“For
. . . centuries, the Christian community has breathed daily life into
the sacred sites of Christianity - caring for them, worshipping at them,
preserving them. However, while the overall population of Jews and
Muslims in Jerusalem is increasing, the Palestinian Christian community
is steadily declining. If this trend does not change, the sacred sites
of Christianity will soon be reduced to museums for visiting tourists -
and Jerusalem, with its universal and sacred importance, will cease to
be the home of three living faith communities.”
Letter to Pres Bush, December 2007
from Senators Julian Bond and John Rockefeller
IIf
a living Christian presence disappears from the Holy Land, and it seems more and more
thinkable that it may, we will all be dimished by the loss of connection
with our heritage that it will represent. |
 |
 And,
in addition, the disappearance of Christian communities from the
Holy Land, or their continued marginalization, has and will have
have practical consequences for all of us.
“The Christian presence in the Holy Land is a
potentially important, possibly essential, voice in the dialogue for
peace, but it is a voice that has been reduced to a hoarse whisper.
Historically, Christianity has provided a kind of leavening in the
Middle East, a small but necessary buffer between the [opposing radical
elements in the surrounding society in the Middle East] . . .If the Christians disappear, the
Middle East will become that much more vulnerable to this embittered
dichotomy.”The
Body and the Blood, by Charles M. Sennott
 “The
fate of Palestinian Christians should not be a matter of interest
only on religious and cultural grounds. . . . The [continued]
presence of Christian populations and their active participation in
civil society is critical to maintaining a pluralistic Middle East
and developing tolerant, open, democratic forms of government that
respect human rights, including minority rights. Ensuring the
vitality of the Palestinian Christian community is integral to
achieving peace and stability in the Holy Land and throughout the
region” . . .
Letter to President Bush, December
2007 from Senators Julian Bond and John Rockefeller
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