Over opinionated with Josh Scott
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- Josh Scott, Host of Over Opinionated.
Over opinionated with Josh Scott
The Gaza Crisis: an evangelical response #87
The evangelical church faces a moral crisis as the Israel-Hamas war continues to devastate Gaza, leaving tens of thousands dead and a humanitarian catastrophe. We must reconcile our support for Israel with our Christian duty to speak against injustice and suffering, recognizing that being pro-Israel doesn't require ignoring Palestinian suffering.
• Over 60,000 Palestinians killed according to Gaza health ministry, with half being women and children
• Humanitarian crisis with widespread starvation and malnutrition, particularly affecting children
• Evangelical church's unwavering support for Israel creating a moral blind spot
• Supporting Israel doesn't mean endorsing all actions of the Israeli government
• Biblical precedent for speaking against injustice, even to "God's chosen people"
• Attack on Holy Family Catholic Church killing Christians seeking refuge
• Pro-life values must extend beyond abortion to include Palestinian lives
• Need for a two-state solution that recognizes the humanity of both peoples
• Being critical of Israeli government actions is not anti-Semitism
• Christians must advocate for peace, humanitarian aid, and diplomatic solutions
We must speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. If we claim to be pro-life, we must be consistently pro-life for all people made in God's image.
Okay, everybody, welcome back to Over-Opinionated. I got a pretty, I got an episode coming up for you. It's going to be a little heavy and we need to get to it because it's very important and I think the church isn't ignoring it. But before we start, we're going to open up with our daily readings of the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles' Creed. So, with our daily readings of the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles' Creed. So, our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen We'll. But delivers from evil, for divine is the kingdom, the power and glory forever and ever. Amen. We'll move on to the apostles creed.
Speaker 1:I believe in god, the father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in jesus christ, his only son, our lord, which was conceived by the holy ghost, born of the virgin mary, suffered under pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose from the dead, he ascended into heaven and sat up at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From hence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, forgiveness of sin, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting, and there's always the ascension into hell. A lot of people just interpret that as him going in the grave, and the Holy Catholic Church means universal, not the Roman Catholic Church, the universal, so anybody who is a believer. Okay, I have to talk about something that's pretty heavy and I have prayed about this. It's been very heavy on my heart. It's a very, very tough issue. It's been very heavy on my heart. It's a very, very tough issue, but I believe the church is either ignoring it or they are downplaying it, especially the evangelical church, and it scares me. But the situation in the Gaza Strip is just heartbreaking and we have to talk about it.
Speaker 1:I know that many people in the evangelical church see Israel as God's chosen people and that to have Christ come back, israel has to be in the land, be in Jerusalem, has to be over the Israel-sized Palestinian states, and I am going to dig into that in a future podcast. You can still believe that Israel is God's chosen people. You can still be a pre-millennialist believing that Jesus will come back before the millennial reign and the rapture of the church. You can still believe these things and you can still support the state of Israel and admit what Israel is doing right now is wrong. And me saying what Israel is doing right now is wrong is not me hating the Jewish people, it's not me being anti-Semitic and it's not me talking against God's chosen people. Remember in the Bible God rose up many, many prophets to speak against Israel so they would repent from their ways and stop sinning. So just because someone is God's chosen people does not mean that they cannot sin against him greatly. Also, remember Israel is not a Christian nation. They are far from it. Honestly, they're mostly a secular country and I know many evangelicals that support Israel no matter what, and I don't believe that's a very Christian principle.
Speaker 1:I know that the rise of anti-Semitism is going up, especially on the right, and I abhor that. I think it's horrible. But it's not anti-Semitic to say the state of Israel is wrong in how they're pursuing this war effort. This war has went on for almost two years. It is totally unproportionate. And I don't know how you look at the news from an objective level, looking at all different kinds of sources from the left and the right, and say that Israel is not killing innocent civilians without any repercussions, without any care. They are killing innocent Palestinians and they are hiding behind Hamas. They are hiding behind horrible things that have happened to Jews in their history, and people have used the word genocide to describe this. I'm okay with using that word because I do think if this is not a genocide, it's gosh, it's close, it's a war crime. It's definitely a war crime.
