Presbyterian Church's Attack On Christian Zionism: The Last Straw?

The Presbyterian Church (USA) voted on Monday at its biennial meeting, which is ongoing in Salt Lake City, Utah, to divest from financial bonds in Israel and to denounce Christian Zionism, Religion News Service reported.

The denomination, which had 8,704 churches and 1.14 million members as of May 2023, voted to "reject Christian Zionism in all its forms" and to issue a report about the "dangers of Christian Zionism" and how "mainline Christians and those of other faiths are complicit, though unaware of connections with Christian Zionism."

"Presbyterian Church (USA) has long singled out Israel for animus, fixation, double standards and demonization. Now PCUSA has voted to divest from Israel bonds and to slam 'Christian Zionism,'" B'nai B'rith International stated.

"The denomination tragically fails to speak for all its members, for fairness and for truth," B'nai B'rith added.

A previous version of the resolution referred not to the "dangers" of Christian Zionism but to "heretical views of Christian Zionism." A prior version of the resolution also referred to the 10 Commandments as "a core requirement of Judaism," although the new version scrubbed that reference.

The other resolution, which called for boycotting Israel Bonds, addressed the church's investment in the "sovereign debt," of "three nation-states that are currently engaged in prolonged occupations: Israel, Morocco and Turkey."

"Israel has occupied Palestinian territory since 1967; Morocco has occupied Western Sahara since 1976; and Turkey has occupied Northern Cyprus since 1974," the denomination stated. "Addressing Israel's prolonged occupation of Palestinian territory is especially urgent today, as it is directly connected to the devastating war in Gaza and ongoing violence in the West Bank."

RNS reported that both resolutions were part of legislation that passed unanimously. The denomination "has been sharply critical of Israel and its policies over Palestinians for decades," it reported. "Two years ago it voted to declare Israel an apartheid state, angering the U.S. Jewish establishment."

The continued push for anti-Israel measures comes at a time when mainline Protestantism, and especially the Presbyterian Church, has been losing members rapidly. In 1993, the Presbyterians counted 3.1 million members.  It has lost more than half it's membership in 30 years.  As membership has declined, it has opened up an opportunity for more radical voices in the church to promote specific agendas, such as anti-Israel activists.

At current rates of decline, the Presbyterian church will become extinct in one or two generations.  With policies like these, it is a sad end to a once great Church.

Originally published at JNS