TO: Abe Daniel, Senior Pastor, other Pastors
Trinity Life Center
5225 Hillsdale Blvd
Sacramento, CA
Dear Pastor Daniel:
Project Strait Gate will conduct a vigil at your church on June 23, 2013, during the hours that you host John Hagee’s “Celebrating Israel Concert.”(1) We have arranged Vigils for Peace with Justice at many major Christian Zionist leaning churches nationwide. Please cancel this concert now in the interest of your congregation, the suffering of the Palestinian people, and the unchristlike and indecent use of the funds that will be raised from your church.
I am sending by rush mail our 32-minute video entitled Christian Zionism, The Tragedy and the Turning.(2) It contains a visual witness of Israel’s bombing raids on the Palestinians which I personally photographed from a rooftop in downtown Gaza City. It is one of thousands of documented reports of Israeli occupation and brutality available to you. The video also explains how the bible is distorted in the footnotes of the Scofield Reference Bible which many have used to support the claim that today’s “Israel” owns the land where Abraham is believed to have lived 3000 years ago. “The Turning” is the growing movement against Zionism in churches world wide. We are asking your church to be part of the “Turning” instead of the “Tragedy” of supporting Israel no matter what it may do.
Do you know about the growing movement against the use of Jesus’ name to promote cruel and racist acts that Jesus spoke out against while he walked the now occupied land called Palestine? You will not learn the truth from Hagee’s imported Zionist “witnesses.”
Mainline churches have too long ignored Christian Zionism as another fad offshoot of the Evangelical movement, but now they are awakening. Among the first to speak out was the National Council of Churches five or more years ago in a bulletin, “Why We Should Be Concerned About Christian Zionism.”(3)
In November, 2012, fifteen Mainline church denominations joined in the call, including Evangelical Lutherans (ELCA), United Methodists, Presbyterians (PCA), the United Church of Christ, who wrote of the abuses of Palestinians by the State of Israel and Christian Zionists sorry role in it. Signatories representing these denominations asked Congress to investigate (4) why US taxpayer dollars are being given to Israel knowing that these are used for occupation and war.
In May, 2013, the Church of Scotland (5) joined those in protest of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian’s land, and Christian Zionist’s influence, stating that the Bible gives no country the right to any piece of land, Israel being the only country to make this claim.
Those who attend your concert will be asked to make pledges of support, give money, and even to sing the National Anthem of anther country. Pastor Abe Daniel, we have attended several Nights to Honor Israel presentations all over the country, and not a word is said about the state of Israel’s occupation of 3 million people, the murder of thousands over a 65 year span, some with rubber bullets, some with weapons of mass destruction. Do you not know about the mass home destruction, burned olive orchards, detentions, rapes and torture of the almost totally disarmed Palestinians?
Israel is a state that borrowed its name from the bible in order to sway your sympathy. John Hagee has publicly prayed for war (6) and called for war upon Muslims in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and Syria. What would Jesus say?
Trinity Life Center’s ”What We Believe” states the Bible is “inspired, infallible and authoritative.” Jesus said “Blessed are the Peacemakers”; and “For as much as you have done it (both kindness and evil) to the least of my brothers, you have done it unto me”; and “Love your brother as you love yourself… love even your enemy.” Who do you think Jesus would bomb?
If you would care to talk about this letter, or if you would like to arrange a meeting, please contact me. I am praying for you to show your respect for Jesus’ words by canceling this Celebrating Israel Concert.
We will be at Trinity Life Center on Sunday, June 23, 2013. We will be located on public right-of-ways near your church, ready to answer questions from all who wonder about our message. We will be respectful of your rights and the local laws.
Toward The Strait Gate,
Charles E. Carlson
charlesecarlson.com
Project Strait Gate
PO Box 35
Wheat Ridge, CO, 80034
Contact phone on site: 602 741 4650
Copies to staff, ?CA Press, ?Other area churches
ENDNOTES:
(1) “Celebrating Israel Concert,” Christians United For Israel: http://www.***org/site/DocServer/June_23_2013_CUFI_Concert_Sacramento.pdf?docID=1961
(2) Christian Zionism: The Tragedy and the Turning, Carlson: http://***.com/15197234
(3) “Why We Should Be Concerned About Christian Zionism,” National Council of Churches:http://www.***.org/pdfs/christianzionismbrochure.pdf
(4) “Churches Call For Congressional Investigation Into Aid To Israel,” Carlson: http://***.com/churches-call-for-congressional-investigation-into-aid-to-israel/
(5) “The Inheritance of Abraham? A report on the ‘promised land,’” Church of Scotland: http://www.***.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/14050/The_Inheritance_of_Abraham.pdf
(6) “John Hagee With Benny Hinn: Praying For War, In The Name of Jesus”: http://***.com/34409225
Toward the Strait Gate,
Chuck Carlson
Websites: charlesecarlson.com and whtt.org - Podcasts: whtt.podbean.com
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