Comments for Former moderator discusses Middle East situation, lead up to 2006 General Assembly at http://pres-outlook.net , comment 1 to 2 out of 2 comments http://pres-outlook.net Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:53:07 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://pres-outlook.net/news-and-analysis/1-news-a-analysis/1011.html#comment-2122 I thought that Martha Skelton's interview with Fahed Abu-Akel was, with one exception, very good. Rev. Abu-Akel did an especially good job in articulating how little most Americans know about Arab Christians in general and Palestinian Christians in particular. My one difficulty with the interview was that on two occasions Ms. Skelton gave Rev. Abu-Akel the opportunity to also discuss pressures that Arab Christians might feel from Muslim Arabs. On both occasions, Rev. Abu-Akel avoided a response. I can think of a couple of possible reasons for Mr. Abu-Akel's failure to identify any Arab Muslim pressures on the lives of Arab Christians: Either he believes such pressures do not exist or else he fears the wrath of Arab Muslims if he mentions such pressures. Either reason for downplaying these pressures would be disturbing. Winfield Casey Jones Pearland, TX - Winfield Jones Thu, 19 Jan 2006 12:00:00 +0100 http://pres-outlook.net/news-and-analysis/1-news-a-analysis/1011.html#comment-2121 Mr. Abu-Akel places all Baptists, it would appear, in a knuckle-dragging dispensationalist classification. It is a grave error, even bigotry, to make generalizations about religious groups: too much of this already takes place in the Middle East. Baptists practice a fierce self-determination in the United States, stemming from their congregationalist roots. Besides, it is difficult to put God's children in little boxes; God has shaped us all so differently. Upon hearing of Dr. Abu-Akel's comments, a Baptist friend of mine noted that she was no Zionist, and neither she did not believe that all Presbyterians were anti-Semitic. - Gray Bullard Wed, 18 Jan 2006 12:00:00 +0100