Let us continue with the Scottish Church flap, whereby Presbyterians decided that their grasp of theology is so much better than that of Judaism.
It is not for the Church of Scotland to decide where the Jews may live…no church has a right to tell the Jews where they may live… The church owes the Jewish people an apology for this incendiary text that is more fitting to the 13th century than to this one. Jewish groups, Church of Scotland members and others must join together to oppose and repudiate this vicious and defamatory text.
Gentlemen, this document was most definitely not “the most blessed Word of God and his Congregation”.
We now have an announcement, which includes this:
the drafting of the report …has given cause for concern and misunderstanding of its position and requires a new introduction to set the context for the report and give clarity about some of the language used.
Moreover,
The concern of the Church about the injustices faced by the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories remain firm, but that concern should not be misunderstood as questioning the right of the State of Israel to exist...the Church condemns all things that create a culture of anti Semitism.
It was decided to continue a dialogue both in Scotland and in “Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories”.
But who will be dialoguing?
The Church and Society Council, Church of Scotland; the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities; the Board of Deputies of British Jews; the Movement for Reform Judaism; and Rabbis for Human Rights (!!!).
But that is a stacked deck.
The Church of Scotland is quite opposed Israel’s administration of Judea and Samaria – and despite those names being used dozens of times in the New Testament, the church leaders can’t bring themselves to employ those terms – as is the Reform Jews and most certainly Arik Ascherman’s fellow clergymen. The Board is chaired by the former head of the UK Peace Now and its other heavyweights are left-of-center. As for the 6000 local Jews in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Tayside & Fife, I have no idea of their opinions. There is, for sure, a Lubavitch center. In any case, the imbalance is in-built.
So, first of all, pro-Israeli retention of Judea and Samaria guarding Jewish rights in its full homeland must be properly represented.
Who will assure that?
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UPDATE
Maybe the Church should put it''s own house is order?
Just 37% of Church of Scotland members said Jesus was real, rising to 67% for Catholics and 61% of other Christians.
and
The number of Christians in Scotland has dropped from nearly two-thirds to 55% since 2001, a poll has found.
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