I totally agree that calling Jesus a Palestinian is totally ignorant. That said, Jesus’s teachings about how Jews were supposed to treat their hated neighbors of the day (Samaritans) are probably relevant, even if Samaritans and modern Palestinians are only loosely connected. I have a hard time believing that the Christ from the scriptures would approve of how modern Israelis treat Palestinians (and to be clear, I doubt he would approve of how Palestinians treat Israelis either). Admittedly with most Israelis and Palestinians not being Christian, they may not care, but Christians taking either side in this conflict should probably be pushing their side for a little more “turn the other cheek” or “love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you” (to paraphrase).
~Jon
Please. Jesus did not preach an end to Government, or self-defense. Maybe when Israel is as “Arab free” as the rest of the Middle East is “Jew Free” you might have a point. As it is, we have hundreds, if not thousands of examples of Israelis following Christ, opening their country, their homes, their hospitals to “Palestinians” (Really, Jordanians, the core region was Palestine, divided into Israel and Jordan, and the Frothers are not, by their own admission, Israelis, so they must be Jordanians. But we can’t say that, or people would ask why Israel must treat them better then their own country…….).
My impression is that Jews and Samaritans in the 1st century AD didn’t routinely murder each other. It was more shunning and avoiding each other.
In contrast today, a fair number of the Palestinian Arabs are actively attempting to kill as many Jews as they can.
That’s the key to me. One side tries to avoid killing the other, the other actively tries to kill the other. I can have no sympathy for a people who applaud those walking into a throng of innocents and blowing themselves up. I don’t care what grievances you have. That’s just barbaric.
Didn’t Jesus also instruct his followers to buy swords?
I’m impressed by the fidelity to reason shown by the Uniting Church. Liberal Protestant churches are too often willing to promote nonsense in the name of the Palestinian Arabs.
Rand,
I totally agree that calling Jesus a Palestinian is totally ignorant. That said, Jesus’s teachings about how Jews were supposed to treat their hated neighbors of the day (Samaritans) are probably relevant, even if Samaritans and modern Palestinians are only loosely connected. I have a hard time believing that the Christ from the scriptures would approve of how modern Israelis treat Palestinians (and to be clear, I doubt he would approve of how Palestinians treat Israelis either). Admittedly with most Israelis and Palestinians not being Christian, they may not care, but Christians taking either side in this conflict should probably be pushing their side for a little more “turn the other cheek” or “love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you” (to paraphrase).
~Jon
Please. Jesus did not preach an end to Government, or self-defense. Maybe when Israel is as “Arab free” as the rest of the Middle East is “Jew Free” you might have a point. As it is, we have hundreds, if not thousands of examples of Israelis following Christ, opening their country, their homes, their hospitals to “Palestinians” (Really, Jordanians, the core region was Palestine, divided into Israel and Jordan, and the Frothers are not, by their own admission, Israelis, so they must be Jordanians. But we can’t say that, or people would ask why Israel must treat them better then their own country…….).
My impression is that Jews and Samaritans in the 1st century AD didn’t routinely murder each other. It was more shunning and avoiding each other.
In contrast today, a fair number of the Palestinian Arabs are actively attempting to kill as many Jews as they can.
That’s the key to me. One side tries to avoid killing the other, the other actively tries to kill the other. I can have no sympathy for a people who applaud those walking into a throng of innocents and blowing themselves up. I don’t care what grievances you have. That’s just barbaric.
Didn’t Jesus also instruct his followers to buy swords?
I’m impressed by the fidelity to reason shown by the Uniting Church. Liberal Protestant churches are too often willing to promote nonsense in the name of the Palestinian Arabs.