Palestinian Christians slam Pence's pro-Israel faith
(Worthy News) - Palestinian Christians say U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's brand of evangelical Christianity, with its fervent embrace of modern-day Israel as fulfilment of biblical prophecy, lacks their faith's compassion and justice, including for those who have endured half a century of Israeli occupation.
Pence was in Jerusalem on Monday, expressing his full-throated support for Israel in a speech to parliament filled with biblical references. During an exuberant welcome, Pence and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejoiced in the Trump administration's decision last month to recognize contested Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
The dramatic policy shift is seen as a betrayal by the Palestinians, who claim Jerusalem's Israeli-annexed eastern sector as a capital and now reject U.S. mediation in any future efforts to resolve their long-running conflict with Israel. The Jerusalem pivot also upset some of Washington's Arab allies, particularly Jordan, where King Abdullah II laid out his disagreement with U.S. policy to the visiting Pence in unusually pointed remarks Sunday. [ Source: Fox News (Read More...) ]
Yeah ok not real Christian's if you don't understand that Jerusalem belongs to the Jews the second oxymoron
This article makes no sense.
It would appear that what is at the issue is (several) things. The "lack of compassion" complained about later in this article, seems to be about the USA withholding millions of dollars to the UN agency that then sends it to Palestinian refugees, and too often the widows and survivors of terrorism. One can only assume this then is about Palestinian Christians complaining because some or most of them (like Palestinian Muslim refugees there) will lose out on the handouts. Warning was given. They are not US citizens starving inside or outside of the USA, when did the USA become Provider to the world? If they are Christians, look to the real Savior of the world Y'shua, that's not the USA! Nor should it be though it is true the USA has over-given in past years, even for decades, attempting to save the world. That was folly. Our folly blessed other nations, be glad, turn your gratitude to Jesus, for it was God who blessed you through US foolishly thinking it could save the world. Also, the funding from the USA is only withheld while issues are being resolved, it is not yet cancelled.
Why would Palestinian Christians not like Jerusalem to be recognized as Israel's capital? Do they want it for themselves? Um, that would be Catholic theology, not Christian. If they are Christians, we can assume they've read their Bibles and know it as God's written Word recorded for all time to mankind and its many recording of Israel's history and of Jerusalem as it's capital. We know already why Palestinian Muslims don't want it so, they don't want Jews anywhere near them, period. They continue to fill their children with fantasies of Jerusalem as their own "holy" city. They argue because a (long) past US President recognized the newly given (by Britain) Land back to the Jews and it's amazing how Muslims (and Christian Palestinians?) keep asking for it to be taken from the Jews and given now to them instead.
So, back to what is not explained in this article, why would Palestinian Christians not want Jerusalem named Israel's capital? Why? Are these "Palestinian Christians" one and the same as the Arab Christians we hear about living there, many of whom were born there? The author assumes "evangelical Christianity" is at fault for changes now happening in Israel. Wow. That's really giving the horse too much credit for what God does. Where and how did Trump get the power to even recognize Jerusalem the capital of Israel? How did Trump, previously not a politician at all, get into the White House? Act of God maybe?
So, on reading the rest of the article from the link provided, the best examples the author gives us of the "Palestinian Christians" referenced are of a man named "Munib Younan, the recently retired bishop of the small Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and former president of the Lutheran World Federation, an umbrella for churches with millions of believers." Who says, "When I say Jesus is love, they want my Jesus to be a political Jesus," Younan, 67, a Jerusalem-born Palestinian, said in a recent interview at his West Bank church."
It only works to say "Jesus is love" if you know what God's "love" is. In the USA, Evangelical Lutherans ordain women and and are allowed to marry gays and lesbians. Love has boundaries, like forbidding fornication and adultery. Love (Jesus) maintains marriage is for life, with few outs, and those only for the husband of an adulterous wife. There is no biblical permission for Serial Monogamy, the US brand of Polygamy and its even worse form, Polyandry. The wife gets no new husband, and the husband who wrongly divorces a wife for adultery she did not commit, is to blame for the adultery she will then commit, and for the blame of the adultery of the man she then commits it with! That's real love, of the real Jesus. It says so in every NT.
Apparently, Pence has aligned himself (and the US) with John Hagee who really is a Christian Zionist. While Younan has clearly aligned himself with Jodanian and middle eastern Catholic politics. Isn't it kinda hard to agree with both the Crusaders and Islamic theologies all at the same time? Apparently, not!
It should be pointed out that Christian Zionism believes that the Jews are "saved" (by God) by their adherence to Torah, meaning the Mosaic Law (and all too often RamBam's interpretation of it). While Christians are saved by God's grace (alone) through faith in Jesus Christ, Israel's Messiah, which does happen to be true. However, Younan, unfortunately, is an excellent example of modified Roman Catholicism, which is just Lutheranism in the 20-21st centuries. It is so named after it's founder, Martin Luther, who was a rabid anti-Semite (he was a former RC priest) after his first attempts to evangelize Jews was rebuffed.
Regardless, if Pence's (and Trump?) beliefs are Christian Zionism, they are off base on the paths to salvation for the Jewish people. There is only one Way to God.
Jesus said it, he spelled it out, clearly, to his (very Jewish) disciples,
John 14:4-12, "And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
8 Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father..." NASB
If the apostles themselves, all being rightful Jews, needed to go through Jesus (Y'shua), the Messiah, to see "the Father" and gain Paradise, so too all of Israel. There is only one gospel of Jesus Christ, not two (or three either.)
Unless, of course, you ascribe to Replacement Theology (invented by the early Catholic Churches) which would explain the complaints (other than those complaining of the loss of US contributions to Palestinian refugees) of "Christians" in Palestine.