Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Replacement Theology in Bethlehem...Unbelievable!

Bethlehem to Host Church Conference Which Demonizes Israel

Theologians who are breathing new life into a kind of demonology which criminalizes all Israelis will meet in Bethlehem in March.
By Giulio Meotti
First Publish: 1/10/2012, 2:08 AM

Bethlehem - Church of Nativity
Bethlehem - Church of Nativity
Wikimedia Commons
Next March,  the Bible College in Bethlehem will host dozens of US theologians, activists and ministries for the “Christ at the Checkpoint 2012 Conference”.
It is to be a major religious and political event meant to demonize Israel and to support the Palestinian Intifada against the “ethnocentric” Jewish State.
The impressive range of Christian theologians and pastors from many churches located in the United States make the gravity of the upcoming conference clear.
Samuel Rodriguez, President of the US National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, is a speaker.
Also attending are popular US preacher and “spiritual adviser” to Bill Clinton, Tony Campolo, and President of the World Evangelical Alliance and Asia Evangelical Alliance, Sang-Bok David Kim.
Two of the conference organisers, Stephen Sizer and Sami Awad, adamantly defended the Gaza flotilla sent in May 2010 by the Turkish terror group IHH.
Another speaker, Ben White, has shared a political platform with Azzam Tamimi, who has endorsed suicide bombings against Jewish civilians in the past.
In the last few months we have seen an increase of attacks on Israel by many Christian denominations. While the United States is home to millions of Christian supporters of Israel, these are anti-Jewish Churches which are more closely attached to global public opinion, European bureaucracy, the media industry, the United Nations and various legal forums.
In fact, the “Bethlehem Call” manifesto, which serves as platform for the Bethlehem 2012 Conference, has just been published on the websites of the Would Council of Churches, the Global Ministries of the United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ.
The Bethlehem Call defines Israel as an “illegal regime” and a “crime against humanity”, it promotes “international boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigns” against Israel, labels the more neutral Churches  as “accomplices in crimes against humanity” and attacks Christian Zionism as “a crime and sin as defying the core of the Gospel”.
The Bethlehem Call also updates the “Kairos Palestine”, the major document used as global tool for the Christian struggle against Israel speaking in the behalf of “us Christian Palestinians”. Even the name of the Catholic Custodian of the Holy Land, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, prominently appears among the most important signatures in this website: http://www.kairospalestine.ps/sites/default/Documents/English.pdf
In 2007, the World Council of Churches, the umbrella organization of liberal Protestants claiming a membership of 580 million worshippers, also produced the “Amman Call”, which denies Israel’s right to continue to exist as a Jewish State by insisting that millions of Palestinians have the “right of return” to Israel.
In 2008, the World Council of Churches convened a group of Protestant and Catholic theologians to review the underpinnings of Christian attitudes about Israel. The group published the “Bern Perspective”, which, among other things, instructed Christians to understand all biblical references to Israel only “metaphorically”.
The theological meeting also marked a return to “replacement theology”, the medieval view that the Church has replaced the people of Israel in God’s plan and that all biblical references to Israel refer to the “new Israel”—that is, to Christians.
Replacement calumny has changed its language, yet still is basically a death sentence for the Jewish people. Now it is Israelis, like Lucifer, who were God’s chosen but were cast out for their rebellious and evil ways, and deserve to be obliterated from the “Holy Land”, according to this macabre theology.
Taken together, it seems these Churches are now breathing new life into a kind of demonology which criminalizes all the Jews living between the Jordan River and the Meditarranean.
The writer is an Italian journalist with Il Foglio who writes regularly for Arutz Sheva. He is the author of the much discussed book "A New Shoah", that researched the personal stories of Israel's terror victims, published by Encounter. His writing has appeared in publications, such as the Wall Street Journal, Frontpage and Commentary and has been translated for Israeli media.

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

5 comments:

Don said...

It is beyond me how anyone claiming to be a Bible believing Christian could support the "replacement theology" heresy. For them to say that God has abandoned Israel, and that Israel has now been replaced by the church, is ridiculous.

Sadly, that teaching has infiltrated many churches...and is a teaching totally contrary to Scripture. Perhaps they should try reading the Scripture to find out what God has to say about Israel...instead of twisting His Words to fit their own desires and their hatred for the Jewish people.

Don

midspoint said...

Sooo true, Don. I grieve for this country of ours, and I grieve for Israel's standing in the world...but I know it must be...prophecy is and will continue to come to pass. Woe to those who stand in opposition to God's Word!

Anonymous said...

God does not change His covenants or go back on his word. Jesus will return to the mount of Olives and will enter Jerusalem via the eastern gate. Israel belongs to the God of the bible. amen. May His nation and His people be blessed.

Unknown said...

Yes, it's unbelievable. How can any true Christian hate what God loves? I do believe that many of the promises made to Israel as a people CAN apply to the Church AS WELL. And I believe there are many Jews have grown disobedient and unbelieving to the point that many of the promises made about obedient, believing individuals are not applying to their lives.

But the hardening of some was never meant to be understood as the rejection of the whole nation. So the commandment to "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" is understood as what? Replacement theology makes God a liar because He has always promised to save a remnant for Himself, and even a careless Bible reading makes that clear.

Can we do away with Romans 10 and 11 which clearly state God's neverending love for Israel and the ultimate restoration of His chosen people?

I rejoice to think of the day when the tabernacle of David will be restored and Jews and Christians will be worshipping together. A day when Messiah will be worshipped as King. Does it really matter if we call Him Jesus or Yeshua? Well, in a sense it does but I believe God hears beyond our words and looks at our heart. Do we love Him? Really?

midspoint said...

Amen Anonymous!! Thank you for commenting...
And yes, Cari-Pau...so true and so good to see you/hear from you!! :)
God's love to you both!!

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