Naim Ateek at Sabeel Conference & Palestinian Liberation Theology
A few thoughts:
After listening to Sabeel Ateek’s anti-Semitic propaganda disguised in a pseudo-theological message for justice, I am disappointed by his superficial approach and lack of objectivity in his narrative (and I am also surprised by how many applauded and approved him). It was a little hard for me to listen to his so-called prayer request and call to ’justice.’
The so-called ’prophetic voice of justice’ (I am a little confused why he used the word ’prophetic’ like he believes he is God’s messenger) is nothing more than propaganda.
Ateek begins his speech by claiming he’s concerned by all the people in the world and that it is our (the Church?) duty to help those oppressed. Of course, the oppressed are only the palestinian people, in his view.
Indirectly, he accuses Israel as oppressing the palestinian people. He does not explain why he believes that and to what exactly he refers. He just throws out words of condemnation without endorsing his views. Strangely, he accuses Israel of terrorism and violence, not Hamas, Fatah, the Muslim Brotherhood and the other terrorist organizations.
His most irritating mantra is the expression ’international law’ which I am sure he knows nothing about, nor his listeners. What I also found interesting is that Ateek mentions the God of justice and love, but he does not mention God as the God of the covenant. God did cut a covenant with His people, the Jewish people, through which He gave them the land of Israel forever (Gen 17:7-8).
He naively believes Israel will ’enjoy peace and security if and when it takes a good look at itself’—he believe the palestinians are innocent and need to make no change. Indirectly, Ateek accuses the Jewish people of bringing disorder into the land, and violence, crimes and everything that is evil. He promotes the ancient stereotype of the Jewish people who love to oppress the feeble.
PLT (Palestinian Liberation Theology) looks like a mutation of Marcionism, which is an anti-Semitic way of reading the Bible. They seem to allegorize the ‘difficult’ passages of the Bible and basically attack a key attribute of God: that He cannot change. Crazy theology.
I’ve met Israeli Arabs in Romania telling me that Jesus was actually palestinian not Jewish. Some consider the promises of God for Israel as no longer applying to Israel but to Palestinians or Americans or Romanians or the Church in general. However, this is a false theology.