Tag Archives: Antisemitism

Anglican Church of Canada stands against antisemitism – sort of

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The Most Rev. Linda Nicholls has just released a statement claiming that the Anglican Church of Canada opposes antisemitism:

We must stand against antisemitism whenever we hear or see it. We stand in solidarity with Jewish people around the world who desire to live in safety and security without fear, as do all people.

But is this just doing what the church does best: virtue signaling?

In February, the ACoC urged Justin Trudeau to support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza – by the IDF, of course, since ACoC has little concern whether Hamas continues to fire rockets into Israel. This must be what Nicholls meant by “We stand in solidarity with Jewish people around the world”. Hang on, now I get it: stand in solidarity with Jewish people around the world, except those in Israel.

And, more recently in March, Nicholls signed a letter to the Canadian government rejoicing that Canada has reinstated UNWRA funding – a thoroughly antisemitic organization

Perhaps ACoC leaders are in a moral muddle and, lacking any functioning ethical or spiritual compass, are simply trying to keep everyone happy. Or perhaps they are antisemitic themselves and are trying to conceal it.

Why does the Anglican Church of Canada loath Israel?

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In April, bishops from the ACoC and ELCIC met with Members of Parliament to persuade them to “hold Israeli authorities accountable for human rights abuses under international law.”

Since no one listens to them or cares what they think, the bishops are just as powerless to influence MPs as the MPs are to punish another country for its alleged abuses. That doesn’t stop them trying, though.

The puzzling thing is, why does the ACoC reserve all its pious outrage for Israel? Just like any other country, Israel does things it shouldn’t, but it is still the most humane and democratic country in the Middle East.

Far worse human rights abuses occur in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, North Korea – and so on. We never hear a squeak from our bishops about them.

Are the bishops antisemitic?

Admittedly, the bishops do denounce Uganda because it hasn’t gone full-bore LGBT+. But that is just ugly neocolonialism oozing out from behind a veneer of inclusive, affirming, tolerant diversity.

From here:

Leaders of Canadian Anglican, Lutheran, United and Presbyterian churches, including Archbishop Linda Nicholls, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, met with MPs from the Liberal and Conservative parties April 27 to “advocate for a just and lasting peace in Palestine and Israel,” according to a news release issued on a shared Anglican-Lutheran website the same day.

Among other policies, the church leaders requested the government create a special envoy to monitor and report on how children are treated in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories and to hold Israeli authorities accountable for human rights abuses under international law. They also urged Ottawa to publicly condemn what they called Israel’s attack on Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations.

Nicholls and ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson had previously sent a series of letters to the government expressing concerns about violence on the part of the Israeli government and its citizens. In addition to the nation’s treatment of Palestinians, Nicholls has expressed concern over growing anti-Christian sentiment in the wake of the Jan. 13 desecration of the Christian Mount Zion Cemetery. Many of the Christians living in Israel and Palestine are ethnic Palestinians.

The group included Nicholls, along with Johnson; the Rev. Carmen Lansdowne, moderator of the United Church of Canada; and the Rev. Dorcas Gordon, principal emerita of the University of Toronto’s Knox College.