Speaker 1:Innocent people are starving in Gaza and you can only blame Hamas. So much I've heard. Well, the Palestinians voted in for Hamas. Yeah, in 2007, 2006, almost 20 years ago. They haven't had an election since then in the Gaza Strip. It's not a democracy. They're basically an oligarchical, theocratic dictatorship, a Islamic, an extremist Islamic dictatorship.
Speaker 1:And, yeah, I understand a lot of people are sympathetic, but a lot of this is Israel's fault for bombing them into oblivion, for turning their homes and towns into rubble, killing their brothers, sisters and mothers. As the church does nothing, as the church just says well, it's all Hamas' fault. Stop hiding behind Hamas. Yes, do I know that Hamas hides in the synagogues, churches and hospitals and mosques? Yeah, they do. But Israel also hides behind Hamas on the international stage as they kill more and more Palestinians, as Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel and his far-right government and I'm far-right, but this is a little different basically want to exile the Palestinians so that they can have a complete Jewish state in the area. Netanyahu is not interested in a two-state solution. He's not interested in a Palestinian state.
Speaker 1:Tell me why there are so many settlements in the West Bank. Tell me why they are starving the people in Gaza. You can only blame Hamas so long. You can only blame them for so long. So I'm going to read you guys a few articles. This one's from PBS News and we're going to discuss some of these articles.
Speaker 1:I understand that all news is biased, but when multiple news sources on the left or mid-left or even in the middle are all reporting the same thing, even from the middle and the left, or even in the middle are all reporting the same thing from the middle and the left, and even some of the a little on the right maybe not as much this is happening, guys. This is not. I understand there's propaganda that Hamas uses, but this is happening. This is. This is not fake. So don't let someone try to tell you that this is not happening or that this is all Hamas' fault, that no one's starving in Gaza and that Israel has nothing to do with it. That's just not true. Now Israel started to let more humanitarian aid in because the international community is pushing them to do so. But I'm going to read you an article from PBS News from July 29th Over 60,000 Palestinians have died in the Israel-Hamas war, gaza's health ministry says.
Speaker 1:Now people will criticize Gaza's health ministry because it is ran by Hamas. I understand that Maybe they are inflating those numbers. Let's take that by half. What if it's only 30,000? That's still extraordinarily unproportionate compared to the 1,200 that Hamas killed and, guys, it's a lot more than 30,000. I'm just saying, if you only took it by half, the 60,000 number is probably pretty accurate, even with the lies of Hamas. When you see these footage Not all this footage is fake, guys, most of it's not. And yeah, I understand propaganda exists but when we see multiple images coming in from cameras and cell phones from Gaza Of families starving to death, of buildings falling on top of them, of churches getting hit by Israel, I just they've lost their credibility.
Speaker 1:Israel's lost me. I was a strong supporter of Israel. I grew up I'm getting a little emotional. I grew up being taught that Israel was God's lost me. I was a strong supporter of Israel. I grew up I'm getting a little emotional. I grew up being taught that Israel was God's chosen people and to always support them. Those who will bless you will be blessed and those who will curse you will be cursed. Now I believe that verse was misused. But I loved Israel. I still do to a certain extent. But I grew up. This is God's chosen people. Love them and honor them. And now I see these people. Well, now I see the Israeli government. Let me rephrase that Now I see the Israeli government Just killing, just killing innocent people out of revenge for October 7th, out of a dream of having a greater Israel where there is no Palestine, where we ethnically cleanse Palestinians from the land. It breaks my heart, so let's get into the land. It breaks my heart, so let's get into the article.
