by Maria Delgado (22 December 2011) Why do we call ourselves Christians and celebrate Christmas? What many of our Churches and we Christians refuse to talk about: All Christians please remember during this festive season of Christmas, the birth place of Christ and eventually Christianity exported from Bethlehem Palestine to us all around the world. More than fifteen Christian countries, including South Africa, heeded an urgent call on 4-10 December 2011 as they joined Christian Palestinians in the Kairos for Global Justice encounter in Bethlehem. Many churches, Christian and secular movements around the word have endorsed the Kairos document, and have issued responses in support of it, including the South African Council of Churches. After listening to the presentations and exchanging ideas in working groups (by regions and by themes), the participants approved a final declaration: The Bethlehem Call: Here we stand; Stand with us. The document specifies some non-negotiable issues and asks Christians and churches to:- 1. Reject the silence of the church, lest we be accomplices in crimes against humanity, such as those of apartheid and persecution. 2. Refuse to be coerced into accepting financial assistance from any church or organisation that supports the Occupation. 3. Call the Israeli occupation of Palestine a crime and sin. 4. Reject any argument aimed at convincing Palestinians and the international community that the problems are caused by Muslims rather than the Occupation. 5. Demand that churches take bold and courageous positions for justice against injustice. We are appalled at the spiritual and institutional cowardice that refuses to take an unequivocal stand for justice. Equally, victims and perpetrators cannot be put on equal footing in efforts to create illusions of balance. 6. We reject calls to cease advocating and practicing [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] or any other form of non-violent civil resistance that will end the Occupation. 7. Resist being party to any church or church-related organization offering tours to the Holy Lands that do not include an encounter with local Christian Palestinians and express our opposition to such initiatives.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 11:37:44 +0000
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