Posts
As Christmas approaches, a season ostensibly dedicated to peace, goodwill, and the birth of the Prince of Peace, one might expect Christian leaders, particularly those in the Holy Land, to embody these virtues with particular clarity. Yet a recent investigation by The Press Service of Israel reveals something rather different and disgusting: a cadre of prominent Lutheran figures who have, in various ways, framed the barbaric atrocities of October 7, 2023, as justifiable "resistance."
Around 1,200 people were mercilessly slaughtered, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during that massacre in southern Israel. These were not acts of war against soldiers; they were the deliberate slaughter of civilians, families at breakfast, young people at a music festival, the elderly in their homes, and even babies.
To describe such horrors as anything other than evil requires a remarkable contortion of moral reasoning.
Consider Rev. Sally Azar, the first female Palestinian pastor ordained in the Holy Land by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL). In the immediate aftermath of October 7, she shared social media content portraying the attacks as legitimate. One post echoed the view that it was "naive and self deceiving" to expect Gazans not to "resort to violence" as a last option. Another, from an Instagram account, declared: "This resistance is 100 percent predictable and justified if you are someone who is paying attention."
Consider Rev. Sally Azar, the first female Palestinian pastor ordained in the Holy Land by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL). In the immediate aftermath of October 7, she shared social media content portraying the attacks as legitimate. One post echoed the view that it was "naive and self deceiving" to expect Gazans not to "resort to violence" as a last option. Another, from an Instagram account, declared: "This resistance is 100 percent predictable and justified if you are someone who is paying attention."
Paying attention to the fact that the real victims were those pesky Jews.
When pressed on these postings, the ELCJHL responded that "Pastor Sally is busy now with Christmas preparations. She has not issued any statements towards that day or posted anything on social media. You can look up the church's statements if needed; that is what she stands by," [specifically, anti-Semitism].
Then there is Rev. Munther Isaac, a Lutheran pastor in Bethlehem and Beit Sahour. On October 8, 2023, the day after the massacre, he preached a sermon hailing the attacks as a "natural response" to the Gaza "siege," praising "the strength of the Palestinian man who defied his siege." The strength of a Palestinian man with a weapon, killing the unarmed mother and child, father and son simply because they were Israelis, and therefore probably Jewish.
When pressed on these postings, the ELCJHL responded that "Pastor Sally is busy now with Christmas preparations. She has not issued any statements towards that day or posted anything on social media. You can look up the church's statements if needed; that is what she stands by," [specifically, anti-Semitism].
Then there is Rev. Munther Isaac, a Lutheran pastor in Bethlehem and Beit Sahour. On October 8, 2023, the day after the massacre, he preached a sermon hailing the attacks as a "natural response" to the Gaza "siege," praising "the strength of the Palestinian man who defied his siege." The strength of a Palestinian man with a weapon, killing the unarmed mother and child, father and son simply because they were Israelis, and therefore probably Jewish.
Excerpts suggest he linked the violence to historical grievances stretching back to the "Nakba." Isaac later referred inquiries to his book, where he writes: "For those who are quick to condemn the violence of Palestinians of October 7, I ask you to try walking in our shoes before lecturing us on how we should respond."
Even at the highest levels, the pattern persists.
Even at the highest levels, the pattern persists.
Bishop Henrik Stubkjaer, president of the Lutheran World Federation, an organization representing nearly 80 million Lutherans worldwide, reportedly likened Palestinian actions to the Danish resistance against Nazi occupation during the Second World War. When challenged on a perceived one-sided sermon, he allegedly told a German Lutheran visitor that Palestinians today face a situation comparable to that of occupied Denmark, implying that their "resistance" merits the same understanding we extend to those who fought the Germans.
These individuals are embedded in influential networks: the ELCJHL, the Lutheran World Federation, and the World Council of Churches (WCC), bodies long criticized for their institutional bias against Israel. As Itai Reuveni of NGO Monitor observes, anti-Israel sentiment within the WCC has radicalized over decades, operating like a "beehive" of shared theology that recasts contemporary conflicts in terms of ancient Christian sins redirected toward the Jewish state.
Dr. Mike Evans, a prominent evangelical supporter of Israel, cuts to the heart of the matter: "You can’t love Jesus without loving the Jewish people because Jesus was Jewish. Professing Christians who excuse or justify active terror are not real Christians; they are fake Christians."
These individuals are embedded in influential networks: the ELCJHL, the Lutheran World Federation, and the World Council of Churches (WCC), bodies long criticized for their institutional bias against Israel. As Itai Reuveni of NGO Monitor observes, anti-Israel sentiment within the WCC has radicalized over decades, operating like a "beehive" of shared theology that recasts contemporary conflicts in terms of ancient Christian sins redirected toward the Jewish state.
Dr. Mike Evans, a prominent evangelical supporter of Israel, cuts to the heart of the matter: "You can’t love Jesus without loving the Jewish people because Jesus was Jewish. Professing Christians who excuse or justify active terror are not real Christians; they are fake Christians."
What we witness here is not mere political disagreement but a profound moral inversion. To equate the rape, murder, and kidnapping of innocents with "resistance" is to abandon the very essence of Christianity. It erodes decades of painstaking Jewish-Christian reconciliation and risks inflaming ancient prejudices under the guise of solidarity with the oppressed.
In the Holy Land itself, as researcher Elias Zarina notes, many church leaders tread carefully, aware that Christian communities flourish far more in Israel than under Palestinian Authority rule—yet fear of backlash silences fuller expressions of solidarity with Jews.
At Christmas, of all times, one expects better from those who claim to follow the Jewish carpenter from Nazareth. Instead, we are confronted with a disturbing reminder: fashionably radical causes can corrupt even the most sacred vocations, turning shepherds into apologists for wolves.
In the Holy Land itself, as researcher Elias Zarina notes, many church leaders tread carefully, aware that Christian communities flourish far more in Israel than under Palestinian Authority rule—yet fear of backlash silences fuller expressions of solidarity with Jews.
At Christmas, of all times, one expects better from those who claim to follow the Jewish carpenter from Nazareth. Instead, we are confronted with a disturbing reminder: fashionably radical causes can corrupt even the most sacred vocations, turning shepherds into apologists for wolves.
If you like Brain Flushings and want to Buy Me a Coffee, I would appreciate it, as it supports my work and my coffee drinking habit. Obviously, there is no pressure but I certainly wouldn't stop you from doing me that solid. Imagine, you could be the first on your block to do that and your friends will thank you . . . for some reason. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY CHRISTIAN READERS, AND HAPPY CHANUKAH TO MY JEWISH READERS, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!
Tweet
No comments:
Post a Comment