I expect this will be a multi-part post, at least in part because there is so much bad stuff that can go on in the committees of a meeting such as the PCUSA General Assembly. First up, its the Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee, which has taken two significant actions.
First, it passed (52-1-1) the “Recommendations Regarding the Evangelical Presbyterian Church” with slight amendment. This means that the report (previously discussed here, though not in the detail I had originally intended) with all its flaws–lack of evidence to support its claims, endorsement of PCUSA interference in EPC affairs, misreading of its own denominational polity, etc.–goes to the full Assembly essentially intact and endorsed. Whatever.
Second, it refused (23-31-2) to send on to the full Assembly the paper “Christians and Jews: People of God.” That’s bad enough, but worse is the apparent reasons. The “comment” section is from the Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns, and their recommendation for disapproval lists “content flaws” that come directly from the Israel Palestine Mission Network critique that I found so repulsive:
2. Content FlawsThe ACREC also has concerns about the following topics discussed in the paper that deserve greater input from a wider and more diverse group of scholars and by those who are affected by the paper, such as the NMEPC.
· The lack of Christology/ the Lordship of Christ
—Blurring the lines between Christianity and Judaism.· Theology of the Land
—Use of Scripture versus international law regarding Israel’s right to exist.
—Justifying Israel’s use of force through Scripture.· Endorsing Zionism, a political ideology
· Separating theology from ethics
· Demonization of Liberation Theology
July 6, 2010 at 6:19 pm
All this committee needed to do was simply say that “Christians and Jews: People of God” runs contrary to the Reformed faith as outlined in the Westminster Standards and leave it at that.
July 6, 2010 at 6:37 pm
I’d be interested in knowing how it contravenes the Westminster standards (I genuinely don’t know–I haven’t read the full document–it’s more the form of the criticism that has interested me). In any case, given that the PCUSA has no regard for Westminster, and little interest in defending or even adhering to the Reformed faith, so I’m not sure why you think they would have or even could have taken this route without looking like complete hypocrites.
July 6, 2010 at 8:02 pm
To start the Confession Chapter 31 section 4 (Chapter 33 in the PC(USA) book of confessions).
I would look at larger catechism 6-11, 30-36, 59, 153-180 and 191
To be honest I don’t think that the PC(USA) can make a consistent argument from the standards, that being said I think the theological arguments for the “Christians and Jews: People of God” are tenuous.