Why is it Problematic to Support the Palestinian Cause?

  There certain things that offend the sensibilities of civilized society more than other things. For instance, someone walking through the supermarket and shoplifts some food which is clearly a sin does not offend the sensibilities of society like someone who kidnaps a child and ends up murdering that child. What scripture makes clear is that God has treated different sins differently, at least in this world. A person that murdered in the OT was to be stoned to death while a person who stole was ordered to give restitution. The punishment was more severe for one sin over another. Yet, both acts are forbidden and both law breakers would go to hell. A thief acts upon his or her depraved nature more than the person who is also unsaved, grows up, gets married, raises a family, doesn’t really do much that attracts the attention of society. One simply acts more upon their depraved nature than the other. Hitler was a classic example of someone who acted upon his depraved nature to the fullest extent and in the vilest way possible.

The fact is that there are simply certain acts that are more depraved than other acts. Unfortunately the Arab people have more depraved acts to their name than others. When one uses newborn infants from their own people and places them in danger so they can continue the slaughter of a group of people that they hate offends not only my sensibilities, but the sensibilities of civilized people. When Hamas forces women and children from their own people to stay in a building as a human shield offends my sensibilities. When Hamas shoots the legs and breaks the legs of their own people (Fatah) so that they can stay in power offends my sensibilities. When a group of people takes broken bottles and hacks away at a man’s genitals for becoming a Christian offends my sensibilities.

Does Israel have clean hands? No and there is no nation in this world that has ever existed that can claim that they have clean hands.

Do all people need prayer – that is the Jews and the Palestinians for their salvation? Absolutely and without doubt. Do I forgive the acts of the Palestinians for their actions in this present war? No I do not. The reason I do not is that they have not acted against me and I have nothing to forgive. They have not harmed me or hurt me. Their acts are between them and those that they harm (including their own people that they place in danger) and between them and those they harmed in Israel. I do not pray for victory for them but I do pray for victory for Israel. When Islam takes over in a region, Shari’a law will be instituted and I do not wish nor pray for that. But I do pray for salvation of both groups of people. In Israel, one can be a Christian and even convert from Judaism without fear of death (yeah, they are persecuted and taunted) but they are not killed or tortured or placed in prison. In fact, it’s not even against the law like it is in Muslim countries.

God instructs us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Whatever, a person’s view is of Israel in her place in history, it is a fact that Israel is a nation and she has a right to defend herself from those that wish to annihilate her. Nevertheless, it is my view that present day Israel is established by God in fulfillment of His promise.

As I stated, there are acts that offend the sensibilities of civilized people more than other acts. Using newborn infants especially from their own people as a human shield is one of those acts.

All of us, without exception are fallen creatures, totally depraved, until we are saved. However, all humans do not all act as depraved as we care capable. Most have never murdered anyone. However someone who has murdered someone and subsequently is saved is in better condition than someone who has never murdered someone but is not saved. The one that murdered prior to salvation was acting according to their depraved nature while the other person that did not murder is still depraved but did not act as depraved as their nature was capable.

It is very sad that anyone dies without salvation, whether it is Arab, Jew, Chinese, German, etc. It is so sad and so horrific that it is beyond the imagination of a Christian who has salvation. We, as Christians, know what salvation is and what we are saved from but non Christians do not. Their eternity is beyond, at least to me, my imagination. I cannot wrap my mind around their eternity. As such, I try not to think about it.

The Palestinians want a homeland to call their own. This is not something that is necessarily ‘problematic.’ Yet, and interestingly, there never has been a group of Arab people who identified themselves as a Palestinian people until AFTER 1948. This still does not negate or diminish the desire to have a place to call home. However, what they want is the land of Israel. They want to take what does not belong to them. Not only do the group of people who call themselves Palestinians want that land and want to eliminate the Jews, but so do the rest of the Arab world who have no stake in the land for they have their own countries.