Throughout history Christians have at times twisted scripture to justify violence: for the Crusades, for Anti-Semitism, and for slavery. One
example is Thorten Stringfellow's treatise
on slavery. Too often the church has been slow to respond to these biblical
distortions with disastrous results.
Today Christian Zionists - particularly those with dispensationalist leanings
- are at it again. Although their motives are couched in terms of compassion toward the Jewish
people based on a literal reading of scripture the political agenda of territorial expansion advocated by Christian Zionists
has given rise to injustice against Palestinians and added fuel to the fire of
conflict in the Middle East. For some time, individuals, and theologians have spoken out against Christian Zionism. In the past few years,
whole church bodies are adding their official voices to the distortions and
injustices perpetuated by Christian Zionism.
| Denomination |
Date |
Body |
Title, quote, and link to resolution or postion |
| Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod |
April 2004 |
Commission on Theology and Church Relations |
A Lutheran Response to the "Left Behind Series" "The clear witness of the New Testament is that the person of Jesus Christ is the interpretive key to the Old Testament, and indeed to all of Scripture."
MORE
|
| Presbyterian Church USA |
July 2004 |
General Assembly (national) |
On Confronting Christian Zionism "Christian Zionism promotes a theology that justifies
grievous violations of basic rights of people who are also made in the image of God, and is contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ."
MORE
|
| Reformed Church in America |
June 2004 |
Annual Synod (national) |
Christian Zionism: A Historical Analysis and Critique "Jesus, picking up seminal themes from the Hebrew scriptures, preached and lived a message of reconciliation
"
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|
| United Church of Christ |
July 2003 |
General Synod (national) |
An Alternative Voice to Christian Zionism "We believe that the tenets of Christian Zionism neither reflect the intention of the teachings of Jesus and the prophets, nor promote peace in the Middle East, and respectfully recommend
and alternative voice to this theology."
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|
| Mennonite Church USA |
July 2005 |
MCC Peace Office Newsletter |
Christian Zionism and Peace in the Holy Land "A widespread but erroneous belief is that
Christian Zionists
read Daniel and Revelation literally. They do not. No Christian Zionist applies a consistently literal interpretation to Revelation. No one has suggested that Jesus was really a lamb."
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|
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
June 2005 |
Chicago Metropolitan Synod |
Resolution to Encourage the Study of Christian Zionism "
the movement of Christian Zionism based on these biblical interpretations seeks to influence U.S. policy toward Israel in a manner that would arguably facilitate mistreatment of Palestinians, continued occupation of the land, opposition to a two-state solution, and exclusive Israeli control of Jerusalem
"MORE
|
| United Methodist Church |
June 2005 |
IL Conference |
On Unwrapping the Rapture "
every
household should give prayerful consideration as to how God will actually judge us for our silence about and complicity in the crushing of the Palestinian people
"
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|
| Episcopal Church |
November 2004 |
Diocese of Chicago |
Confronting Christian Zionism "A partial response to Christian Zionism would be to say that we read Scripture in light of [Jesus'] two great commandments - to love God and our neighbor."
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|
|