Anti-God/Anti Christian/Anti Scripture conference at Sheffiield
A Conference which attacks scripture in regard to Israel is taking place at Sheffield University between 24th and 26th of May. Is there anyone in the Sheffield area who can attend please?
The information currently being disseminated on the University Web site is as follows and you can find more information by clicking on the link below.
http://www.thebiblezionismandpalestine.co.uk/
'The Bible, Zionism and Palestine' is an interdisciplinary conference, hosted by the Department of Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield, to explore the role of the Bible in theology and politics in Israel and Palestine today. The conference will last for 3 days, the 24-26th May 2012.
The Bible has played a fundamental role in the creation and existence of the modern state of Israel, and, some say, in the continued suffering of the Palestinian people. Today, the Hebrew Bible is used as an authoritative text to justify the placement of Israel’s borders, and to legitimise and even encourage the expulsion of Palestinians from the land. The New Testament has also been utilised by Christian Zionists who argue that the establishment of the state of Israel is God-ordained, and that its existence is necessary for enabling the second coming of Jesus.
Despite the fact that the Bible has played a significant role in the plight of the Palestinians, some Christians insist that it ultimately promises not oppression but liberation for the Palestinian people. At the same time, an increasing number of Christians and Jews are questioning Zionist theology and its implications for the indigenous population in Palestine.
Others argue that the role of the Bible in Israel and Palestine should ideally be minimised, taking the view that, as an ancient and deeply ethnocentric text, the Bible will not do as a moral ‘textbook’ and is ultimately not sympathetic with humanist values such as human rights and equality.
The conference will deal with these issues and also with broader matters surrounding Israel and Palestine, such as the persistence of anti-Jewish assumptions which have permeated biblical scholarship and infiltrated the Christian church, and the rise of post-holocaust philosemitism, which, for some, has resulted in a paralysing fear of passing negative judgement on any of Israel’s actions.
Please keep checking the site for updates on the programme. You can register now for the conference at the University of Sheffield Online Store.
Administrator Tue, May 22, 2012 at 14:57
Reader Comments (2)
This conference should look at the San Remo Conference held after the First World War and the treaty ratified by the League of Nations and its successor, the United Nations, which gives Israel the right to settle Jews between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Under the British Mandate, Trans- Jordan, now Jordan, was given 78 per cent of the old Palestine, with the rest of the land earmarked for a homeland for Jews. The treaty is still valid under international law.
In his two-day visit to the UK, Israel's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman met Britain’s Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, William Hague. According to an Israeli Embassy news release, the two ministers discussed bilateral issues, increasing cooperation between the two states, the situation in the Middle East and the negotiations concerning Iran’s nuclear programme.
Mr Lieberman opined that the Iranians are trying to project a more pleasant and calm atmosphere at the talks, but their goal is still the same: to obtain military nuclear capability. Although the sanctions are having some effect, they are not enough to bring about a genuine change in the situation. All one has to do is pay attention to the negative Iranian intervention in every possible place in the Middle East, Lieberman said.
Mr Lieberman told Mr Hague that a clear message must be conveyed to British universities, that there is no room for appeasing and pacifying small, vocal groups that threaten violence at the expense of the rights of Israelis to freely express their opinions on the campuses. Even if Israel agreed to divide Jerusalem and return to the last centimetre of the 1967 lines, the result would be the same as the results of the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip: rockets and terrorism aimed at Israel. The ones who are refusing to negotiate a just, sustainable agreement are the Palestinians. The Palestinian side under Abu Mazen’s ( Mahmoud Abbas) leadership is not a negotiating partner, said Lieberman.
The Israeli Foreign Minister also reviewed the political changes in Israel and told Mr Hague that this may be the first Israeli government to complete its term, and that this is a genuine opportunity to deal with subjects important to Israeli society, such as secular-ultra orthodox relations, the system of government, the economy, the place of minorities in Israeli society, illegal migration and infiltration into Israel.