By Michael Gryboski, Christian Post.
Commissioners’ vote on divestment issue at the 2014 General Assembly.
A report from a group of clergy argues that Presbyterian Church (USA)’s vote taken last year to divest from three companies connected to Israel was tainted by institutional biases.
Released Tuesday afternoon, the report was signed by several commissioners from the 221st General Assembly who had taken issue with the process for which the debate over the divestment proposal was overseen.
Titled “Reformed and Reforming: A Word of Hope from Commissioners to and Observers of the 221st General Assembly of the PCUSA,” the report argued that the process was slanted in favor of the pro-divestment side.
“This paper documents the grossly one-sided amount of time that was given to the pro-divestment position as well as other irregularities that slanted the playing field in a pro-divestment direction. We are not complaining about the past. We are seeking reform for the future,” reads the report, a copy of which was given to The Christian Post.
“The only way to ensure fairness is for General Assembly leadership to institute reforms for the 2016 and following Assemblies. At the heart of these reforms must be debates in which both sides are given equal time.”
Complaints included the General Assembly allegedly giving pro-divestment activists more speaking time during debate and allowing pro-divestment protestors more leeway to demonstrate.
Related article: Presbyterian BDS vote rigged?
The Layman’s article from the 2012 GA: Assembly orders divestment.
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“When CP asked Parsons on Wednesday to give his opinion as to the recently released complaint, he declined to comment.”
Of course he declined, he’s the one who lead the highjackers at the last GA. It’s not going to be any better at the next one unless the moderate to conservative members can get a majority or the next GA will be the last GA on steroids.
And when they are on their knees in front of those who would seek to wipe out every bit of Christianity, they can just tell them, “But we were so nice to you. We were on your side.”
We must stand with and by Israel, no matter what.
More anti-Protestant anti-Judaic activism from the counter reformation Jesuits sitting in the highest levels of main line influence.
As the article points out, though the subject was the matter of virulent anti-semitism which permeates the entity, the core argument is one of denominational governance, process, checks-balances and accountability.
The real surprise for the ruling elites was not that the amendment passed, they gamed the system to their favor, it was the closeness of the vote, the amount of hate and discontent generated, and the ongoing effects. The entire 18 months of the Moderator’s term so far has been more or less a divestment apology tour.
But substitute non-georaphic presbyerty report in Pittsburgh 2012, LGBT AI of 2014, nFOG process. The polity is broken because the ruling cadre desired it to be so, because it was only by the smashing of the polity and the system could they achieve their ideological goals. It is like they took a sled hammer to the church, and then blame the vast right-wing conspiracy, and lack of denominational “loyalty” for their misery and hopelessness.
The PCUSA suffers from a lack of two types of people, Presbyterians and in a more general sense, Christians. The denomination is more or less dominated by secularists, statists, academic, bureaucratic elites that are only accountable to themselves. At the end of the day you get the results you plan for, and they had a plan.
This is surely no surprise to anyone!
Peter
A lot of bombast here and accusation. But the fact remains the Palestinians live in a place of apartheid and repression. Not good.
My first trip to Israel was 1987 in conjunction with the IDF, 9 trips in my military career and 4 post, leave me to a different conclusion than that of Jim.
The context of the discussion is the procedure, process and methodology of GA2014 leading up to the BDS resolution. On that matter the PCUSA has much to explain.
My comment to JIm would be if he feels so lead to his conclusions then by all means I would encourage him to donate and donate generously to those organizations and entities that support his conclusions. What he, the PCUSA is not entailed too is either tacit financial support or facilitation of the organization that did what it did in Detroit.
One of those time I happened to be in the West Bank was 12 Sept 2001. The celebrations of the towers falling and chants of death to America echoed in East Jerusalem, Nablus, Hebron. Choose your friends wisely Jim.
In relationship to Israel, I go to Romans chapter 10 and 11.
Israel needs the Gospel, Israel has rejected the Gospel, but that is not the final word. Now, they are blind, they do not act with faith.
But if they do not continue in unbelief they will be restored. Some will come to faith, but now is the time for “Gentiles” to come to faith.
It is a mystery “For I do not desire, friends, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”
Romans 11:25
For Israel (as for us) it is all about God’s mercy and grace.
In my opinion, The problem of the PCUSA going with political solutions like BDS is that it stops a true witness to Israel.
Paul had a way to deal with his people, he was Jewish:
“For I speak to you Gentiles , inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke them to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. Romans 11:13,14
“But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles”. Romans 11:11
So, WHAT has the PCUSA done to make Israel jealous for the Gospel
Of Jesus Christ? Certainly the last GA is evidence that the denomination is also acting blindly…….and does not understand how important changing hearts and preaching the message that Christ IS the savior. Some leaders in the PCUSA do not believe in the power of God and the Gospel to change situations, to change lives.
I do not deny the pathos of all parties in Palestine, but I do seek to understand the purpose and power of God in that situation.
Prayer and faith doesn’t seem like enough in light of the problems so we fall back on our own works and effort. We are impatient, I confess.
But for me, reading these chapters in relationship to Israel, helps me
believe in the power of God, and the purpose of God and the need to get back to witnessing the Gospel message. I just wish the PCUSA understood this too.