So the PCUSA, the Presbyterian Church, USA, if you hadnβt heard just voted at their General Assembly to allow their pastors to marry gay and lesbian couples if the state that they operate in allows for legal gay marriage.That is one issue to be discussed, in my opinion, a troubling issue to be sure. But another move was just made by the PCUSA (and I have become associated with the PCUSA by taking continuing education courses at Princeton Theological Seminary which is one of the primary theological schools for the PCUSA), they have just moved to divest themselves of any investments in businesses that are located in or do business with the nation of Israel. They recently stated:
With audible gasps from those in the plenary hall, the 221st General Assembly (2014) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on Friday narrowly approved divestment from three United States companies doing business in Israel-Palestine.
By a vote of 310-303, the Assembly approved an overture calling for divestment from Caterpillar Inc., Hewlett-Packard and Motorola Solutions, companies some allege are engaged in βnon-peaceful pursuitsβ in the region. A similar overture failed 333-331 at the 220th Assembly (2012).
Although divestment was its most debated item, the overture also affirms the PC(USA)βs commitment to interfaith and ecumenical dialogue and relationships in the region, and a preamble was added on the floor to reinforce that, saying, “The PC(USA) has a long-standing commitment to peace in Israel and Palestine. We recognize the complexity of the issues, the decades-long struggle, the pain suffered and inflicted by policies and practices of both the Israeli government and Palestinian entities. We further acknowledge and confess our own complicity in both the historic and current suffering of Israeli and Palestinian yearning for justice and reconciliation.” (read full:Β here)
There seems to be something aloof about this. PCUSA in the same article I took the quote from above also wrote this:
βThis action on divestment does not mean an alignment with the overall strategy of the global BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanctions) movement.β
If this is true, if this is not the motivationβin alignment with BDSβthen what is the motivation? If it is not in agreement with Desmond Tutuβs assessment that Israel is an apartheid state, then what is the motivation for the PCUSAβs divestment from companies operating in and with the nation of Israel?
If PCUSA was going to be consistent, why not divest all of its investments that have anything to do with the United States of America as well? If the supposed crimes of Israel against humanity (the Palestinians) is the reason for divestment from Israel, then why not also divest from the USA itself? Canβt we (the US) be held just as responsible, as a geo-political reality and military power, as Israel for imposing our will upon the nations of the world (and in the interests of sustaining the petro-dollar)? I actually think, if anything, the PCUSA would be more justified in divesting from companies that do business with the American government (which I am sure the US does business with Caterpillar etc), than from the nation of Israel. The nation of Israel, is under attack, not from the people of Palestine, per se, but from certain Palestianian groups and surrounding countries who use Palestine as a Trojan horse and staging ground for attacking Israel from all corners. I donβt see how what Israel is doing can be construed as apartheid or even un-justified, in principle, even if, de facto, there are clearly bad actors and bad policies that pervade the IDF on a case by case basis (V the systemic basis that Israelβs antagonists want to argue is present).
This move of divestment, in my view, is troubling. But alas, at the end of the day I am not PCUSA, and so this is just the opinion of an outsider, but an outsider who happens to be what PCUSA claims to be, a Christian.
PS. Is this a complex issue? Yes.
I am hardly inclined to absolve Israel of all of its actions. But the PCUSA is quickly making a joke of itself, as the UCC has done for two decades now. A highly complicated and highly politicized initiative has become a focus of the so-called “ministry” of a church of Jesus Christ. God help us. You may be interested in watching the new moderator of the PCUSA attempt to defend the PCUSA’s resolution:
http://www.layman.org/pcusas-new-moderator-unsettled-cnn-scrutiny/
Surprisingly enough, the CNN journalists actually do their job!
Thanks, Kevin! Thanks for the link, I am interested in watching this. And yeah, CNN was surprising here. And yes, PCUSA at the leadership level is making a fool of themselves, and not for the Gospel’s sake, but for geo-political issues. Indeed, if the Gospel is collapsed into geo-political issues then yes, one could see their rationale, to a point (even though I still wouldn’t agree with it!). It is too bad!