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Israel hits out at bishops
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Israel hits out at bishops' conclusions05:08 AEST Mon Oct 25 20102 hours 14 minutes ago
Alessandra Rizzo and Ian Deitch Oct 25, 2010
Israel said on Sunday that a meeting of Middle East bishops was hijacked by enemies of the Jewish state, after the gathering at the Vatican largely blamed Israel for conflict in the region.
In a communique at the end of their two-week meeting, the bishops demanded that Israel accept UN resolutions calling for an end to its occupation of Arab lands, and told Israel it shouldn't use the Bible to justify "injustices" against the Palestinians.
"We express our disappointment that this important synod has become a forum for political attacks on Israel in the best history of Arab propaganda," Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon of Israel said in a statement on Sunday.
"The synod was hijacked by an anti-Israel majority," he said.
The meeting was convened by Pope Benedict XVI to discuss the future of embattled Christians in the largely Muslim region. It formally ended with a Mass in St Peter's Basilica on Sunday during which the pontiff called for greater religious freedom and peace in the Middle East.
But the bishops attending the gathering issued their conclusions on Saturday.
They said they had "reflected" on the suffering and insecurity in which Israelis live and on the status of Jerusalem, a city holy to Christians, Jews and Muslims. While the bishops condemned terrorism and anti-Semitism, they laid much of the blame for the conflict squarely on Israel.
They listed the occupation of Palestinian lands, Israel's separation barrier with the West Bank, its military checkpoints, political prisoners, demolition of homes and disturbance of Palestinians' socio-economic lives as factors that have made life increasingly difficult for Palestinians.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said it was absurd that the Jewish state had been condemned since Israel is the only country in the region where Christians are actually thriving.
According to statistics he provided, there were some 151,700 Christians in Israel last year, compared with 132,000 in 1999 and 107,000 two decades ago.
Palmor also criticised the bishops' statement that Israel shouldn't use the Bible to justify "injustices" against the Palestinians.
"This has never been a policy of any government in Israel, so this position sounds particularly hollow," he said. "Let he who has never sinned cast the first stone."
In recent years, relations between Jews and the Pope have sometimes been tense.
Many Jews criticised Benedict's decision to move his predecessor Pius XII toward sainthood, saying the wartime pontiff didn't do enough to protect Jews from the Holocaust. The Vatican has maintained that Pius used behind-the-scenes diplomacy in a bid to save Jewish lives.
Another sore point recently was Benedict's decision to revoke the excommunication of a renegade bishop who had denied that millions of Jews died in the Holocaust. The Vatican said it wasn't aware of the bishop's views when the excommunication was lifted.
Some Jews also have been angered by Benedict's reaching out to Catholic traditionalists, including his revival of a prayer for the conversion of Jews.
Benedict visited the Holy Land last year in a pilgrimage meant largely to boost interfaith relations. In January, he visited a Rome synagogue.
The Mideast meeting at the Vatican involved about 185 participants, including nine patriarchs of the Mideast's ancient Christian churches and representatives from 13 other Christian communities. A rabbi and two Muslim clerics were invited to the meeting as well.
The exodus of the faithful from the birthplace of Christianity was a major theme of the gathering. The Catholic church has long been a minority in the Middle East, but its presence is shrinking further as a result of conflict, discrimination and economic problems.
"Peace is possible. Peace is urgent," Benedict said in his homily. "Peace is also the best remedy to avoid the emigration from the Middle East."
The pope also called freedom of religion "one of the fundamental human rights, which each state should always respect" and said the issue should be the subject of dialogue with Muslims.
Israel hits out at bishops' conclusions05:08 AEST Mon Oct 25 20102 hours 14 minutes ago
Alessandra Rizzo and Ian Deitch Oct 25, 2010
Israel said on Sunday that a meeting of Middle East bishops was hijacked by enemies of the Jewish state, after the gathering at the Vatican largely blamed Israel for conflict in the region.
In a communique at the end of their two-week meeting, the bishops demanded that Israel accept UN resolutions calling for an end to its occupation of Arab lands, and told Israel it shouldn't use the Bible to justify "injustices" against the Palestinians.
"We express our disappointment that this important synod has become a forum for political attacks on Israel in the best history of Arab propaganda," Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon of Israel said in a statement on Sunday.
"The synod was hijacked by an anti-Israel majority," he said.
The meeting was convened by Pope Benedict XVI to discuss the future of embattled Christians in the largely Muslim region. It formally ended with a Mass in St Peter's Basilica on Sunday during which the pontiff called for greater religious freedom and peace in the Middle East.