Speaker 1:Over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 21-month Israel-Hamas war, gaza's health minister said Tuesday. The ministers, part of the Hamas-run government said the death total has climbed to 6,034 people and over 145,870 people wounded since Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack. It did not say how many were civilians or militants, but has said that women and children make up around half, and that's probably a lot. There's probably a lot of truth. Gaza has a very young population Make up about half of the dead. The minister is staffed by medical professionals. The United Nations and other independent experts view its figures as the most reliable count of casualties, so the United Nations agrees with it. I'm not saying that that exact number is true. It might be inflated a little bit. Maybe it's 50,000. I don't know, but that's a lot of people, guys, and the more are dying every day because of starvation and bombings.
Speaker 1:Israel's offense has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displacing around 90% of the population. About 90% of the Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced from their home. My gosh guys have been displaced from their home, my gosh guys. And the cause to a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with experts warning a famine. At least 77 Palestinians killed in the past day. As international organizations warn of worst-case scenario of famine, israel continued to strike the Gaza Strip, killing at least 77 Palestinians in the past day, according to local hospitals. More than half were killed while attempting to access aid Hospitals said include a rising toll of a deadly incident on Monday as people attempt to access from a truck convoy passing through the Gaza Strip.
Speaker 1:Local hospitals said that they received the bodies of an additional 33 people who were gunned down around an aid convoy in southern Gaza on Monday, bringing the total from an incident to 58. The Israeli military did not comment on the shooting and that's some things that happened. People are going in to get the aid and they're getting shot and a lot of reports that the Israeli, that people sorry that the IDF is doing this and maybe, maybe it's not being ordered by Israel, but maybe Israel's turning a blind eye to it. And well, when they'll say, well, hamas is doing it, maybe, maybe Hamas is doing some of it? I'm no fan or defender of Hamas, but Israel has got blood on their hands and I don't know how you don't see it. I just stopped using Hamas as a scapegoat to kill more innocent Palestinian people. It's sickening. I'm going to keep reading.
Speaker 1:Israel says it only targets militants and takes extraordinarily measures to avoid harming civilians. It blames civilians' death on Hamas because the militants operate in populated areas. The military said it targets Hamas military infrastructures Over the past day, invoking rocket launchers, weapons storage facilities and tunnels Around. An additional 14 Palestinians were killed while attempting to access aid near the American and Israeli backed Gaza humanitarian fund site in central Gaza, according to local hospitals neighbor Dean ghf. Nor the middle Military Command on the shooting. Israel's military said in the past it only fires warning shots if troops feel threatened, and the GAF has said their contractors haven't fired at civilians. Airstrikes also targeted tents hosting displaced people in the central city of Naraset, killing 30 people, including 12 children and 14 women, according to Al-Adhan Hospital. The strikes come as international organizations continue to warn about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, which has twerkened on the brink of famine of two years. Recent deployments have dramatically worsened the situation.
Speaker 1:According to the International Food Security Phase and Classification, or IPC, israel rejects claims of starvation. Well, they can reject the claims of starvation, but when you see these pictures, when you see all these news agencies, yeah, they're just all lying, everybody's lying, and the Israeli government's telling the truth. They're just angels. That's it. Netanyahu and his government and the IDF. They're just being angels. They don't care. They're not really starving Palestinians. It's all Hamas that's starving the Palestinians. It has nothing to do with Israel having a blockade, not putting aid in and then shooting at Palestinians trying to get food. It has nothing to do with the rockets killing these people, nothing. I might have been born, but it wasn't yesterday. I'm not that stupid. I support Israel as a country. I do not support this war crime. I do not support this genocide. God have mercy on us. God have mercy on the church. Let's keep reading.
