Evangelical Coalition Supports Palestinian Statehood

[Frodo]

Coalition of American Evangelicals Issues a Letter in Support of a Palestinian State

By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Published: July 29, 2007

In recent years, conservative evangelicals who claim a Biblical mandate to protect Israel have built a bulwark of support for the Jewish nation — sending donations, denouncing its critics and urging it not to evacuate settlements or forfeit territory.

Now more than 30 evangelical leaders are stepping forward to say these efforts have given the wrong impression about the stance of many, if not most, American evangelicals.

On Friday, these leaders sent a letter to President Bush saying that both Israelis and Palestinians have “legitimate rights stretching back for millennia to the lands of Israel/Palestine,” and that they support the creation of a Palestinian state “that includes the vast majority of the West Bank.”

They say that being a friend to Jews and to Israel “does not mean withholding criticism when it is warranted.” The letter adds, “Both Israelis and Palestinians have committed violence and injustice against each other.”

The letter is signed by 34 evangelical leaders, many of whom lead denominations, Christian charities, ministry organizations, seminaries and universities.

They include Gary M. Benedict, president of The Christian and Missionary Alliance, a denomination of 2,000 churches; Richard J. Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary; Gordon MacDonald, chairman of World Relief; Richard E. Stearns, president of World Vision; David Neff, editor of Christianity Today; and Berten A. Waggoner, national director and president of The Vineyard USA, an association of 630 churches in the United States.

[Beet]

Clearly a bunch of anti-semitic terrorist sympathizers.

[Ebowed]

Yeah, well, evangelicals were coming out in favor of doing something to stop global warming last year as well.  Bush is only interested with them if it's an election year and pandering to them merely involves, you know, banning the gheys or ending free speech in America.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Wow. That's really odd of Evangelicals to support a Palestinian state. Jerry Falwell would be rolling over in his grave.

[Verily]

They finally got something right.

[Colin]

Only 30 leaders in a movement that, IIRC, has more than 50 million people in it. Even though, from this, it looks like about 2700 churches are involved I doubt this constitutes 10% of the evangelical community if that. When you have a community that big I'm sure you can have a diverse grouping of views. Still I never like it when religion gets involved in political matters, even if it's for something you support. To me its dangerous to try and court and contain religion since it is much more powerful than any political force.