus.We know the Christian Zionist churches
are, by definition, supporters of the serial wars being perpetrated
primarily in only Israel’s interest. When we display the message “WHO WOULD JESUS BOMB?,”
we are telling everyone within sight that the leaders of that church
support those who are doing the bombing? We have learned how to put
this point forward to thousands of parishioners and their leaders, with
our handful of volunteers. The Internet has added greatly to our
exposure.Trinity Pastor Chuck Seielstad, dressed
in formal dark blue, twice walked the 150 yards or so across the church
parking lot to both greet and confront us where we stood on two sides of
his mega church while the “Concert to Honor Israel” was going on
inside. As its Senior Pastor in charge of education, Seielstad is
probably the key personality in this mega church and school. He informed
us, somewhat condescendingly, that he has a PhD and reads the Bible in
its “original Greek and Hebrew.”He also came as a benefactor, showing
Christ-like love for us by bringing us water. This is a familiar pattern
in many churches. He warned me, and our little group, to stay off the
landscaped raised bank that surrounds the large parking lot of Trinity
Life Center which “belongs to the church,” saying that we could use the
sidewalk that runs on the outside of it on the South and East sides of
the church property.Some churches bring coffee and donuts,
and some ask to pray with us. We have developed answers for these always
self-serving efforts to neutralize our message. I told Pastor Seielstad
we would accept his water on condition that he would accept and watch
to the end our classic DVD, Christian Zionism: The Tragedy and The Turning, Part 1.(5)
He agreed and accepted two copies. Later he came back and asked for two
more copies, stating he planned to use it in a class he is teaching.
Had he declined our material, we would have rejected his water even if
thirsty. We normally tell church messengers bearing gifts, such as
water, to send the gift they offer us to the Philistine children, many
of whom never see clean water, because Israel controls every drop.Seielstad’s second visit of the day,
ostensibly to see to our safety, gave me a chance to ask him two
questions: My first question was, “Where in Jesus’ words do you find
leave to help those who occupy and often kill the Palestinians?Seielstad responded with with a patented Christian Zionist dodge. He said, “There is no occupation of Palestine…why?… because there is no country named Palestine and there never was.”
Note that I asked him a direct, faith-based question about Jesus’
words, and he gave me a political answer about statehood. He no doubt
reasons, since the State of Israel and the US government (with others)
have for 65 years prevented the United Nations from recognizing
“Palestine” territory as a legal state, the people are not “occupied.”
But when asked he said they do have no right to property, security, or
life itself. Pastor Seielstad went on to tell me that God gave the land to the “Jews” through Abraham, the standard land claim made by Christian Zionists, no matter what they call themselves. Our video which Pastor Dave carried away explains the myth of the non-land grant that was never made to the non-Israelite State of Israel. I hope he watches it.My last question was: “Do you really
believe Ariel Sharon (former Prime Minister of Israel) has a direct
bloodline to Abraham?” Pastor Chuck dodged, saying he did not come out
to argue and he had duties inside. It is almost inconceivable that a
pastor in an $800 blue suit with PhD degrees in theology would not know
his statements are false, that Israel does occupy the Palestinian people
of West Bank and Gaza, and that God did not give the land to a country
that did not exist for 3000 years, and that simply borrowed its name
from a book, like the parents of every Paul, John, Mary, and Benjamin
have done, does not confer land to them. To call Seielstad a victim of
self-deception gives him the benefit of the doubt, more than he
deserves; it grants him ignorance as a cover.Our vigil at Trinity Life Center in
Sacramento was a modest success, and it was fun because of good
fellowship. Volunteers from several local and National Peace and Justice
organizations unexpectedly arrived to help us. These included a young
lady from Jewish Voice For Peace who rode her bike ten miles to get there, Allison Weir, founder of If Americans Only Knew and Chairman of Washington-based Council for the National Interest, and a Methodist Pastor from a local activist Mainline church joined us. Everyone’s words and actions were exemplary.The turnout for the free “Concert to
Honor Israel” may have been a disappointment for the sponsors; probably
only about 1/3 of the members who normally attend the church services
were there, judging from the number of cars in the parking lot.
However, CUFI has ramped up its program in Churches,
hiring full time speakers and organizers over regions, and is now
sponsoring rallies by various names, all to “honor Israel” one or two a
day! American Christians are Israel’s support base for its occupation
of Palestine, and continued US military aid, as revealed in the Jerusalem Post article, “In praise of Christian Zionists,”(6)Radical Christian Zionism may be on the
decline. Those who believe the state of Israel is the fulfillment of
biblical prophecy, and that all the evidence and accounts of Israel’s
abuse and occupation are imaginary, are aging fast and are failing to
convince youth to take their places. We have learned that the young
adults in churches are the answer because they get their news more from
social media. We also look forward to help from our new big ally, the awakening mainline churches who are speaking out at last, and have no reason not to speak out.(7)
[ed notes:via the passionate attachment
[ed notes:via the passionate attachment