Speaker 1:Israel's foreign minister, god and Star, on Tuesday rejects claims of starvation policies in Gaza and said the focus on starvation is a campaign of international pressure. Yeah, to start a campaign of international pressure. Yeah, it's a campaign of international pressure, but because you're starving people, the pressure is directly sabotage the chances for a ceasefire and hostage deal. It is only pushing toward military escalation by hardening Hamas' stance. He said oh man, here's Israel again. I understand I want all the hostages to go home, but this does not justify this slaughter. And I don't even know, if they got the hostages back, if they would stop the slaughter at this point. They're just using them as a moral shield On the international stage. I am so sick of it. I hate what's happened To the hostages and I want them all home. But my gosh, is that worth 60,000.
Speaker 1:Dead Palestinians and if you say yes, you have a heart issue and your heart is so hard, it's so hard and it's so hard that you don't care about these Palestinians, maybe because they're not white, maybe because they're Muslim, I don't care. I don't care if these Palestinians are mostly Muslim or mostly Arabic and mostly don't speak English. My God, they're human beings. I mean God's image. How does this not break your heart for your fellow human being? How can you be so cold-hearted? How can the church turn a blind eye? I'm a proud evangelical guys. Um, I'm so. I'm proud of the evangelical church, and I mean the low church Protestants, baptists, pentecostals Methodists, conservative Methodists, non-denominationalists.
Speaker 1:When it comes to transgenderism, we take a hard line stand and say no. We will not let this happen to our children. We don't want this in our bathrooms. We want to protect kids. We take a hard line stance on family issues, the nuclear family, upholding a mother and a father and children, marriage between a man and a woman. We uphold that life begins at conception and that no one should die in the mother's womb by abortion, and we will fight tooth and nail for that. I'm proud of that and I will. I'm as anti-abortion as it mother's womb by abortion, and we will fight tooth and nail for that. I'm proud of that and I will. I'm I'm as anti-abortion as it'll ever get. Um, I will stand up for the life of unborn babies. I will.
Speaker 1:But what about the lives in palestine right now? What if they weren't born and they were in the womb of an American woman? Then you would fight for them. But if they're born and they're in the Middle East and they have a different religion than you, they look different than you, they speak a different language than you, god, forgive us. I mean that God, have mercy on us.
Speaker 1:We should be evangelizing to these people. How are they going to accept Christ when they know that we turned a blind eye to their suffering and murder and genocide? How are we going to reach out to these people, to Christ? The Holy Spirit can break, can break your heart down and can move past anything. But, my God, our silence is killing people.
Speaker 1:Do you really think that Trump doesn't listen to the evangelical church? He does. They helped get him elected. I'm not saying that they can do anything that they want to for Trump to do, but Trump does listen to the evangelical church. If it wasn't for us, he wouldn't be elected. And yeah, trump has made some comments that he is upset with Israel about how they're conducting this war, but he's not putting pressure on them, not really. He's made. Maybe he's made a few comments. He's putting a little bit of pressure, not enough.
Speaker 1:We need, we need to cut funding. We need to cut funding to Israel till they stop this murder. We have to stop this, guys. We can't just hide behind Hamas and the Holocaust. As evil as Hamas is, as evil as the Holocaust is, it doesn't justify more murder. It's what this is. It's what this is. I'm going to keep reading.
Speaker 1:The US and Israel have both recalled their negotiation teams over the past, as negotiations seem to have stalled. Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the attack that sparked the war and abdicated and abducted and over a hundred and fifty one. They are still holding 50 calves lips and about 20 believed to be alive after most of the rest were released in the ceasefire of the deals. The war took a major turn in early March when Israel composed about a two and a half month blockade, barging the entry of all food, medicine, fuel and other goods. Weeks later, israel ended the ceasefire with a surprise bombardment and began seizing large areas of Gaza, measuring, it said, were aimed at pursuing Hamas to release more hostages. At least 8,867 Palestinians have been killed since then. Israel erased, eased the blockade in May, but the UN urges it says it hasn't allowed nearly enough aid to enter it in and that they have struggled to deliver it because of Israel, israeli restrictions and the breakdown of law and order.
