UK :
Israel:
Home | Business | Mid East | IDF| Judaism | Readers Stories | Muslim Zionism | Anti-semitism alerts | Forum |Today’s Weblog

author biography
Daoud Kuttab is presently a Ferris Professor of Journalism and Princeton University where he teaches a seminar on new media in the Arab world. He is an award winning journalist, TV producer and media activist.
A Palestinian Christian, he was born in Jerusalem, studied in the United States and has worked in the Arabic print press (Al Fajr, Al Quds and Assinara) before moving to the audio visual field. He established and presided over the Jerusalem Film Institute in the 90s. In 1995 he helped establish the Aabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) a censorship free Arab web site. He established and has headed since 1996 the Institute of Modern Media at Al Quds University.
In Jordan in 2000 he established the Arab world’s first internet radio station AmmanNet. Daoud Kuttab is active in media freedom efforts in the Middle East.

author website
by this author
by this author:
US Children`s Hospital and Settlers on A Collision Course
Carter and Hamas
Obama and Palestine
Gaza and The Failure of Deterance
Backward, Christian soldiers, marching as to peace



related articles Video: Iran and the End Times at Pastor John Hagee`s 2008 Washington Summit
Hagee`s CUFI Summit Attracts Record Numbers
Joe Lieberman and the World He Wants to Live In; God help Us
Hasbara Speaker Brigitte Gabriel`s Web Site: `Obama Has Been Sponsored By Al Qaida`
Why aren`t evangelicals denouncing Pastor John Hagee?
The Other Side of CUFI (Missionising In Israel & Villifying The Orthodox)
John Hagee and CUFI…Friend Or Foe?
YouTube Censors Videos Exposing Hagee`s Pro-War & anti-Jewish Sermons
With Philosemites Like These Who Needs Antisemites?
Protection From Pious Friends
Hagee`s Beliefs Concerning Jews and Israel: Sourced Quotes at Your Fingertips
As Bush`s War Strategy Shifts to Iran, Christian Zionists Gear Up for the Apocalypse
Hagee Mass-Marketed Hitler`s Favorite Conspiracy Theory
Christian fundamentalism and Zionism: Time to terminate this unholy alliance?
CUFI: They only appear to be supporters
Audio: Hagee`s `Jewish, gay` anti-Christ in his Sermon Series – `Iraq, the Final War`
Pastor Hagee: The Antichrist Is A `Homosexual,` `Partially Jewish, As Was Hitler`
Nationally Sold Kid`s Comic Called `Training Manual` For `Next Pogrom Against Jews`
McCain`s `Dear John` letter: When bad theology happens to good friends of Israel
Joe Lieberman To Headline Upcoming Hagee Summit
John Hagee: deviant theology, dangerous foreign policy
Hagee, AIPAC and Holocaust: Let`s keep away from fire
We did it! John McCain renounced Hagee!
Pastor Hagee and Christians United for Israel Push for Armageddon
McCain Rejects Endorsements of Two Evangelical Ministers: John Hagee and Rod Parsley
Hagee`s apocalyptic support of Israel
John Hagee`s Church Sings For The Invasion and Devastation of Israel
A Two-State Solution for the United States and Israel
Apocalyptic man
Rapture Ready: The Unauthorized Christians United for Israel Tour
Huckabee`s Confusion Over the Ten Commandments and the Constitution
Defending Israel to the `End Times`
A miscarriage of understanding
Invisible Strings Are Still Strings
Evangelical group, adopts Ashkelon Hospital
The Name Of The Constitution: Military Dad Fights Religious Right
Christian Zionists Feel "Betrayed" by Bush`s Road Map
When We Let John Hagee Speak for Us
Gov. Mike Huckabee: Create Palestinian State Outside of Israel
Huckabee’s radical religious friends
Military Evangelism Deeper, Wider Than First Thought
The Real Mike Huckabee: Israel and the Apocalypse
A Critique of Christian Zionists
AIPAC Cheers an Anti-Semitic Holocaust Revisionist (and Abe Foxman Approves)
AIPAC Hijack: With Friends Like These…
Whose Promised Land: Israel and Biblical Prophecy
CNN Alert: Theo-political Climate Change
Did Tim LaHaye Just Call Israelis "Not-To-Be-Trusted Yids?"
Missionary Activity in Sderot


Christian Zionist influence retracting
Filed under Middle East, Christian Zionism, Opinion Editorials, Settlements, USA foreign policy, Christian Fundamentalism – on Wednesday, July 02, 2008 – By: Kuttab, Daoud

Why is Evangelical Support for Israel shrinking?
 
An unexpected result has emerged in the US following the one-day Annapolis meeting aimed at kick starting Palestinian Israeli negotiations. Christian Zionists admitted that their power has started to weaken. “The evangelical support for Israel is shrinking,” stated the Jerusalem Connection International in its latest newsletter entitled ”Post Annapolis where do we go from here?”
 
Wikipedia says that Christian Zionism “is a belief among some Christians that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, is in accordance with Biblical prophecy and, furthermore, that bringing the Jews home will hasten the Second Coming..
 
This belief is primarily, though not exclusively, associated with Christian Dispensationalism, mainly in English-speaking countries outside Europe. British theologian and preacher John Nelson Darby who lived in England in the 19th century is regarded as the father of dispensationalism and its prodigy, Christian Zionism.