But the bishops attending the gathering issued their conclusions on Saturday.
They said they had "reflected" on the suffering and insecurity in which Israelis live and on the status of Jerusalem, a city holy to Christians, Jews and Muslims. While the bishops condemned terrorism and anti-Semitism, they laid much of the blame for the conflict squarely on Israel.
They listed the occupation of Palestinian lands, Israel's separation barrier with the West Bank, its military checkpoints, political prisoners, demolition of homes and disturbance of Palestinians' socio-economic lives as factors that have made life increasingly difficult for Palestinians.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said it was absurd that the Jewish state had been condemned since Israel is the only country in the region where Christians are actually thriving.
According to statistics he provided, there were some 151,700 Christians in Israel last year, compared with 132,000 in 1999 and 107,000 two decades ago.
Palmor also criticised the bishops' statement that Israel shouldn't use the Bible to justify "injustices" against the Palestinians.
"This has never been a policy of any government in Israel, so this position sounds particularly hollow," he said. "Let he who has never sinned cast the first stone."
In recent years, relations between Jews and the Pope have sometimes been tense.
Many Jews criticised Benedict's decision to move his predecessor Pius XII toward sainthood, saying the wartime pontiff didn't do enough to protect Jews from the Holocaust. The Vatican has maintained that Pius used behind-the-scenes diplomacy in a bid to save Jewish lives.
Another sore point recently was Benedict's decision to revoke the excommunication of a renegade bishop who had denied that millions of Jews died in the Holocaust. The Vatican said it wasn't aware of the bishop's views when the excommunication was lifted.
Some Jews also have been angered by Benedict's reaching out to Catholic traditionalists, including his revival of a prayer for the conversion of Jews.
Benedict visited the Holy Land last year in a pilgrimage meant largely to boost interfaith relations. In January, he visited a Rome synagogue.
The Mideast meeting at the Vatican involved about 185 participants, including nine patriarchs of the Mideast's ancient Christian churches and representatives from 13 other Christian communities. A rabbi and two Muslim clerics were invited to the meeting as well.
The exodus of the faithful from the birthplace of Christianity was a major theme of the gathering. The Catholic church has long been a minority in the Middle East, but its presence is shrinking further as a result of conflict, discrimination and economic problems.
"Peace is possible. Peace is urgent," Benedict said in his homily. "Peace is also the best remedy to avoid the emigration from the Middle East."
The pope also called freedom of religion "one of the fundamental human rights, which each state should always respect" and said the issue should be the subject of dialogue with Muslims.
"While the bishops condemned terrorism and anti-Semitism, they laid much of the blame for the conflict squarely on Israel."
I've heard this blame game through out my Catholic upbringing, including my 8 years in Catholic school... it's what the Catholic church has been doing for 2000 years... blaming the Jews for everything.
I've heard this blame game through out my Catholic upbringing, including my 8 years in Catholic school... it's what the Catholic church has been doing for 2000 years... blaming the Jews for everything.
Oh dear SP, is that a lightening bolt hovering over your head? Lol, just kidding.
I think it comes down to our need to justify our own beliefs. We need everyone else to go along with us just to make us feel better about ourselves. Seriously, I do. I think when we get so fanatical that we cannot accept that some others do not agree with our belief system, that's when things get dangerous. If we can't convert them, we will force them or hurt them. Fanaticism is dangerous no matter whom or what you worship. A true believer is confident in their own faith, and while it's fine to talk about our beliefs, or even teach them to others if they want, if you feel the need to force them on someone the problems begin.
Teko is so right though...it's been happening since the beginning of time and probably won't end any time soon. Same old issue, problem is there are bigger and badder weapons now. That is the very scary part.
I think it comes down to our need to justify our own beliefs. We need everyone else to go along with us just to make us feel better about ourselves. Seriously, I do. I think when we get so fanatical that we cannot accept that some others do not agree with our belief system, that's when things get dangerous. If we can't convert them, we will force them or hurt them. Fanaticism is dangerous no matter whom or what you worship. A true believer is confident in their own faith, and while it's fine to talk about our beliefs, or even teach them to others if they want, if you feel the need to force them on someone the problems begin.
Teko is so right though...it's been happening since the beginning of time and probably won't end any time soon. Same old issue, problem is there are bigger and badder weapons now. That is the very scary part.
