This voice isn't mine

This voice isn’t mine

Someone from one of my churches forwarded me a link to a blog from “Christian Voice”. Christian Voice claims to be:

“ … a ministry for those Christians who are fed up with the way things are, who have had enough of secularist politicians imposing wickedness on the rest of us and who are not satisfied with trying to get ‘Christian influence in a secular world’ because they know ‘The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein’ (Psalm 24:1).”

In the email Christian Voice lets rip at the Greenbelt festival (that is taking place this weekend.) http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ And the reason Christian Voice is criticising Greenbelt is because Greenbelt is picking on Israel.

The blog (written by Stephen Green) implies that criticism of Israel is incompatible with being a Christian and in particular Green suggests that Greenbelt’s stance is incompatible with the stance advocated by Christians for Zion http://www.christiansforzion.com/about/. That organisation states:

“Christians for Zion UK was founded in 2005 honouring the commands in Scripture to Bless the Jewish people and support their return to the land which God gave them as an everlasting possession. We want to be a voice for Israel within the Christian community.”

I freely admit that I don’t know fully understand (actually I don’t understand full stop) what the logic is and Biblical basis for Christians feeling the need for Jewish people to be in residence in Israel in perpetuity. And neither Christian Voice or Christians for Zion explain this.

What I do feel though is that Christian Voice and Christians for Zion are very selective in their choice of theology and Bible verses. How about then thinking about what Jesus said (rather than some Old Testament prophets. For example:

Matthew 5:43-44

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

And then the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37

To me Christians have a duty to speak out against oppression and Israel oppresses Palestinians. Equally Christians have a duty to speak peace and Palestinians (or at least some of them) know nothing of peace.

If you feel so inclined you can read the gem from Christian Voice here.

http://www.christianvoice.org.uk/index.php/2013aug24gbelt/

PS And why do the likes of Christian Voice and Christians for Zion always quote Bible verses from the Kings James Version?