National U.S.religious organizations are slowly cranking up their peace and justice agendas to focus on the human rights brutality of Israel's occupation. Mondoweiss continues to be virtually the only media outlet, religious or secular, to report on progress, or lack of progress, toward justice in the American church organizations.
Mondoweiss reported, "last year, the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) and United Methodist Church (UMC) divested from several U.S. companies involved in the occupation. Various Quaker bodies have done the same."
This month, three more U.S. churches -- the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ (UCC), and the Mennonite Church USA (MCUSA) -- will join the growing list of those denominations responding to the Kairos Palestine call and voting to end financial support for Israel's occupation.
The 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church will meet from Thursday, June 25 to Friday, July 3 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
On the Episcopal Convention agenda will be a proposal developed by a new group, the Episcopal Committee for Justice in Israel and Palestine.
The UCC General Synod will meet June 26-30, in Cleveland, Ohio, where it will consider a Resolution of Witness which will call for "divesting from companies that profit from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and for boycotting products produced in such territories by Israeli companies."
The third national body considering specific action on the issue is the Mennonite Church USA Convention, which will meet June 30-July 5, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Anti-BDS forces, as usual, will arrive at the three assemblies with their Protestant religious allies (delegates who oppose BDS) to campaign against BDS among delegates. Some may even be granted time to speak to groups of delegates.
This may be the last chance for these three major U.S. denominations to fix themselves firmly on the side of justice alongside a growing number of other religious and secular groups who have finally faced the reality of the evil of occupation.
When delegates to the assemblies held by Episcopalians, the UCC, and the Mennonite church vote this summer on BDS resolutions, they will be choosing to endorse or "continue to discuss" the occupation of Palestinians.
Before they vote, these delegates will want to reread Joshua 24:15, where it is recorded that "for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
