Believing that God fights on the side of Israel, Christian Zionists call for unqualified support for the most extreme political positions related to the Holy Land. Christian Zionist spokes persons have attributed Hurricane Katrina to God's wrath over our failure to stop Israel from pulling out of Gaza. They consistently oppose any moves towards a solution to the conflict which would validate the political aspirations of both Palestinians and Israelis.
Who Supports Christian Zionism?
Christian Zionism has significant support within American Protestant fundamentalists, who number between 10 and 20 million. Its reach is broad, by virtue of its favorite themes related to the "End Times" and an Israel-fixated Christian media.
Christian Zionism is both a "movement" and a way of interpreting current events. Its focus is on Israel and the Middle East ,as much an ideology as a "movement." Its promoters share many beliefs but are not organized through any one institution.
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.
The GOOD NEWS is that some mainstream churches have spoken out against this inherently anti-Semitic theology. What follows are but a few words from some of those who have.
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."
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..."
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 ...an alternative voice to this theology."
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..."
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..."
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."
SOURCES:
http://www.christianzionism.org/
"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God." Matthew 5:9
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