When: The event starts at 7:00 pm on Monday, July 8. We will meet in front of the church at 6:15 pm. and should finish by 8:00 p.m.
Where: Deer Valley Worship Center, 20801 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85027
Here’s the letter sent:
To: Pastor Eddy Paul Morris
Deer Valley Worship Center
20801 N. 19th Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85027
Dear Pastor Eddy,
Project Strait Gate will conduct a vigil at your church on July 8, 2013, during the hours that you host a John Hagee and CUFI“Standing With Israel Event” (1). We have conducted Vigils for Peace with Justice at many major Christian Zionist leaning churches nationwide and at over a dozen CUFI events including its national conference in Washington and the “Night to Honor Israel” at Phoenix Symphony Hall on October 18, 2009. (2)
Perhaps you do not know that John Hagee has publicly prayed for war (3) in the name of Jesus and has called for a preemptive strike against Iran to protect Israel.(4) These un-Christlike acts clearly contradict what our Lord Jesus Christ taught us to do: “Love your brother as you love yourself… love even your enemy” and “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.” We noticed on your church website that the “Our Beliefs” page very clearly describes the path to salvation through Jesus Christ. It does not contain a statement like, “A belief that the modern state of Israel is a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy is a requirement for salvation.”
CUFI is listed as one of your “Ministries” on your church website. It says, “Pastor Eddy Paul is the Christians United for Israel Arizona State Director and is looking forward to the great opportunities that are ahead to support our Jewish friends.” What about our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Christ and Palestinian Muslims who have been mistreated by Israel for over 65 years of occupation? Do they not deserve our support and compassion, too? I noticed that you and your wife visited Israel in Nov., 2010 with John Hagee on a “Christians United For Israel Pastor Leadership Tour.” Did Pastor Hagee have you meet with any Palestinian Christians in Palestine to hear their side of the story? If not, look at what Palestinian Pastor Alex Awad of the East Jerusalem Baptist Church (also, a professor at the evangelical Bethlehem Bible College) has to say in his article, “Palestinian Christians in the Shadow of Christian Zionism” (5).
We will be at Deer Valley Worship Center on Monday, July 8 2013. We will be located on public right-of-ways near your church, ready to answer questions from all who wonder about our message. We will be respectful of your rights and the local laws.
Toward the Strait Gate,
Tom Compton, WHTT Arizona Vigil Coordinator
(1) “Standing With Israel Event” at Deer Valley Worship Center, July 8, 2013, CUFI: http://www.cufi.org/site/Calendar/1285049096?view=Detail&id=118521
(2) “John Hagee and “A Night To Honor Israel’ Part 1,” WHTT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8q0TKHbEck
(3) “John Hagee With Benny Hinn: Praying For War In The Name of Jesus,” WHTT: http://whtt.podbean.com/2012/01/03/john-hagee-with-benny-hinn-praying-for-war-in-the-name-of-jesus/.
(4) Christian Zionism: The Tragedy and The Turning, Part 1, WHTT © 2010: http://vimeo.com/59933668 (the clip in theWHTT documentary of John Hagee calling for a preemptive strike against Iran was included in the Bill Moyers Journal program “Christians United For Israel” on Oct. 7, 2007: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/10052007/profile.html).
(5) “Palestinian Christians In The Shadow of Christian Zionism,” Alex Awad, 2010: http://www.christatthecheckpoint.com/lectures/Palestinian%20Christians%20in%20the%20Shadow%20of%20Christian%20Zionism.pdf
Toward the Strait Gate,
Chuck Carlson
Websites: charlesecarlson.com and whtt.org – Podcasts: whtt.podbean.com
