All Comments for: The Presbyterians Giveth, the Presbyterians Taketh Away | Christianity Today

Free Newsletters:

RSS Feeds |

Audio |

Twitter

Home > 2008 > June (Web-Only)

Christianity Today, June (Web-Only), 2008 |

SPEAKING OUT

The Presbyterians Giveth, the Presbyterians Taketh Away

Revised document shifts focus from PC(USA) anti-Semitism.

Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein | posted 6/20/2008 09:15AM

Think back some 40 years to the release of Nostra Aetate, the revolutionary Vatican document that inexorably changed the nature of Catholic-Jewish relations. It firmly confronted old church attitudes ...

[Reader Reviews]

Average User Rating:

Rate and Comment on this article

Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 comments.

Page: 1

Show All

Sean	Posted: June 24, 2008 11:59 PM

Jim says, "Why are AshkeNazi Nazis more acceptable than German Nazis?" Wow, great line! Did you think that up all on your own? Us Ashkenazis are Ashke-nazis! Ha ha, very perceptive, Jim. Unfortunately, the lines has been told by more white surpremacist KKK folk than I can count, so I must be missing out on the full comedic effect. He continues "And anyway, it's official - there's no actual shortage of Holocaust survivors. 'The Israeli Prime Minister's office recently put the number of "living Holocaust survivors" at nearly a million' (extract from The Holocaust Industry by Norman G. Finkelstein of the City University of New York, published by Verso, London and New York, 2000, p.83)." Damn, Jim is on to us. Between all the Holocaust deniers, Jewish conspiracy theorists, and other antisemites (oops, I shouldn't call them that!) I encountered while researching the PCUSA's actions, I for one no exactly where they are coming from.

Noreen

Posted: June 24, 2008 7:59 PM

I, too, would like to thank Rabbi Alderstein for this article and Christianity Today for publishing it. As for the "hierarchy" of PCUSA and its apparatchniks, alas, I know how that goes: I am a member of ELCA where the hierarchy is constantly pushing anti-Israeli bias down our throats, disguised as sympathy for "the oppressed". Like PCUSA, the ELCA "leadership", such as it is, never mentions homicide bombers except, perhaps, to "explain" that they are the result of Palestinian "frustration". (Heck, if it were truly a case of "frustration", then Tibetans would be the most avid homicide bombers on the planet!

Hal	Posted: June 23, 2008 9:03 AM


Thanks for this informative article. I appreciate the perspective of Rabbi Adlerstein and thank Christianity Today for consulting him.

Ying-Lee

Posted: June 23, 2008 7:29 AM


As a member of PCUSA, I am watching developments closely. I don't want to be associated with anti-semitism, and as far as I can tell, that is the only thing that PCUSA stands for these days.

John E.

Posted: June 22, 2008 10:35 PM


Jim is lost. He took a wrong turn on the way to the National Alliance website.

Isaac C. Rottenberg

Posted: June 22, 2008 7:39 PM

Teachings about the "perfidious Jews" were recently removed from a Latin prayer in the Catholic liturgy. The Presbyterian hierarchy has now hastened to re-introduce such views in their recent statement. In the Presbyterian church in Denver where I worship, such a biased declaration would get few if any signatories. However, as an ex-church bureaucrat I know how out of touch the hierarchy can be with the people in the pew.

Jon Haber

Posted: June 22, 2008 7:00 AM

Rabbi Alderstein's piece was enormously insightful and I've passed it on to a number of Presbyterian and Jewish friends who have been battling against divestment and other anti-Israel activities within PCUSA for years. I've published something on the subject which asks the question of whether or not PCUSA leaders are truly serious about their involvement in Middle East policies. The piece can be found here: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1213794294214&pagename=JPost %2FJPArticle%2FShowFull.

Jim	Posted: June 21, 2008 4:13 PM

The explanation of why the Israelis use Nazi techniques on the Palestinians in Palestine, with full support from the 'anti-racist' Zionist-controlled 'liberal' US media, has not yet appeared in public, although more and more folks are patiently waiting for it. Why are AshkeNazi Nazis more acceptable than German Nazis? And anyway, it's official - there's no actual shortage of Holocaust survivors. 'The Israeli Prime Minister's office recently put the number of "living Holocaust survivors" at nearly a million' (extract from The Holocaust Industry by Norman G. Finkelstein of the City University of New York, published by Verso, London and New York, 2000, p.83).

Yvonne

Posted: June 21, 2008 11:49 AM

Did Roger Gallagher in the comments posted so far even READ the article to know what the issue is about? His questioning the appearance of a rabbi in this forum underscores the existence of Christian antisemitism. The PC (USA) issued a milestone interfaith statement about antisemitism. It was praised by Jewish leadership. One month later, the PC (USA) yanked the milestone document, replacing it w/one exhibiting the very bias it originally decried. Roger, antisemitism is bias against Jews, so it's logical that Jews would voice a response. I would hope that Christians would care to know what Jewish response is to what we say about them. Roger's comment is akin to asking why a Christian minister would weigh in if a Jewish organization were to issue a policy on the treatment of Christians. Roger's implied desire to keep Christianity Today Jew-free boggles Christian sensibilities, imo. And Marlin's no better w/his bottomline message that Jews deserve the antisemitism they receive.

Yvonne

Posted: June 21, 2008 11:46 AM

Robert Campell

Posted: June 20, 2008 4:08 PM


I am a PCUSA pastor. When I read the original statement I rejoiced. When I read the revised statement I was outraged. Fortunately the revised statement is not GA policy until the GA votes on it next week. May God so guide the hearts of the commissioners to revise the revision so that it reads exactly as the original statement read.

John	Posted: June 20, 2008 2:49 PM

Marlin's comments are a good illustration of the anti-Jewish sentiment Rabbi Adlerstein addressed. For Marlin, the problem is over-sensitive Jews. And he trots out the tired old chestnut that any criticism of Israel is not tolerated. What a load of bull. What is intolerable is a one-sided focus on Israel to the exclusion of the Arab nations of the Middle East, the actions of the Palestinian Arabs, and the human rights problems in the rest of the world.

Marlin

Posted: June 20, 2008 11:23 AM

Rabbi Adlerstein does not address the issue that confounds those of us who have serious issues with policies of the State of Israel. How do we criticize the State of Israel? It is simply not tolerated by most Jewish people. Rabbi Adlerstein talks about balance. What balance do you find in any media reporting of events happening in Israel/Palestine? You find little or none. I don't know how we help the Jewish people become less sensitive to criticism, but if we don't, then the backlash that has already begun, will continue and will get worse. It is difficult to know how to be a friend to israel when the only friends Jewish people accept are those who unconditionally support anything the State of israel does. I know this is not true of all Jewish people, but sadly, it is true of most. Like most people living in the Middle East, I want peace and security for both Palestinians and Israelis. However, without justice, there can be no peace.

Page: 1

E-mail this page

Write CT

Print this article

Post a comment