The Peace Not Walls website of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) has been updated with some very helpful additions.
A new Situation Update page provides information from excellent sources: http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Peace-Not-Walls/Situation-Update.aspx
Detailed reports of background and actions taken at each ELCA churchwide assembly, 2005-9 are at this link: http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Peace-Not-Walls/Background.aspx
Here is where to find an expanded timeline: http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Peace-Not-Walls/Background/Timeline.aspx
Lenten resources are at this link: http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Peace-Not-Walls/Resources/Worship.aspx
A new page provides Holy Land worship resources: http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Peace-Not-Walls/Resources/Worship/Resorces-From-Holy-Land.aspx
Links to the ELCA Selective Purchasing Policy Guide (and developing a purchasing policy regarding the Middle East) are at these links - http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Peace-Not-Walls/Get-Involved.aspx
and http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Peace-Not-Walls/What-We-Do/Our-Positions.aspx
Update on Palestine Kairos Explore the Kairos Palestine statement at the Kairos website: http://www.kairospalestine.ps/
From the ELCA, online resources are available for reading and interpreting "A moment of truth: A word of faith and hope from the heart of Palestinian suffering" at this link - http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Peace-Not-Walls/Palestine-Kairos-Document-Initiative.aspx
You are encouraged to plan discussions of this document in your local settings, as happened recently at the National Cathedral in Washington. This document contains what ELCA staff call "both richly helpful and potentially controversial topics." Please see the ELCA staff comments posted on the above page as one guide to receiving this call from Palestinian Christian leaders.
From ELCA staff: "It would be a mistake to assume that the Kairos authors want readers to take note of only any one particular issue from their statement, such as the call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions. Equally important is the call to American Christians to speak out against the realities of the occupation and to work faithfully to provide alternatives to American theologies that are used to legitimize the occupation and even 'population transfer'."
Explore all aspects of the ELCA's campaign, Peace Not Walls - Stand for Justice in the Holy Land, at the website: http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Peace-Not-Walls.aspx
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To receive regular bulletins from Ann Hafften, go the the blog: A Texas Lutheran's Voice for Peace, http://www.blogspot.voicesforpeace.com/
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PRETRIB RAPTURE POLITICS
Many are still unaware of the eccentric, 180-year-old British theory underlying the politics of American evangelicals and Christian Zionists.
Journalist and historian Dave MacPherson has spent more than 40 years focusing on the origin and spread of what is known as the apocalyptic "pretribulation rapture" - the inspiration behind Hal Lindsey's bestsellers of the 1970s and Tim LaHaye's today.
Although promoters of this endtime evacuation from earth constantly repeat their slogan that "it's imminent and always has been" (which critics view more as a sales pitch than a scriptural statement), it was unknown in all official theology and organized religion before 1830.
And MacPherson's research also reveals how hostile the pretrib rapture view has been to other faiths:
It is anti-Islam. TV preacher John Hagee has been advocating "a pre-emptive military strike against Iran." (Google "Roots of Warlike Christian Zionism.")
It is anti-Jewish. MacPherson's book "The Rapture Plot" (see Armageddon Books etc.) exposes hypocritical anti-Jewishness in even the theory's foundation.
It is anti-Catholic. Lindsey and C. I. Scofield are two of many leaders who claim that the final Antichrist will be a Roman Catholic. (Google "Pretrib Hypocrisy.")
It is anti-Protestant. For this reason no major Protestant denomination has ever adopted this escapist view.
It even has some anti-evangelical aspects. The first publication promoting this novel endtime view spoke degradingly of "the name by which the mixed multitude of modern Moabites love to be distinguished, - the Evangelical World." (MacPherson's "Plot," p. 85)
Despite the above, MacPherson proves that the "glue" that holds constantly in-fighting evangelicals together long enough to be victorious voting blocs in elections is the same "fly away" view. He notes that Jerry Falwell, when giving political speeches just before an election, would unfailingly state: "We believe in the pretribulational rapture!"
In addition to "The Rapture Plot," MacPherson's many internet articles include "Famous Rapture Watchers," "Pretrib Rapture Diehards," "Edward Irving is Unnerving," "America's Pretrib Rapture Traffickers," "Thomas Ice (Bloopers)," "Pretrib Rapture Secrecy" and "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty" (massive plagiarism, phony doctorates, changing of early "rapture" documents in order to falsely credit John Darby with this view, etc.!).
Because of his devastating discoveries, MacPherson is now No. 1 on the "hate" list of pretrib rapture leaders!
There's no question that the leading promoters of this bizarre 19th century end-of-the-world doctrine are solidly pro-Israel and necessarily anti-Palestinian. In light of recently uncovered facts about this fringe-British-invented belief which has always been riddled with dishonesty, many are wondering why it should ever have any influence on Middle East affairs.
This Johnny-come-lately view raises millions of dollars for political agendas. Only when scholars of all faiths begin to look deeply at it and widely air its "dirty linen" will it cease to be a power. It is the one theological view no one needs!
With apologies to Winston Churchill - never has so much deception been foisted on so many by so few!
[Also Google "David Letterman's Hate, Etc."]
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