Who will stand up for the people of Christ?

"Let my people go!" While the media focuses on the fighting in Israel between Jew and Muslim, there is hardly mention of the Christians who unjustly have been suffering the consequences due to the terrorist attacks by Muslims. Palestinian Christians are being forced from their homeland, their rightful birthplace even before the coming of our Lord over 2,000 years ago. These Christians are the true ancestors of the faith and some even of the holy family itself. However, many are forced to seek refuge in other countries due to the violence, poverty,and imprisonment imposed on them and their children, . A Palestinian Christian man who has been working say for seventeen years supporting his family, one day awakens to go to work only to find that he no longer can get to his job or business, because he is now cut off from the rest of Israel by blockades being enforced by Israeli soldiers. He and his family are now treated as if they are Muslim terrorists. Not only are these families suffering from the loss of income, but are also prevented from reaching food and medicine, from visiting family, and even during the holidays from visiting the Holy Sites they are so much a part of. As we well know, Christianity is the extension of Judaism, not her enemy, and therefore should treat each other with respect. The whole of Israel suffers, yet it is the innocent blood of the Palestinian Christians, caught in the middle, that cries alone in silence. The American public must be made aware of the rapid decline and reality that Palestinian Christians will become extinct in the Holy Land, and cease to exist altogether within the next half century. Who will speak out for the people of Christ, and come to their aid and say, "Let my people go!" The Palestinian Christians need the help of all Christians in the United States and around the world to speak out for them. They need your prayers and your support. They need to know they are not alone, that other Christians care and are praying for them and their children, and will stand up for their human rights and the rights to their ancient and historic homeland, Israel. Please help put an end to the sufferings of your Christian brothers and sisters in Israel by pledging to spiritually adopt a Christian family with prayer, and by signing your name and address to show your support. I, the undersigned, pledge to spiritually adopt a Christian family with prayer and show my support to "Let My People Go!"

-- Joseph (JoeL@home.com), May 08, 2002

Answers

Good point, Joseph, thanks. We need to remember, too, the suffering of the Sudanese Christians at the hands of Moslim extremists!!

Thanks

Gail

-- Gail (Rothfarms@socket.net), May 08, 2002.

Strange --I remember many donations to the Holy Lands that are made. You all forget that? Seems the blind are leading the blind again.

-- Fred Bishop (fcbishop@globaleyes.net), May 08, 2002.

Where does the post say anything about donations???? I see someone trying to help other Christians in danger!

-- Dianne (Dianne160@comcast.ney), May 08, 2002.

Dianne

If you call yourself a faithful Catholic you would know what I am speaking about. The Church DOES make collectionsfor the Holy Lands periodically. Especially during the Lenten Season. It could be used to help preserve and pay the Christians to work at them. Do you understand this? I would not be surprised that some of it is for the Christian welfare in hte area. Blessings.

-- Fred Bishop (fcbishop@globaleyes.net), May 08, 2002.

You are right, Joseph.
And, within the past month, I have posted a message similar to yours (though much shorter) on a different thread. I mentioned the ill-treatment and exodus of the Palestininan Christians.

Anyone who would like to like to learn more about this and about the great Catholics who help the Palestinians (the Franciscans that take care of so many sanctuaries [and you have seen them at the Basilica of the Nativity lately]), please click here.

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), May 09, 2002.

Fred - I have never heard of the Catholic Church giving to Isreal at any time in my life. Zionists did and do support it this day. Please clarify.

-- Jean Bouchard (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), May 09, 2002.

Jean, Fred did not speak of "the Catholic Church giving to Israel."
Rather he said, "The Church DOES make collections for the Holy Lands periodically."
I believe that he is referring to a collection taken up during Holy Week (at least in the U.S.) for the benefit of the Christians and their many churches and shrines in Israel (also possibly part of Lebanon and Jordan).
JFG

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), May 09, 2002.

John

Thanks. You are absolutely correct on what I tried to convey. I do distinctly remember another collection being made later in the year for the Holy Lands too. I Don't remember for what purpose though. it may be a more general fund. Most people are not aware of the fact that we have actually helped the Greek Othodox and Eastern Rite people for many years in perserving these shrines and other locations throughout the Holy Lands as well. Without the Joint effort that has been going on for a long time these shrines would cease to exist due to the lack of respect given by the Palestinian and other Moslems.