Speaker 1:An alternative, israel-backed system ran by American contractors has been martyred by violence and controversy, gutted health system, daily strikes and a humanitarian crisis. Near daily Israeli strikes have hit schools, shelters, hospitals and other civilian buildings, killing men, women and children. The military usually says it was targeted military, hiding out among civilians, while occasionally acknowledging mistakes. Israel's offenses and blockades have also gutted Gaza's health system, with several hospitals having shut down and others only partially functioned as they received waves of wounds. The hunger crisis has also taken its toll. The World Health Organization says more than 60 people have died this month from malnutrition related causes, including 24 children under five. Overall, 88 children died of causes related to malnutrition since the war started, 58 died this month also malnutrition related causes. According to the gaza health ministry, they're in hunger crisis. People can die from malnutrition and from common illnesses and injuries that the body is not strong enough to fight. The ministry does not include hunger related deaths in its overall total.
Speaker 1:Guys, that's how, how can you not be heartbroken? I just I don't understand, guys. How can we not be heartbroken for what's going on in Gaza? It's just a moral failing on the evangelical church, which I'm proudly a part of. But we're dropping the ball, guys. But I am glad I think some people are waking up. We had a church picnic kind of today and I was talking to a few of my church members and one was, you know, he's definitely very pro-Israeli.
Speaker 1:He doesn't agree with me on this, but a few of them do, and I think the tide is starting to turn a little bit. But we, we're dropping the ball, guys. Um, we gotta, we gotta speak out, we gotta use our voice. It's gonna offend people, it's gonna offend our friends in the church. You know, I have, I definitely have a calling on my life and maybe one day I'll be a pastor of a church, maybe I'll just be a minister or a street minister. I'm already doing street ministry, but maybe it's. But this isn't going to help me any, because, how the evangelical church views Israel, nothing I'm saying right now is going to really help me. It could actually hurt me.
Speaker 1:But I have to say something. I'm not an expert on this war. I understand that there is Hamas propaganda, but when everything is saying that this is a war crime, an almost a genocide, when I see people holding out pans that look like something that Americans feed their dogs in and I'm not calling Palestinians dogs, don't you dare say that, but I have these pans that they're holding out for food, that looks like something I feed both my dogs in. Okay, I know that it's a different part of the world and we're very privileged. That looks like something I feed both my dogs in. Okay, I know that it's a different part of the world and we're very privileged, but I want you to think about that. In America, our dogs sometimes are more privileged than the Palestinian and sometimes eat better. They're not worth more. Okay, I love my dogs, but my dogs aren't worth more than a Palestinian or anybody in this world.
Speaker 1:Palestinians are still made in God's image Guess what? Jesus died for them and they can still be saved. And there are some Christians that are born again in Palestine, that are being hurt and that have died because of this war. Don't forget, there are Palestinian Christians. There are not many. Hamas has run most of them off. But if you can't have a heart that's broken for these people, instead you have a cold heart because they're Muslims, because they don't look like us, because of our people, of their nationality in Hamas, is evil. Really, you need to check your heart.
Speaker 1:I do have another article. I'm going to skim through it. It's from the Vatican News. It's a Catholic news site and, man, I understand there's a lot of anti-Catholics, but just please listen to this article. I'm not endorsing the Catholic Church. Everyone knows I have a ton of problems with their theology, but there was a Catholic Church that was struck about two to three weeks ago. Three people died. The priest was extremely badly injured. One of those persons was actually a Protestant Baptist that was in the church that died.
Speaker 1:And I say that because I saw some jerks on Twitter I know it's Twitter, I know it's the Internet Say well, you know they weren't Christians, they were Catholics. Well, number one, even if they weren't Christians, I don't want them to die in their place of worship. You, jerk. And number two, show a little grace. I have a ton of theological problems with Roman Catholics, but show a little grace. This is someone that believes in the same God that you do, the same Trinity that you do, and has a cross around his neck a lot of times. Maybe it's a crucifix, I don't care. Show a little grace, don't be such a jerk To people out there that are so anti-Catholic that they could care less if they die. Oh man, that one makes me mad too, because there are Catholics that are truly saved and I.
