Jimmy Carter Calls Bush Policy on Palestine "Criminal"

Posted by Guest Blogger at 5:49 AM on June 20, 2007.

This post, written by Dr. Bruce Prescott, originally appeared on Mainstream Baptist

In a scathing denunciation of the Bush administration's foreign policy toward Palestine, former President Carter labeled it "criminal" at an NGO conference on Human Rights in Dublin. Here's a quote:

Carter, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who was addressing a human rights conference in Ireland, also said the Bush administration's refusal to accept Hamas' 2006 election victory was "criminal."

Carter said Hamas, besides winning a fair and democratic mandate that should have entitled it to lead the Palestinian government, had proven itself to be far more organized in its political and military showdowns with Abbas' moderate Fatah movement.

The Islamic world has clearly exposed the foreign policy of the most powerful "Christian nation" in the world as nothing more than the law of the jungle -- "might make right." America preaches democracy, but we practice "social darwinism."

In the eyes of the non-Christian world, nothing could discredit both democracy and Christianity more than an American President who launches pre-emptive wars under false pretenses, authorizes the secret rendition and torture of prisoners, and then lectures the world about the virtues of both faith and democracy. And nothing could discredit the Church more than the fact that this President can still boast that his most loyal support comes from the ranks of the most publicly fervent and vocal proponents of the Christian faith.

I realize that most American Christians could care less what the world's non-Christians think. We are too busy shopping to support the President's "war on terror" and we are much too pious to actually tell unbelievers "Go to Hell!"

We don't need to -- our actions speak louder than any words. Non-Christians get the message. I'm sure God does too.

I'm also sure that God knows perfectly well who will deserve damnation.

Tagged as: bush, religion, palestine, carter

Dr. Bruce Prescott is Executive Director of Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists, President of the Oklahoma Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.