Yes, I agree. I do still like church and go pretty regularly. But I have this thought that might be shameful to say . . . I have wondered if it is for the almight dollar that they quibble. If you are the one true church . . . you get the green. Ugh, can't believe I wrote that. I'll probably be struck down for it.
What I sincerely hope is peace on Earth and peace in everyones' hearts. I don't care how we get there. My belief is in God but that is my belief and not something I feel everyone else has to believe. God gave us a choice, right?
What I sincerely hope is peace on Earth and peace in everyones' hearts. I don't care how we get there. My belief is in God but that is my belief and not something I feel everyone else has to believe. God gave us a choice, right?
It's just so frightening,How can you worship Christ,or Allah,or Buddha,or Vishnu when you are too busy arguing amongst yourselves.
Even some churches end up with parishoners arguing,get a life and praise GOD.
Even some churches end up with parishoners arguing,get a life and praise GOD.
This has been going on since the beginning of time and will continue till the end of time. I think the problem is religion. Not god, Religion. There is but one god and how many religions? All believing thier way is the only way. lol Its not funny, but it is, sorta when you think about it.
I personally think reading the bible and letting God speak to us individually is the way to go. Anything else is just adapting someone elses view of it all. So when you put your faith in man, this is a good example of what happens. If it were Gods way after all, none of this would be going on. imo
Unfortunately, there will be a war over all this, just a matter of time before it all blows up.
I personally think reading the bible and letting God speak to us individually is the way to go. Anything else is just adapting someone elses view of it all. So when you put your faith in man, this is a good example of what happens. If it were Gods way after all, none of this would be going on. imo
Unfortunately, there will be a war over all this, just a matter of time before it all blows up.
I am in 100% agreement with you. I am a Christian, and believe in Christian teachings and values, but have never understood why all the different Christian religions teach something different. I also don't understand why we can't jsut say "ok, I don't agree with that, but to each their own, and I will respect your own personal beliefs"
Let's just let each other be religiously and quit all trying to shove our own beliefs down everyone elses throats. It's personal and should be left at that.
Let's just let each other be religiously and quit all trying to shove our own beliefs down everyone elses throats. It's personal and should be left at that.
I know people that are Jewish some of whom have visited Israel and know people that live there that have specifically tried to encourage efforts to facilitate the progress of negotiation a peace settlement there. There are efforts in that direction but some aspects of the media do not focus on them. The U.N. has not taken the proper steps to encourage this and has taken an antagonistic stance against Israel in the past that was unnecessary. There is antagonism on both sides but there is also not enough encouragement with direct pragmatic solutions to facilitate a two nation state which may or may not be possible. There also needs to be more encouragement of moderate elements within the Palestinians to negotiate with Israel. Jerusalem was at one time going to be a specific area that was designated for all three faiths as they all have sacred areas and landmarks within there.
The reform and moderation of the Vatican II is gradually being undermined which has created less room for negotiation in general even within the same faith. Increasing the settlements in Israel was not a workable solution. During the middle ages, Islam (among other cultures) was a center of culture as regards science, medicine and the preservation of many key aspects of modern society that Europe had lost during the middle ages but then regained. However after that with generations of building empires and then in the 20th century resistant efforts to modernize led to the emergence of fanaticism with the Muslim Brotherhood. Each religion has to have the ability to change and encourage reform while not undermining the core beliefs of the religion.
The reform and moderation of the Vatican II is gradually being undermined which has created less room for negotiation in general even within the same faith. Increasing the settlements in Israel was not a workable solution. During the middle ages, Islam (among other cultures) was a center of culture as regards science, medicine and the preservation of many key aspects of modern society that Europe had lost during the middle ages but then regained. However after that with generations of building empires and then in the 20th century resistant efforts to modernize led to the emergence of fanaticism with the Muslim Brotherhood. Each religion has to have the ability to change and encourage reform while not undermining the core beliefs of the religion.
Catholicism,Judaism,Islam,Protestant,Lutheran,Methodist,Seventh Day Adventist,Jehovahs Witness,Mormonism,Buddhism,Hinduism,Presbyterian,Church of England,Pentacostal.Will these religions ever see eye to eye.
You even have Christian factions fighting amongst themselves,Islamic factions doing the same,and Hindu factions as well,why can't people just get along with each other and respect each others beliefs.
This is why I don't go to church,I will lead my life according to the Ten Commandments.
You even have Christian factions fighting amongst themselves,Islamic factions doing the same,and Hindu factions as well,why can't people just get along with each other and respect each others beliefs.
This is why I don't go to church,I will lead my life according to the Ten Commandments.
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