The Jerusalem Connection, which highlights the letters USA in the middle of the word Jerusalem, is run by a retired brigadier general in the US army, the Reverend James Hutchens. Hutchens, who says he demonstrated in protest, along with other Christian Zionists, outside the Naval base in Annapolis blames the reduction in evangelical support for Israel to a handful of evangelical leaders who signed a statement” supporting the two-state solution.”

Hutchenson admits that “more and more evangelical pulpits are silent about Israel.” But in case his followers are worried he interjects by stating: “Oh the Christian Zionists are still alive and well and “for Zion’s sake they will not keep silent.”

The 80 leading Christian evangelical leaders who signed the statement that was published in Christianity Today’s November 28th edition are perhaps the brightest and best among evangelicals. But unlike what Hutchenson says they are not “naïve, misguided and dead wrong about Israel.”
 
Although they have become more vocal about their position of late, evangelicals support for a two state solution should not be a surprise to those following the position of America’s largest Christian group.

Evangelical leaders like Professor Ron Sider of Evangelicals for Social Action, who have been publicly supporting issues of justice and peace in the Middle East is joined by presidents of Christian universities (like Wheaton University) and theological seminaries (like Fuller), heads of major charities (like World Vision) and editors of publications like Christian today and Sojourners.
 
They have been consistently calling for a balanced solution to the conflict.

Christian Zionism has also been suffering of late from a strong theological attack of their hawkish ideas from fellow evangelicals. Critiques from learned evangelicals such as Rev Don Wagner of North Park University and from the UK Rev. Steven Sizer have exposed the theological corruptness and emptiness of the Christian Zionist advocates. Earlier efforts by Reverend Colin Champ in his book “Whose Promised Land?” now in its fourth edition, has for years laid the ground for debunking these theological myths that support aggression against Palestinians using religious terminology.

Palestinian Christian efforts led by Canon Naim Ateek of the Jerusalem-based Sabeel Center for Palestinian Liberation theology has also been a major contributor in the weakening of both theology and its application. They have powerfully rejected the warped attempts by Christians in the west to use the Bible in defense of the unjust practices of right wing Israelis (including officials in the army and government) and fundamentalists Jewish settlers.

Today’s Christian Zionists have also been weakened by the failures of the policy of their political leader, President George W. Bush. The failure in Iraq, which President Bush he said, was decided, based on divine calling, followed by the recent intelligence report on Iran has had yet more cooling effects. Pushing for war in Iraq and more recently Iran has been publicly espoused by Christian fundamentalist leaders. Christian Zionists and other fundamentalist Christians who try to use the Bible to interpret today’s political news have regularly found in news from the Middle East a gold mine to pick and choose as they please.

The rise and fall of religious fundamentalism has often paralleled political success or failures. Messianic Jews were excited about the 1967 victory that they began an expansionist settlement activity in the West Bank (what they called Judea and Samaria) that has not been reversed since. The Khomeini revolution in Iran encouraged Islamic export.
 
And for Christian Zionists the ascension of Bush and Sharon were signs from God that their radical theology was finding an executive arm. As these once God sent politicians lose power, so does the theological underpinnings that rose with them.
 
The opinions and views articulated by the author do not necessarily reflect those of Israel e News.

del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | reddit | Tailrank | Technorati |

Email This Article ... Printer Friendly ... Export to plain text document ... Export to MS Word Document ...




Talkback comments can be read by clicking on the blue headline, and replied to if you are logged in. An icon shows beneath the headline, if the writer has opted to receive emails. Clicking on will enable you to send a private email to the writer.

Please log in to post comments. We encourage Talkback participants to avoid posting comments that violate our code of conduct. Thank you for your co-operation.

Username
Password
Remember Me


First time here? Click here to register  Password reminder

 

all channels

Israel e News RSS Israel e News feed

search

Search News For: Search In:               Search Help

newspoll

forum
..latest forum postings.. Israel Insider survives hacker attack

Author: Ilan
Subject: Israel Insider survives hacker attack
Posted: 01 Sep 08 at 23:33

    THis discussion caught my eye from the main front page,

Israel Insider survives hacker attack
Author: David75
Subject: Israel Insider survives hacker attack
Posted: 26 Aug 08 at 17:23

    Seems like I woz right, it may not have been Obama suppo

Israel Broadcasting Authority/Hebrew
Author: Zionist
Subject: Israel Broadcasting Authority/Hebrew
Posted: 23 Aug 08 at 01:23

    
Israel Broadcasting Authority/Hebrew


Israel Insider survives hacker attack
Author: Zionist
Subject: Israel Insider survives hacker attack
Posted: 23 Aug 08 at 01:08

    WTF!!!

It’s nothing, the Jews for Jesus guy

Israel Insider survives hacker attack
Author: Zaynab
Subject: Israel Insider survives hacker attack
Posted: 21 Aug 08 at 22:10

    I don’t whether it’s right to blame Obama supporters, th

Israel Insider survives hacker attack
Author: David75
Subject: Israel Insider survives hacker attack
Posted: 21 Aug 08 at 17:19

    Obama supporters were suspected…does anyone have any m

About us | Features | Islamic fundamentalism |Xtian Zionism| USA | Entertainment| Erotica | Authors | Donors | Contact us
copyright ©2006 israelenews.com all rights reserved