Passing judgment

Regarding Jack Abel’s June 25 letter and the vote of the Presbyterian Church (USA) general assembly on June 20 to divest its holdings from three U.S. corporations whose operations in Israel have supported the oppression and denial of human rights of Palestinians:

Abel appears to believe that this stance by the church is anti-Semitic and is a condemnation of the Jewish religion. His letter is an example of how easy it is to pass judgment on the actions of others based on incomplete understanding of all the facts of the case.

The Presbyterian Church’s divestment decision is an admirable instance of what all churches should be striving to do: standing up and speaking out courageously for justice and backing up their words with moral actions such as this divestment decision. Palestinians have spent literally decades under the illegal and harsh occupation of their land by Israel. It is absolutely the place and the duty of churches the world over to refuse to support companies that profit from that occupation.

There is no doubt in my mind that John Calvin would be proud of this action on the part of the church he established.

Jennifer Calvert

Spokane Valley