I am aware of a Holy Site at this moment which is being compromised in the Palestinian territories for the Building of a Mosque which I understand is being halted temporarily. It is a sad thing to see these things happening all because of the lack of respect of the Moslems towards other faiths. I can see the Crusades are still ongoing to this day. Only this time it is the Moslems trying to drown out our Holy Sites by building over them. It is the visitation of one of these holy sites, equally shared by Christians and Jews by Ariel Sharon that started the current mid-east crisis. I understand there is a mosque currently on that Holy site today. I am trying to remember which one (The Temple Mount or something of that nature).

Blessings

-- Fred Bishop (fcbishop@globaleyes.net), May 09, 2002.

Thank you for the clarification on my question of monies to Isreal.

-- Jean Bouchard (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), May 09, 2002.

Jean

WHAT is the matter--the monies are NOT FOR ISRAEL. It is for the Christian Missions in the Holy Lands. It is for the whole region in the Middle East. You got that yet. MIDDLE EAST SHRINES AND HOLY SITES.

-- Fred Bishop (fcbishop@globaleyes.net), May 09, 2002.

Gail, your welcome and thank you, I will keep the Sudanese Christians in my prayers as well.

Dianne, thank you for pointing out the fact that my post has nothing at all to do with money/donations, but rather prayer and Christian support.

John, thank you very much for your caring support for the Palestinian Christians and for the site. I found it very interesting and enjoyed the pictures as well.

May God bless you all.

-- Joseph (JoeL@comcast.net), May 10, 2002.

Exodus of the Palestinian Christians

Dear Sir The Palestinian Christian is an endangered species. When the modern state of Israel was established there were about 400 000 of us. Two years ago the number was down to 80 000. Now it’s down to 60 000. At that rate, in a few years there will be none of us left. Palestinian Christians within Israel fare little better. On the face of it, their number has grown by 20 000 since 1991. But this is misleading, for the census classification ‘Christian’ includes some 20 000 recent non-Arab migrants from the former Soviet Union. So why are Palestinian Christians abandoning their homeland? We have lost hope, that’s why. We are treated as non-people. Few outside the Middle East even know we exist, and those who do, conveniently forget. I refer, of course, to the American Religious Right. They see the modern Israel as a harbinger of the Second Coming, at which time Christians will go to Paradise, and all others (presumably including Jews) to Hell. To this end they lend military and moral support to Israel. Even by the double-dealing standards of international diplomacy this is a breathtakingly cynical bargain. It is hard to know who is using whom more: the Christian Right for offering secular power in the expectation that the Jewish state will be destroyed by a greater spiritual one; or the Israeli Right for accepting their offer. What we do know is that both sides are abusing the Palestinians. Apparently we don’t enter into anyone’s calculations. The views of the Israeli Right are well known—they want us gone. Less well known are the views of the American Religious Right. Senator James Inhofe (R–Oklahoma) said: ‘God Appeared to Abraham and said: “I am giving you this land,”—the West Bank. This is not a political battle at all. It is a contest over whether or not the word of God is true.’ House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) was even more forthright: ’I'm content to have Israel grab the entire West Bank… I happen to believe that the Palestinians should leave.’ There is a phrase for this. Ethnic cleansing. So why do American Christians stand by while their leaders advocate the expulsion of fellow Christians? Could it be that they do not know that the Holy Land has been a home to Christians since, well… since Christ? Do not think I am asking for special treatment for Christians. Ethnic cleansing is evil whoever does it and to whomever it is done. Palestinian Christians—Maronite Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans, Armenians, Baptists, Copts and Assyrians—have been rubbing shoulders with each other and with other religions—Muslims, Jews, Druze and (most recently) Baha’is—for centuries. We want to do so for centuries more. But we can’t if we are driven out by despair. What we seek is support—material, moral, political and spiritual. As Palestinians we grieve for what we have lost—and few people (the Ashkenazi Jews are one) have lost more than us. But grief can be assuaged by the fellowship of friends.

(Signed) Abe Ata (Prof), a 9th generation Christian Palestinian was born in Bethlehem, currently researching in Australia.

-- Abe W. Ata (a.ata@asian.unimelb.edu.au), November 10, 2002.

Dear Professor Ata,

Perhaps you didn't realize this, but you have posted a message on a thread at a Catholic discussion forum.

Catholics are not a part of what you called the "American Religious Right." In fact, many Catholics in the U.S. strongly support Palestinian Christians (by prayer and/or by donations), and are very alarmed at the Christian depopulation of the Holy Land.

Some American Catholics are present in the Holy Land as priests, monks, and friars -- especially Franciscans who help take care of dozens of sacred sites and work with Palestinians (Moslem and Christian) for justice, education, better housing, etc..

Please click here to find out more.
God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), November 10, 2002.