BRAZILIAN LIBERATION THEOLOGIAN:
BELIEVE IN A FREE PALESTINE
Jerusalem
Speakers addressed “The Occupation of the Bible” today at the Ninth SabeeL International conference. The gathering of more than 200 participants is meeting here 19-25 Nov. 2013.
In a session on biblical authority Dr. Nancy Cardoso Pereira, Porto Alegre, Brazil called biblical fundamentalism and Christian Zionism “defenders of western political domination of the world.” She said, “Biblical authority provides reinforcement of the capitalistic, imperialistic tactic and works against any searching for another possible world outside of capitalism.”
In this sense, biblical authority, like capitalism, supports what is “not normal, not necessary, for example, war, global warming, degradation of the environments, etc.,” Cardoso said.
“Israel, supported by us, as an ideal of white Europeans invading a country far from home, emptying it of its inhabitants, and saying `It’s all God’s will,’” she said. Cardoso is a Methodist pastor, Professor of Ancient History at the Porto Alegre Institute, and community organizer.
Cardoso called on conference participants to denounce the “powerful and painful combination of Western North Atlantic theology with Western North Atlantic socio-economic capitalism.” The tasks of Christians, she said, are: “breaking spiritually from capitalism, denouncing all worship of capital, understanding ourselves as one religion among others, and trusting in God’s liberating grace.”
She said, “Believe in a free Palestine. Deep in my heart I do believe, we shall overcome.”