In early January, Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America plan to go to Palestine and Israel to study Jewish “oppression” against Palestinians.[1] This after Palestinian Hamas has cancelled a cease fire and began bombing Israel again at Christmas time, stridently provoking the present war.[2] No doubt each Bishop will come back with stories of this highly orchestrated trip, perhaps too naïve to realize that they will only see what Hamas sympathizers and Christian Dhimmis like the Lutheran Bishop of the Holy Land, Munib Younan, want them to see.[3] They will be fed the one-sided anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian narrative that their Presiding Bishop and President of the Lutheran World Federation, Mark Hanson, has become notorious for.
It is common for delegates of ELCA’s Middle East “fact finding” trips to return home only to compare Israel to Nazis.[4] And like most of the Mainline leaders, Hanson remained silent as Palestinians directed hundreds of rockets at Israel last year while rushing to demand an end to hostilities when Israel defends herself.
The Bishops will meet to strategize their next big push in their fight against Israel- a propaganda campaign against the Christians around the world who have dedicated themselves to supporting, praying for, and befriending Israel and the Jewish people. In partnership with other liberal Churches, they have put together study guides[5] that demonize friends of Israel, not only painting them with a broad brush-stroke label of “Christian Zionist,” but dishonestly mischaracterizing what Christian Zionism really is as a theological construct for understanding the identity of Israel in the salvation history of God.[6]
“Christian Zionism is a dangerous and radical political movement,” lies Hanson, all the while hoping nobody catches on to the ELCA’s own political activism and un-Christian agenda against a responsible peace in the Middle East.
To their credit, the ELCA has publicly condemned racism, the Holocaust, and the anti-Semitic statements made by the German reformer and founder of the Lutheran Church, Martin Luther, at the end of his life.
But everybody knows there is something wrong when the ELCA condemns racism, while remaining one of the least diverse denominations in the world.[7] And as we know too well in America, a disdain for Jews has gone hand in hand with white hoods and burning crosses outside of Black Churches in Alabama.
Something just doesn’t make sense when you condemn the holocaust while dedicating millions of dollars to de-stabilizing Israel in deference to the Palestinian “freedom fighters” who strap bombs to their chests in their missions to kill women and children on school buses.
It seems altogether disingenuous to condemn Martin Luther for his anti-Jewish rants while ignoring everything in the Bible that speaks of God’s divine and eternal love for the people of Israel and Jerusalem.[8] That would be like a church calling the creation story a myth, ignoring God’s teaching about marriage, sexuality, and abortion, saying that faith in Christ isn’t necessary for salvation, or ignoring your own constitution by supporting the ordination of practicing gay clergy. Sadly, all of these too are part of who the ELCA has become.
These are not just the characteristics of a rapidly shrinking denomination. These are the hallmarks of a morally bankrupt and duplicitous people and leadership.[9]
Angry about those under him who don’t agree with his radical views, Bishop Hanson spoke at a meeting in May 2008, as reported by Alan F.H. Wisdom:
“Hanson did not hesitate to denounce fellow Christians who disagreed with him on Middle East issues. “Let us as Christians admonish and challenge—publicly and face-to-face—those fellow Christians who espouse the ideology called Christian Zionism,”
“Hanson also wished to “admonish the leaders in our churches who think that, given all the pressure, conflict, and uncertainties people face, tranquility in the church is what we seek to maintain.” Referring to the ELCA standards for ordained clergy and rostered lay leaders, he asked pointedly, “How can one say that I am living in the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit and conclude the end of the Christian life should be tranquility?” The bishop wanted church leaders to engage Middle East issues even at the risk of bringing new conflicts into their congregations.”[10]
This kind of “in your face” approach advocated by the good bishop in his Church is the same militant method for “peace-making” he brings to the Middle East, some say fanning the flames of conflict. Because the ELCA has allowed Hanson to play diplomatic “house,” a complicated situation has become more complex, and the blood of innocents on both sides of the Gaza border stains their hands.
Much like Hitler’s Germany, the Bishops of the ELCA have expanded their fight against Jews to include the Christians who befriend them, pray for them, and protect them. They also continue to treacherously extend hollow words of peace to Israel- a smoke screen to conceal the dagger in their left hand- the millions of dollars they have poured into de-stabilizing the Jewish state. Even though their partnerships and organizations have sweet sounding mission statements, theirs is always a “blame the Jews first and often” approach to “peace” in the Middle East.
