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Freedom House's table of freedom ratings, however are not ideologically driven. Countries such as China, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia, which IRD reports are not criticized by mainline churches, are widely regarded as human rights violators and are mentioned by other human rights groups such as Amnesty International. Calling the report "fatally flawed" because Freedom House is used as a standard does not address the fact that these countries are known for human rights violations and have received no formal NCC criticism.

The NCC statement is most condemning of IRD's accusations of anti-Semitism:

The most unfortunate part of the IRD's report is its apparent attempt to hurt Jewish-Christian relations by quite blatantly planting seeds of suspicion that the mainline churches are anti-Semitic. The IRD wrongly and dangerously equates any criticism of the government of Israel and its policies with anti-Semitism.

The NCC seeks justice for all people in the Middle East. It is working for justice in the land where our Savior walked and where our Christian brothers and sisters, along with Jews and Muslims, are crying out for justice. The NCC grieves all loss of life, including Palestinians and Israelis, and has said so.

Yet, the statement doesn't respond to IRD's main critique, "Given the dramatic unwillingness of the mainline churches to criticize states around Israel for their human rights abuses—not only the connections to worldwide terrorism, but also the oppression and brutality toward their own people—it is not unreasonable to ask whether anti-Jewish animus may play some role in the churches' skewed human rights advocacy."

IRD's report suggests one way to understand the mainline rationale. Comparing mainline reaction to Cold War era Communist human rights abuses, the report cites former World Council of Churches president Konrad Raiser. He regretted that the WCC did not act more forthrightly regarding human rights violations in Communist countries. "In place of prophetic protest, the ecumenical movement concentrated on bridge-building and cooperation," he said.

Now that militant Islam is the new communism, IRD suggests the "bridge-building and cooperation" approach to addressing human rights abuses should not be repeated.

Jews & Christians:

• Christian revival is dividing Jews | A plan by the group - led by Bill McCartney, founder of Promise Keepers, a Christian men's organization - to stage an event in Indian Wells in December is drawing a rift and stirring mixed feelings among members of the local Jewish community. (Press-Enterprise, Calif.)
• Presbyterians and Jews to meet on Mideast | Leaders of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. and the country's largest Jewish groups are meeting in New York today to discuss a rift touched off by resolutions that the church adopted this summer regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, most notably one that calls for selective divestment in companies doing business in Israel and the occupied territories. (The New York Times)

Clash at Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulcher:

• Dozens hurt as clerics clash in Jerusalem church | Fistfights broke out on Monday at Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre between Christian sects that jealously guard their hold on sections of the shrine built on the traditional site of Jesus's crucifixion. (Reuters)

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September (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48