Wow, I've never been to a presbyterian church but my heritage (dad)

[HEyHEY]

Side is that.... I can be proud today...they pissed off freepers.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1173524/posts

[izzie]

1. Well I said this all along. It always ends up just what type Ch. you are

Church states always do this. We all know this from out own history. Not sure about Can history but on this side each place made sure you believed as they wished. As I like to tell people Puritans hung Quakers.Even the King said we could not do that. This new group of Christin Right Nuts just do not know their history.

[Moloch]

2. Wow... I'm Presbyterian but haven't been to church in years

I'm thinking of going back if I can stay up long enough to... It's wonderful that they have decided not to stand with the Falwell types who believe that whole Israel/Armageddon/End Of Days tripe.

[checks-n-balances]

3. In 2002, the Presbyterians elected a Palestenian American moderator

He spoke at my church after 9/11, and it was eye-opening. He is an extraordinary Christian educator and pastor.

From Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2002:
030501 ATLANTA, GA: Rev. Dr. Fahed Abu-Akel, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Abu-Akel is the first Arab-American to head a major denomination in the U.S. He grew up in Galilee, a Palestinian, and was a refugee during the fighting that broke out after Israel was created in 1947. He's lived in Atlanta since the early '70s, where he runs a ministry for international students out of First Presbyterian. For LIVING. (WILLIAM BERRY/staff) 5-1-03
----------------------------------------------------------
...Abu-Akel's biography testifies to the complexity of the Middle East. As a Palestinian Christian who grew up in Israel, he is part of a minority within a minority -- and thus something of a mystery in his adopted land. "To the average American," he says in a spicy Arabic accent, "a Palestinian Christian does not exist."

<snip>

One of Abu-Akel's earliest memories, burnished by a lifetime of telling, is fleeing the family home ahead of advancing Israeli troops. His mother refused to leave. "I can see her standing on that flat roof waving to us -- it's as clear as an image on a TV screen," he says. "She told my father, 'This is our land, our home, our church. If they want to kill me, they will have to kill me at home.' "

<snip>

AMIS (Atlanta Ministry with International Students, which he founded) offers orientation and hospitality to some of the estimated 5,500 foreign nationals who attend Atlanta-area colleges. Every autumn, Abu-Akel hires buses and takes the newcomers around town to see the sights and enjoy some cultural events. Since many of them are unfamiliar with American institutions, he usually hauls them to court, where they witness a mock trial, their genial host playing the defendant.

more....
http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/0503/18palestinian.html


On edit: HTML boo-boos