Speaker 1:I don't agree with Rome's theology and I think it can lead some people astray, and that scares me. I'd never try to get someone to go to a Roman Catholic church, but, my gosh, if you have no humanity, no Christian love crying out for you, when these Catholic Christians and a Baptist die in a church when Israel hits it, you need to repent. There's no other word to say. You just need to repent. You're sick. I'm just so disgusted by it, guys. I'm just so disgusted by it. Alright, I'm going to start reading.
Speaker 1:Israeli forces strike catholic parish in gaza. The holy family church, the only catholic church in gaza, was struck by a raid this morning, resulting in free deaths and several injuries, including the parish priest, father gabriel romani, in a statement in the Latin parish in Jerusalem appeals to leaders to raise their voice, to do all that is necessary in order to stop this tragic and which is humanely and morally unjust. Vatican News. The Holy Family Church, the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, was hit by a tank this morning. Three people subsequently died from their injuries. Others were reportedly wounded, more likely including the parish priest, father Gabriel Romani, cardinal Pizzabala. He was actually rumored that he was going to be considered to be the next Pope. They ended up choosing the new Pope Francis, but he was on the short list.
Speaker 1:Cardinal Pizzabala, latin Patriarch of Jerusalem early, spoke to Vatican News. What we know for sure is that a tank that ID idf says by mistake, but we are not sure about this they hit the church directly, the church of the holy family, the latin church, he said. Three or four people seriously wounded among those, four or two in dramatic conditions and their lives in serious danger. There are also other injuries, but less problematic, among also the parish priests, because they were all in the church. We don't have complete information about what has happened in Gaza today because the community in Gaza is not that simple, he explained, adding he will try to get more information as soon as possible. We will never leave them alone. Speaking in Italian to Vatican News, cardinal Pizzaballo expresses his closeness to those affected in Gaza. We will always try to reach Gaza in all possible ways, directly and indirectly. Now it's too early to talk about all of this. We need to understand what happened, what should be done, especially to protect our people, and, of course, try to make sure that these things will not happen anymore. Then we will see how to continue, but certainly we will never leave them alone.
Speaker 1:Earlier, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem had posted a press release on X confirming that the church was struck by a raid. The statements are no fatalities confirmed at the moment, but the church has substantial damage. According to the Catholic Press Agency, sir, the Holy Family Church is currently hosting about 500 displaced Christians. Death, suffering and destruction are everywhere and in a statement posted later that day, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem said the people of the Holy Family compound are people who found in the church a sanctuary, hoping that the horrors of war might at last spare their lives after the homeless possessed and dignity had already been stripped away. Possess and dignity had already been stripped away. Extending its deepest condolences to the betrothed families on behalf of the entire Church of the Holy Land. The Patriarch offered prayers and condemned the raid, pointed out that it was just one of many attacks destroying the people.
Speaker 1:The Lattern Patriarch strongly condemned this tragedy and the tragedy of innocent civilians of a sacred place. However, this tragedy is no greater or more terrible than any others that have been the befall of the gossip. That's true. Just because they're Christian, that doesn't make it well. I mean it might hurt us more because we're Christian. That doesn't make it well. I mean it might hurt us more because we're Christian. But we shouldn't just say, well, they're Christian. We have to end the war. We should realize that 60,000 people have been murdered by Israel and we should end the war because of that. That's why we should end the war. Many other innocent civilians have been harmed, displaced and killed. Death and suffering and destruction are everywhere. The statement reads, launching an urgent appeal.
