United Methodist Church Groups Targeting Israel

United Methodist Church Groups Targeting Israel

"Widespread parts of the United Methodist Church bureaucracy are claiming one primary solution to Middle East violence: punish Israel." -- Mark Tooley, Executive Director UMAction

WASHINGTON, March 5 /Christian Newswire/ -- Several groups within the 7.9 million member United Methodist Church are targeting Israel with divestment proposals and hostile publications.

The United Methodist Board of Church and Society (GBCS), the church's official Washington-based lobbying office, is urging church members and church agencies to divest from Caterpillar, Inc. Their resolution, which will go before the United Methodist General Conference in April 2008, accuses Peoria- based Caterpillar of facilitating Israel's destruction of Palestinian property. Five regional annual conferences within United Methodism have passed similar resolutions.

The New York-based United Methodist Women's Division has published a children's book containing anti-Israel themes, "From Palestine to Seattle; Becoming Neighbors and Friends." The booklet portrays Israel as an oppressor of Palestinians while omitting nearly all mention of terrorism.

The Washington-based Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA), a liberal caucus group within United Methodism, has outdone the church's official lobby office by calling for divestment against ALL "companies supporting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and other violations of human rights in Israel/Palestine."

The United Methodist Women's Division also has released a mission study for 2007-2008 that portrays Israel as virtually the sole aggressor in the Middle East. The study is for use by nearly 700,000 United Methodist Women's members across the nation.

IRD Director of UMAction Mark Tooley commented:


"Israel is unremittingly portrayed as the chief obstacle to Middle East peace by these radicalized United Methodist groups, and by extension, the United States is viewed as directly complicit through its support of Israel.

"Widespread parts of the United Methodist Church bureaucracy are claiming one primary solution to Middle East violence: punish Israel.

"Church agencies should strive towards fairness and factuality. Targeting Israel as the Middle-East's unique villain, while virtually ignoring terrorism and radical Islam, is a gross disservice to members of The United Methodist Church and to the wider public."


The Institute on Religion and Democracy, founded in 1981, is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches' social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad.

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House Church Building Banned By Government Officials

House Church Gathering in China. Photograph: China Aid

House Church Building Banned By Government Officials

Hubei/China/March 13, 2008/3mnewswire.org/ -- China Aid has learned that House Church members in, Jiang’an District’s Wuhan City were banned from using their building, by Government officials on October, 31 of 2007. Officials declared that pastor Zhao Fuhai and his congregation were in violation of State regulations by holding worship services in an “unregistered religious site”. Officials confiscated 3,000 Yuan from the offertory box before banning the building from being used by the church. The congregation must now search for an alternate location to hold services in.

Fear of reprisals from Government officials is a constant threat to house church members, who simply wish to worship in freedom and security. The Government’s action towards this house church, as well as countless others, is clear proof that the CPC is not progressing in its stance on religious freedom, but rather increasing its persecution among the house church in China.

To communicate your concern over this incident, please contact:
Chinese Embassy in Washington DC
Tel: (202) 338-6688, (202)5889760
Fax: (202) 588-9760

Wuhan City Public Security Bureau: 86- 027-85874400
Direct line of the Bureau Chief: 86-027-85876666
Hotline for the Public Security Bureau: 86-027-85396666

News translated in the Chinese Language:

对华援助协会新闻稿
联系人：傅希秋
手机：267-205-5210
电邮：info@ChinaAid.org
网址：www.ChinaAid.org
www.MonitorChina.org
湖北武汉市（对华援助协会2008年1月24日）
武汉取缔家庭教会

湖北武汉市江岸区民族宗教事务局于2007年10月31日以行政（当场）处罚方式，取缔江岸区三七街韦家桑园45号的基督教家庭教会聚会点，同时没收教会奉献。
江岸区民族宗教事务局指责家庭教会传道人赵福海，在未经登记场所开展宗教活动，违反了国务院《宗教事务条例》和《湖北省宗教事务条例》，决定给予取缔该非法场所，没收奉献箱内叁千元。行政处罚决定书也同时指出：如不服本决定，可在接到处罚决定书之日起60日内，向市民族事务委员会或江岸区政府法制办提出行政复议或直接向人民法院起诉。期满不申请复议，不起诉也不履行行政处罚决定的，处罚机关有权申请人民法院强制执行。
当地政府这一举措，不但反映该地没有履行中国政府宗教信仰自由政策，反而证实宗教迫害事件有增无减。

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