Sept 11 #2

September 11, 2001 -- Reflections, Part 2

Not all Palestinians were "celebrating"

Witherspoon treasurer Harold Barton forwarded this note

[9-14-01]

Subj: {FW: Fwd: From Jerusalem}
Date: 9/13/01 8:16:30 PM

Dear Friends: This note comes from a former minister colleague of mine whose husband is working in the State Dept. in Jerusalem. It gave me comfort in these days of tragedy. I hope it will do the same for you.

Jim Atwood

Dear Friends,

The images broadcast on CNN of Palestinians celebrating in the streets after yesterday's horrific events are impossible to reconcile with our own grief and sadness. But these are not the only images from the West Bank and Jerusalem. Shortly after the disaster unfolded, Tim received a call from one of his counterparts who works for the Palestinian Authority, offering his own dismay and condolences. Another Palestinian official and friend called Tim this morning with real rage at the groups who had been celebrating. An e-mail last night from missionaries serving in the Christian village of Zibabdeh in the northern West Bank said that Palestinians seem as horrified as we are.

On my errands today, to Arab groceries and the bakery, I have been greeted with customary graciousness.

Tonight as we left a prayer service at St. George's Anglican Church, we passed the East Jerusalem American Consulate on our way to our car. A crowd of Palestinians had gathered in front of the building. Placards, in English and Arabic, expressed sorrow and sympathy for Americans as well as the view that terrorism is our "common enemy." People were kneeling to light candles. And a large group of Palestinian school girls stood quietly and respectfully along the sidewalk. As I walked up to the m to tell them thank you, they were full of smiles and warmth, reaching out eagerly to pat Meg whom I held in my arms. As we were passing by the last of the group to head off to our car, a little girl, maybe 7, leaned over and gave Meg a kiss. It was a fitting benediction to the service, and it is the image I will take with me.

With love and prayers,

Susan

We have another, more recent report from Jerusalem, which gives a similar picture.

Guess what? It's God's punishment on liberals! [9-14-01]

Jerry Falwell says God has given us "probably what we deserve." Appearing yesterday on the Christian Broadcasting Network's "700 Club," Falwell and Robertson agreed that liberal groups such as civil liberties groups, feminists, homosexuals and supporters of abortion rights have created a climate where the violence of September 11 could come as an expressed of God's anger at America. Check out the Washington Post report.

Americans United responds to Jerry Falwell's assertion that God is punishing America for its (liberal) sins [9-20-01]

Americans United for Separation of Church and State today strongly criticized two prominent TV preachers' attempts to blame the recent terrorist attacks on groups that support church-state separation and civil liberties.

The Revs. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson asserted recently that organizations that support church-state separation and individual freedom are ultimately to blame for the horrific terrorist attack on the United States Sept. 11 because they have kicked God out of public life.

Falwell, appearing on Robertson's "700 Club" Sept. 13, insisted that God has withdrawn protection from America and that "what we saw on Tuesday, as terrible as it is, could be miniscule if, in fact, if in fact, God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve."

Falwell accused church-state separationist groups of "throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools."

He continued, "The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the Pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way - all of them who have tried to secularize America - point the finger in their face and say, "You helped this happen."

Agreeing, Robertson responded, "Well, I totally concur, and the problem is we have adopted that agenda at the highest levels of our government. And so we're responsible as a free society for what the top people do. And, the top people, of course, is the court system."

Earlier in the program, Robertson had launched into a tirade similar to Falwell's, blasting "rampant pornography on the Internet," "rampant secularism," abortion rights and church-state separation.

Observed Robertson, "We have a court that has essentially stuck its finger in God's eye and said we're going to legislate you out of the schools. We're going to take your commandments from off the courthouse steps in various states. We're not going to let little children read the commandments of God. We're not going to let the Bible be read, no prayer in our schools. We have insulted God at the highest levels of our government. And then we say, 'Why does this happen?'

"Well, why it's happening," Robertson concluded, "is that God Almighty is lifting his protection from us." In response, Americans United issued the following statement:

+++++

In the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, the American people must join together in a spirit of unity," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director. "The finger-pointing and baseless assertions promoted by Falwell and Robertson run counter to that spirit and must be categorically rejected.

"Thousands of innocent men, women and children died in these attacks," Lynn continued. "It was not their fault. It was not the Supreme Court's fault. It was not the fault of civil liberties groups, gay people or Pagans. The fault rests with the terrorists who devised, planned and carried out this vile deed.

"Over the years, Robertson and Falwell have blamed church-state separation for just about every imaginable ill," Lynn said. "This time they have gone too far. I call on all Americans to reject their divisive comments and to continue to nurture the spirit of unity that we have seen in recent days."

Lynn also criticized the statements issued by Robertson and Falwell in an attempt to evade responsibility for their remarks.

"Far from repudiating their extremism, Robertson and Falwell seem intent primarily on escaping the wave of national revulsion their remarks sparked," said Lynn. "They need a dramatic change of heart, not just a slight shift in rhetoric."

Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

Four-letter words

a note from Bobbie McGarey

[received and posted on 9-12-01]

How life can change and perspectives fall in line by an event that is
somewhere else but nearby.
"To do" lists that include the petty --disappear before us.
Prayers to God cry out from young and old.
And the pictures are etched on our heart.
Fear is a four letter word.

We wait to hear the news about numbers
But know if ONE is beloved by you that is enough
We want miracles to say this isn't true.
but true is a four letter word too...

We hear the story over and over and hear of words spoken over cell phones
from the planes...we are being hijacked and then they die on the plane..
We want something to fix it and make it feel better but no matter it doesn't.
Pray is a four letter word.

We move on and petty lists of discomfort between folks disappears...
into the really important...
how dare we waste any time or any energy not loving ---
why not love one another within our church no matter----
so that love can grow and spill over into the world that surely needs to know...
Jesus taught us...
remember
Love is a four letter word

Two old hymns bring new strength

[received and posted on 9-12-01]

Dear Friends,

At the Salem Presbyterian Church (Salem, VA), we remembered that old adage, "war brings people into the churches," as a large number our folk, joined by members of a neighboring Episcopal church, filled our sanctuary to pray for our nation and world Tuesday night. Everyone present spoke of how beautiful was the singing of hymns during our worship.

My Episcopalian colleague and I wanted to choose strong hymns of the church for the service, but we did not read through all of the verses ahead of time. What new and profound meanings we all discovered together as we sang familiar lines from "God of Grace and God of Glory" by Harry Emerson Fosdick:

Lo! The hosts of evil round us
Scorn Thy Christ, assail Thy ways!
From the fears that long have bound us
Free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the living of these days,
For the living of these days.

And also, Martin Luther's words from "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,"

And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! His doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

Neither Luther nor Fosdick ever witnessed events such as we saw on our television screens Tuesday morning. However, they knew the great power of evil, but they also knew its limits in the face of God's redeeming love and grace. "The body they may kill," Luther wrote, but "God's truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever!"

For those most directly affected by the tragedies of September 11, please know that churches everywhere are praying for you.

In Christ,

Dean Lindsey
Salem, VA