It cannot be stated with any more forceful terms than Presbyterians For Middle East Peace have
stated it. Until now the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has not been known for
its ideological purges, but when the Stated Clerk, Gradye Parsons, and Neil Presa, Moderator of the General Assembly ousted Rev. Al Butzer from his week old position
as Moderator of the 221 General Assembly committee on the Middle East,
because of pressure from the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement,
denominational leadership slipped into a new and dangerous arena.
Much of the Jewish community and many Presbyterians have
questioned the bias of the leadership of the PC (U.S.A.) when it comes to
Israel and the Jewish people, they can be certain now that, yes, many in
leadership are prejudiced.
Presbyterians for Middle East Peace have put out a press
release today titled “After
Pressure from BDS leaders, GA Middle East Committee Moderator Is Removed.” Go
there to read about the inane reasons for ousting Butzer from his position.
One of the disgusting contrasts in this issue is that just
a few months ago the PC (U.S.A,) leadership during a controversy over a
horrific publication, Zionism Unsettled,
by the Presbyterian Israel/Palestine Mission Network, refused to speak against
the booklet because, they wrote, the denomination is a diverse denomination
with many different views. But apparently not diverse enough to allow a well
respected Presbyterian pastor the right to moderate a GA committee because he
manages to have friendships with both Jews and Palestinians. Horrors, what if
he doesn't agree with the BDS movement or the Presbyterian leadership!
And will this rebuild trust within those Presbyterians who
have begun to believe they simply can’t trust their own denomination? Dietrich
Bonhoeffer in the midst of a church struggle wrote, “Trust will always be one
of the greatest, rarest and happiest blessings of our life in community, though
it can emerge only on the dark background of a necessary mistrust. We have
learned never to trust a scoundrel an inch, but to give ourselves to the
trustworthy without reserve.”
In the midst of some dark times I believe we have some
lessons to learn—at this point I no longer believe we can trust Presbyterian
polity on any issue—power has become too important to too many in leadership.
But at the same time we know the strength and trustworthiness of God and the
trustworthiness of friends. A friend once wrote to me, “We had a first light
snow last night, spring is coming.” And so it is.
3 comments:
Shame on Parsons and Presa!!!
John Erthein
DeFuniak Springs, FL
But don't you dare call them anti-Semites!
David Fischler
Woodbridge, VA
Business as usual?
Oh ... they don't have a preferred outcome ... the process isn't biased ... not at all. Not a smidgen of corruption.
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