A giant octopus... Yes, it is horrible! -update

"Have you heard about the giant octopus that has enveloped the U.S.?" These are the words of Noushin Framke, chair of the Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) communications work group.

This was written above a link that she had placed on the Facebook of IPMN. The link was to an article written by James Wall, "Obama’s performance was pathetic, But How Does President Perry Sound To You? "

Framke has since removed the comment from IPMN's Facebook. But it is still on her Twitter page and she made this comment on Wall's posting:

Yes indeed, “the Zionist Hasbara [propaganda] has enveloped this country like a giant octopus.” Well said! I will always think of that visual now when I hear and read Hasbara on the airwaves and blogosphere! And thanks for the back story on Perry’s NY connections. Lord have mercy.

The picture above and below are from the German Propaganda Archives at Calvin College collected by Professor Randall Bytwerk who gave permission to use them here. I have placed them here to show how very close the leadership of IPMN, a Presbyterian organization, is coming to emulating the words of the Nazi propaganda machine. May the Lord have mercy indeed!

The writer that Framke linked to and commented on is a known anti-Semite. It does not matter that he was once the editor of Christian Century, nor that he is still a contributing editor; Presbyterians should be aware that people in prominent positions, even well known theologians, in Nazi Germany, also gave into the seduction of anti-Semitism.

And it is a seduction; one birthed in hell. It supposedly solves all problems and is easier than pointing out the problems on both sides of issues. It places evil in a corner rather than seeing it evenly distributed among the best of us. It fails to love or make peace and eventually leads to war. And the people who engage in anti-Semitism will eventually find themselves in a war with the Prince of Peace.

No, not the final battle of Armageddon made popular by the Left Behind books but the battle that the the Lord of the Church wages for the safety of our souls. In fact, I suspect his angels are beating furiously on the doors of our denomination now. And the Holy Spirit woos us to the true peace that centers us in Jesus and draws us away from hellish words and into a love that works towards real peace.

UPdate-For additional issues & problems read "Publicizing Bigots" by David Fischler at The Reformed Pastor.