Evangelicals quiet about war in Lebanon

[deadparrot]

In the flurry of pro and con statements from American Christians regarding Israel's strikes on Hezbollah guerrillas, one major religious group has remained notably quiet — evangelicals.

The biggest organizations in the movement, usually vocal backers of the Jewish state, have made no formal comment on the war in Lebanon despite pleas from Israelis that they do so.

Among those who have taken no official stand are the National Association of Evangelicals, which represents thousands of local churches and ministries, and the 16.2 million-member Southern Baptist Convention, the largest U.S. Protestant denomination.

The Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the evangelical association, insists the inaction is not a criticism of Israel, but reflects a new caution about the risks for Christians living in Muslim countries. After the Sept. 11 attacks, American evangelicals came out strongly against terrorists, with some calling Islam a violent religion. That created a backlash overseas.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060811/ap_on_re_us/evangelicals_israel

[IndianaGreen]

1. They are quiet because they are waiting for the Second Coming

and they don't want to jeopardize their one way ticket to the Rapture, or is it the rupture?

[maseman]

2. Maybe

Maybe, just maybe some of these groups see that the commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill" is something to be taken seriously.

[PCIntern]

7. Yeah...except that's not the commandment in Hebrew...

"Thou shalt not murder."

[IntiRaymi]

10. Who cares what it says?

Morality is not determined by an old book.

[Lars39]

11. Parse it however you wish, innocents are still dead.

[Rose Siding]

3. Meanwhile: Service Set To Pray For Middle East Peace

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A number of area nonprofit and faith organizations plan to hold a public day of prayer Sunday in response to escalating conflict in the Middle East.

http://www.wral.com/goodnews/9660917/detail.html

Vigil participants pray for peace
WEST CHESTER TWP. — As the war between Israel and the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah enters its second month, many Muslims, Jews and Christians here are joining to pray for peace.

Hundreds of local residents met Monday night at the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati to hold a candlelight vigil and pray for peace in the Middle East.

http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/08/08/hjn080806islamvigil_s.html

Prayer service seeks to bring Mideast peace
The idea for the interfaith service came from parishioners at Christ the King Parish, Father Brown said.

The Rev. Larry Clark, executive director of the Toledo Area Ministries and a United Methodist minister, said that although the prayer service was in response to the outbreak of violence between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, the participants are taking a broader view of the need for peace.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060805/NEWS10/608050412

[Fridays Child]

4. John Hagee and Pat Robertson have been running their mouths and their...

...cash registers big time, over the Lebanon-Israel conflict.

[JI7]

5. fuck the Muslim babies, they can all die

but be cautious about the Christian babies, but they are still brown Christian babies so they will keep quiet instead of condemning Israel.

bunch of disgusting bigots. fuck them all.

[DeSwiss]

12. JI7, you hit the nail on the head n/t

[C_U_L8R]

6. They goofed on their prediction

They first were in a lather about beaming
up to the mothership on August 3rd.

Well of course nothing happened...

So now they are predicting August 22.

They've been doing this since the dawn of time..
and every time they've been mistaken.

You'd think they'd figure SOMETHING out.

Sheesh

[booksenkatz]

8. It's hard to make much noise

when your mouth is salivating excessively with anticipation.

[stepnw1f]

9. There are Christians in Lebanon

I guess they don't care... plain and simple. The stkes are too high, and I'm sure they enjoy their weekly allowances way too much to really do anything about it. Priorities must come first, Jesus last.

[Megahurtz]

13. They're being quiet because they think they're just going to disappear

and be "Raptured" away from the havoc.

:rofl:

[Tunkamerica]

14. um, pat robertson and the 700 club talk about it every day

...he's in israel and has been for at least 4 or 5 days.

I work in a television station that plays the show, so i see it every day. And isn't he one of the most visible evangelicals?

[BrotherBuzz]

15. Why it the HELL is a Christian organization not speaking out!

One of those liberal Christian organizations that I've been loosely affiliate with for close to fifty years has spoken out in very simple language. Why won't the evangelicals do the same?

Thomas, Rogers-Witte on Israel, Hezbollah and U.S.: 'All sides must stop killing and devastation’

Written by J. Bennett Guess   
Thursday, 27 July 2006

Two UCC national officers have issued a two-page statement saying both Israel and Hezbollah must stop their continued use of violence, but they also called on the U.S. government to "work diplomatically" rather than providing military equipment that only escalates the bloodshed and destruction.

"We are dismayed at the audacity of both Israel and Hezbollah to commit to continued violence," wrote UCC General Minister and President John H. Thomas and Wider Church Ministries Executive Cally Rogers-Witte in a joint statement dated July 26. "We are troubled that the U.S. leadership has sent advance-shipments of bombs to re-arm Israel and encouraged Israel to take due time to bomb Hezbollah despite the disproportionate impact on the Lebanese people and landscape. We are troubled by those in the U.S. Congress who call for a wider war with Syria and Iran."

The UCC leaders also criticized any attempt to use Christian theology to support the violent conflict.

"We are especially distraught that some in leadership twist the label Christian, and use the name of the Prince of Peace, to assert that this violence is ordained and justified because their biblical lens views Israel in an apocalyptic drama and any criticism as blasphemy," Thomas and Rogers-Witte wrote.

"We mourn the death of all those killed in Lebanon, Israel and Gaza, and despair for the lives and land indelibly scarred by the violence," the statement said. "All sides must stop the killing and devastation."

.....

Rev. Cally Rogers-Witte's full statement is found here:

http://news.ucc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=624&Itemid=1