Speaker 1:The statement continues saying the time has come for leaders to raise their voice and do all that is necessary to stop this tragedy, which is humanly and mortifyingly unjust. The horrific war must come to a complete end so that we may commune as long as work in resorting human dignity, resigning in closeness to those who are burying members of the community in this painful hour are burying members of the community in this painful hour. The patriarch and the church express gratitude for all the expression of solidarity and closeness and retreat at Cardinal Pizzabala pledges never to leave the people alone. We will continue to stand by the community of Gaza in all that is done. And he actually, cardinal Pizzabala, actually went to Gaza and visited. That is done. And he actually, cardinal Pizzabala, actually went to Gaza and visited with those families.
Speaker 1:Man, a part of that article, a part of that article really touched me. Yeah, when you're going to church after you've been displaced because your home's been bombed and you're seeking refuge, a place of prayer, and then you die in that church that Israel hit and they claim it was a mistake. There's only one Catholic church in Gaza. There's only a handful of churches in Gaza. How is it a mistake? And if it was a mistake, you need to punish the guy who did it. You need to, you need to make an example out of him. You need to discharge him. This is awful guys. Even Mike Huckleby Mike Huckleby, an evangelical supporter of Israel, the ambassador to Israel, condemned this attack. He said it was wrong. You're losing people like Mike Hucklebee, you're losing people like Donald Trump. You're starting to lose the evangelical community that has supported you unequivocally and we never should have. I'm not saying we should never support Israel. I still support Israel. I still want there to be an Israeli state. There should be a Jewish state. That is their homeland, but it's also the Palestinians' homeland and they've been there for around I don't know around 500 years.
Speaker 1:I was having a conversation with some of my friends at church. I think my family's been here before the foundation of the United States, at least part of it, and I don't know if my ancestors did horrible things the Indians and if there was some, it wouldn't surprise me. I'm sure some did and some didn't, but it would be wrong for the Native Americans, if they rose in population, to kick families of settlers and immigrants that have lived here for a long time expect. You take my family before the United States was formed as a country. I'm 71 english guys on my ancestry dna. I'm pretty english, um, genetically. You know I'm all american nationally but I'm all team usa. But that would be like the native americans putting us in little pockets just because we did it to them. It was. Just because we did it to them. It was wrong when we did it to them. It would be wrong if they did it to us, uh, a hundred of years later. Uh, it would be wrong for them to to make us go back to England.
Speaker 1:I've never been in England. I've never been on that island. I like the country. I'd love to visit it. Maybe one day I will, maybe not, but I've been in America my entire life. I've been in. I've been an Appalachian my entire life, born in Bluefield, west Virginia, the wrong side of Virginia, as I was, the wrong side of Bluefield, as I always joke. Virginia is the wrong side of Bluefield, as I always joke. Five minutes from the state line. Basically is the closest hospital my family could get to and at the time they had babies. They don't even have them there anymore. That's how old I am, I guess, now, but I've been in the United States and in the South my entire life in Appalachia.
Speaker 1:Would it be right for Native Americans to send me on an airplane back to England, a land I've never been, and just say, well, you're 71% genetically English? Yeah, I am and I speak English. There's a lot of stuff about me culturally that comes directly from England, but I'm an American. I'm an American. I live in America. My whole life I've lived in America. That's my country. This is where I'm from.
Speaker 1:That's the same thing with Palestine. Maybe their ancestors conquered the land and they shouldn't have, and that's true they did. But is that the Palestinians' fault that live there now? No, should they be kicked out and ethnically cleansed to force to live in Jordan or Egypt? To force to live in Jordan or Egypt? No, there has to be a two-state solution, at least a two-state. Honestly, in my mind, a free state solution would be the best. Palestine is the West Bank, gaza is the Gaza Strip, and Israel. This place has been a mess since the founding of the state of Israel and way before that.
