"Most pro-Israel American Christians, contrary to the contrived stereotypes, see Israel as a democratic ally and not as merely a cog in the final Apocalypse." -- Mark Tooley, IRD President

Contact: Jeff Walton, Institute on Religion and Democracy, 202-682-4131, 202-413-5639 cell, jwalton@TheIRD.org

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Just in time for the impending United Nations vote on Palestinian statehood, two prominent Evangelical Left thinkers and activists released a public salvo against Christian Zionism this week. Titled "An Open Letter to America's Christian Zionists" David Gushee and Glenn Stassen of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good denounced American Christian Zionism as "sinful" and instead tout Palestinian statehood. They also warn of possible divine, even nuclear, judgment upon Israel if it doesn't accommodate the Palestinians.

Modern Israel is violating the "most basic biblical moral principles," Gushee and Stassen warned, citing an Old Testament warning about desolation, they wondered if a nuclearized Iran could be a divine judgment on Israel's inhospitality to Palestinians.

Gushee and Stassen charged American Christian Zionists with "abetting obvious sin" by facilitating "repressive and unjust Israeli policies" that may precipitate divine judgment against Israel through war. "By offering uncritical support of current Israeli policies you are actively inflaming the Middle East toward war -- in the name of God," they proclaimed. Gushee teaches at Mercer University and Stassen at Fuller Theological Seminary.

IRD President Mark Tooley commented:

"If Christian Zionist Pat Robertson threatened divine judgment on Palestinians, perhaps even a nuclear attack, if they didn't behave better, there would be howls of outrage.

"Disengaging evangelicals from their conservative political habits is a chief goal for the Evangelical Left. But revealingly, Gushee and Stassen also implicitly criticized the U.S. under President Obama for opposing the Palestinian statehood demand.

"Most pro-Israel American Christians, contrary to the contrived stereotypes, see Israel as a democratic ally and not as merely a cog in the final Apocalypse. As such, most Christian Zionists are more perceptive and sophisticated than critics such as Professors Gushee and Stassen.

"Evidently Gushee and Stassen are not worried about possible divine punishment of the Palestinians who, as victims, are evidently without sin. And while very distressed over Jewish and Christian Zionism as they defined it, they never cited Islamic beliefs that insist once Islamized lands, like Palestine, may never be relinquished to non-believers."