For example, Holy Land Lutheran Bishop Younan enjoys a close partnership with Sabeel- led by Anglican priest Naim Ateek- who fans the flames of anti-Semitism by saying that Israel is like those who crucified a Palestinian Jesus. Sabeel supports Palestinian violence against Jews, through subtext, subterfuge, and silent provocation, joining Younan in hoping for a 3rd intifada- which today it seems they accomplished.[11] Both men enjoy quiet time today at their safe and cozy Jerusalem flats, counting the personal wealth they have raised with their anti-Israel rhetoric.
Bishop Hanson dishonestly represented Yasser Arafat’s relationship with Christians in the region, thanking the father of modern terrorism for his support of Christians in what amounted to a public eulogy of the evil man shortly after his death.[12] Not only is it shameful for Christians to receive favor from the anti-Semitic and hateful murderer Arafat, Hanson minimizes and altogether ignores the harsh persecution Christians have suffered under Palestinian rule, as illustrated in journalist Justus Weiner’s monograph “Muslim and Palestinian Persecution of Christians.”[13]
On June 15th of 2007, Younan made a statement about the Palestinian Civil War, in which he is angry that the world would not recognize and happily accept the Hamas government as democratically elected. He said “Maybe it is time for deep self-evaluation for Palestinians, Israelis, and the International Community.” This kind of intentional language of “deep self-evaluation” is the English translation for the Arabic word Jihad.[14] Though Younan’s wording is a call to Jihad to the Middle Eastern ear, it is innocuous to the Western ear. Younan and Hanson are brilliant in crafting their language to always allow for plausible deniability, while their audience always knows what they really mean.
The ELCA, in their “nuanced” divestment strategy against Israel, even funds Palestinian NGO’s that refused to promise that the money they receive will not be used to support terrorism.[15] Munib Younan is the president of the board of managers for the International Christian Committee of Israel in Jerusalem, a member organization of Ittijah. As a fully empowered representative of its members, Ittijah led the charge to reject the signing of “anti-terror” clauses as a condition to receive International Aid for Palestinian NGO’s.[16]
Mark Hanson and his Bishops are leaders of the New Anti-Semitism.[17]
Like so many other Christian teachings that they have ignored as “archaic”, they seem to forget another incontrovertible fact:
Jesus was a Jew, born in Israel.
If only Bishop Hanson and all Mainline leaders who have rallied against Israel would come to the same realization that Pope John 23rd prayed near the end of his life:
“We realize now that we no longer see the beauty of Thy Chosen People and no longer recognize in their faces the features of our firstborn brother. We realize that our brows are branded with the mark of Cain. Centuries long has Abel lain in blood and tears, because we had forgotten Thy love. Forgive us the curse which we unjustly laid on the name of the Jews. Forgive us that, with our curse, we crucified Thee a second time.”[18]
But of course, be careful when you pray this prayer, because Pope John 23rd and those who pray along with him are in the rifle sight of the ELCA, who have begun their Campaign to condemn Christian friends of Israel all over the world.
- Rev. C.J. Conner
Author- Jesus and the Culture Wars: Reclaiming the Lord’s Prayer
[3] Journalist Dexter Van Zile Illustrates Bishop Munib Younan’s Dhimmi Roots
[4] ELCA delegate and radio host Jerry Hayes compares Israel to Nazi’sNazi Germany:
[5] The Jerusalem Declaration on Christian Zionism- Not one single characterization of Christian Zionism is true.
[6] In Defense of Christian Zionism: (The ELCA shares the position of Hamas on “Christian Zionism”)
[7] For 2007, 3.23 percent of ELCA baptized members were identified as people of color:
[9] 416,000 members have been lost under Hanson’s tenure
[10] “One Part Harmony by Alan F.H. Wisdom
[11] Dorit Evan writes about Sabeel’s provocation of violence:
Bishop Younan and Sabeel:
[12] Hanson’s Statement on Arafat: http://www.wfn.org/2004/11/msg00109.html
[13] Justus Weiner’s monograph: http://elca.revcjconner.com/Divestment/Christian-Persecution-Weiner.pdf
[15] Most ELCA beneficiaries are members of Ittijah, PNGO, and have supported
the rejection of anti-terror clauses: http://elca.revcjconner.com/wp-content/uploads/partnerorganizationselca.htm
Younan is on the Board of Directors of HCEF
Younan, President of ICCI, Member of Ittijah:
[17] ELCA Bans Jews From Conference in Germany, Invite Hamas Politician as a Speaker
[18] JoAnn Magnuson- Survey of Christian Zionism