Speaker 1:Guys, I just want to encourage you. If you feel like you're alone in your evangelical church and the way you feel you're not, you might be in that congregation, but you're not alone. We have to speak up. We have to say this is wrong. We do it with abortion, and I'm proud of us for standing up for unborn life in the womb, because abortion is horrendous and it's evil, but so is what's going on in Gaza, and if we're going to be pro-life, let's be pro-life. Pro-life doesn't mean you have to be against stuff like the death penalty. I don't think so, because it means you are standing up for innocent life, not those who have forfeited their life by committing a horrible crime. But pro-life does mean more than just that inside the womb of a woman, where the life is. That's part of it. We protect those lives with all our hearts, but we also need to call out injustice in Palestine, in Gaza, and say this is wrong, this is murder. I don't care if you're an American ally, and even if your ancestors suffered horrible, horrible genocide themselves doesn't give you the right to to hurt another group of people like the Palestinians in Gaza. Doesn't, doesn't at all.
Speaker 1:I want to read you guys a Bible verse. It's going to be the Bible verse of the day and I think it's appropriate. I've been reading through the book of Proverbs. This is Proverbs 6, starting at verse 16 in the New International Version. There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him Haulty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that desires wicked schemes, feet that are too quick to rush to evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person strifing up conflict in the community. I've used this verse before about abortion and I'm using this verse now God hates the hands that shed innocent blood. He hates murder. He hates murder, he hate, hates murder, he hates. Call it murder, war crime, genocide. He hates the hands that shed innocent blood.
Speaker 1:We can't be silent, guys. We can't be silent on this issue, even if it costs us friends, if it costs us opportunities. We speak the truth in love, we don't be jerks about it and we don't fall into the trope and evils and racism of anti-Semitism, because it's just as wrong to hate Jews as it is Palestinians. I encourage you guys to actually watch the Darrell McClain show, listen to his last podcast. He did an excellent breakdown of this, probably way better than I have, and he's right, and I heard him say this and it stuck with me God loves Palestinian children just as much as he loves Israeli children. But do we, as Christians, love Palestinian children just as much as Israeli children? Because I don't know if the answer to that is yes, when they're both made in God's image and they both need the saving power of Jesus.
Speaker 1:We need to get more people saved in Israel and in Palestine, the home where Jesus grew up, which still rejects him mostly to this day. There are still good Christians in Israel and in Palestine, thank God, but they are outnumbered. The place, bethlehem, where Jesus was born, where Jesus was baptized, where Jesus was baptized, where Jesus walked with his disciples, where Jesus died for our sins and where Jesus rose from the grave, as a land that still rejects him and even he said a prophet, is rejected in his own hometown. I'm going to say a prayer and then get us out of here. Father, thank you for this day you gave us.
Speaker 1:I pray for the Palestinian people that are suffering so much. I pray that you will break the hearts of Israel, people in the government and the IDF that they will be able to see their humanity. I pray that you will break the hearts of the Hamas that they will be able to see the humanity in Israel. You will break both of their hearts, convict them and save them, lord, for there's no one too evil for you to save. Please help feed these Palestinian children, the babies, the women and the men. God have mercy on them.
Speaker 1:Let the evangelical church start to rise up, not out of anti-Semitism, but for love for the Palestinians. Dear Lord, this land that you lived in, you died in that you taught us how to live a Christian life and gave us the Bible, gave us your Gospels, mark Matthew, mark, luke and John, so we could imitate you, so we could have a relationship. If you, where you, died on the cross and rose from the grave, hallelujah, let that land finally accept you One day. It will One day. I truly believe in my heart it will. Please give the area peace.
Speaker 1:Let President Trump stand up for what is right and let him put pressure on Israel to stop this. Let Israel's heart breaks breaks. Help the people in Israel, because I know not all of them support this. Help them this. Help them to stop this and just doesn't to call upon their government to stop this madness. Please help the Palestinian people, children and women, and have mercy on us. Save our souls, help the church in Israel and Palestine In your holy name, amen. God bless you guys. I plan back being here next week. Have a great week.
