Presbyterian Church receives arson threat over Middle East policies

[struggle4progress]

LOUISVILLE, Ky. Presbyterian Churches in the U-S have been put on high alert.

This after a letter received at the church's Louisville, Kentucky, headquarters threatened arson attacks because of the church's policies toward the Middle East.

A church spokesman says the letter threatened to set churches on fire while people were inside in retaliation for "anti-Israel and anti-Jewish attitudes." <snip>

The church's General Assembly decided in June to begin the process of selective divestment from corporations supporting the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. <snip>

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=2561665


Church Gets Fire Threat In the Mail
Associated Press
Sunday, November 14, 2004; Page A24

LOUISVILLE, Nov. 13 -- The Presbyterian Church (USA) has stepped up security at its headquarters and advised its churches to be on alert after receiving a letter threatening arson attacks because of its policies in the Middle East. <snip>

The letter had no return address, but it was postmarked from Queens, N.Y., Van Marter said. The letter gave a Nov. 15 deadline for the church to reverse its Middle East policies, he said.

Church officials are taking the threat seriously and have contacted law enforcement authorities in Kentucky and New York, Van Marter said. <snip>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48188-2004Nov13.html


And here is the related rightwing "Christian" anti-Presbyterian agitation:


Presbyterian Staff Involved with Terrorist Meeting Fired

The two top staff members who took part in a controversial meeting with the terrorist group Hezbollah last month was fired with no clear explanation this week

Saturday, Nov. 13, 2004 Posted: 11:43:08AM EST

The Presbyterian Church (USA), a longtime advocate of inter-faith dialogues and religious freedom, has found itself in a deepening trench of misunderstandings with Jewish leaders at home and abroad. Beginning with its June 2004 decision to divest from companies profiting from Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and continuing with its funding a delegation visit with Hezbollah – an anti-American, anti-Israeli terrorist group responsible for a slew of attacks that killed hundreds – the Presbyterian-Jewish relationship has accelerated on a downward spiral.

At the wake of such heightened tensions, the PC(USA) announced on Thursday its decision to fire staff members who took part in the Hezbollah visit. While the succinct memo had no clear explanation, longtime observers of the denomination linked the lay-off to the workers’ involvement with the controversial Hezbollah meeting.

The two laid-off members, Kathy Leuckert and Peter Sulyok, Witness Policy (ACSWP), were the two highest ranking staff members on the 22-man “fact-finding” trip to the Middle East last month. Lueckert was deputy executive director of the church's General Assembly Council (GAC), which administers many of the denomination's programs. She was also the direct supervisor of Sulyok, the staff coordinator at the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP), which had coordinated the fact-finding trip. <snip>

“It is with sadness that I tell you that Kathy Lueckert’s tenure as deputy executive director has come to an end today. Kathy has made contributions to the work of the GAC and for that I will always be very grateful … I am also sorry to tell you that Peter Sulyok is leaving the GAC. Peter, too, has contributed much, especially to the work of ACSWP,” the memo read. <snip>

http://www.christianpost.com/dbase/church/1615/section/1.htm

[Dem2theMax]

1. Here we gooooooo.

# 1 on the list of terra lerts that will somehow bring on the draft.

[Maat]

2. I truly resent that Americans can't even have a rational discussion

about the Middle East - hearing both sides of the story - without someone badgering them about alleged anti-Jewish sentiment.

As I frequently explain to my Jewish friends, Jewish does not equal pro-Sharon. I think a church should be able to care about the Palestinian people without harassment. The terrorists who threaten them should be ashamed of themselves.

We as Americans should be able to speak with anyone. Didn't say we had to agree with everything or anything - but we should be able to have conversation.

[madrchsod]

3. there is something going terribly wrong....

terribly wrong......

[intheflow]

4. Welcome to another psychedelic foray into "compassionate conservatism"

where life becomes one bad acid trip. :scared:

[xchrom]

5. we used to call the soviet union every name in the book

and talked to them all the time.
it's a popularity contest which ''evil'' group people can or cannot talk to.
although -- the heavy hand of the talibornagains are beginning to leave a mighty clear message on the wall.
enough so that now they can get people fired from their jobs.

[0007]

6. This is like a rigged TV game show, while all the faith based

organizations are competing for big chucks of government grant money promised by junior and his thugs.

I've always thought the Presbyterian Church as being a little more progressive than buying into the right wing BS.

The man rigging the show is Karl Rove.

[supernova]

7. That's really ashame

:-(

Although, I don't think part of the group helped their cause much by being so undiplomatic on a TV interview. I wonder how could they not think their comments would be taken the wrong way.

During an interview with a Hezbollah-owned television station, Stone was quoted as saying, “As an elder of our church, I'd like to say that, according to my recent experience, relations and conversations with Islamic leaders are a lot easier than dealings and dialogue with Jewish leaders."

"Also, we praise your initiative for dialogue and mutual understanding," Stone added. "We cherish these statements that bring us closer to you. We treasure the precious words of Hezbollah and your expression of goodwill."

Harper added to the sting by criticizing Israel’s separation/defense barrier as “unhelpful.”

I don't know all the players in the Presby Hierarchy in Louisville, but I'll bet you anything that Derrick is very conservative and very pro-Israel. So he fired the only two people he could control.

Again, this is very sad. I was proud they took this trip last month and wanted to hear what the result was. :o Now, I know.