August 3, 2025 • 51 mins
The evangelical church faces a moral crisis as the Israel-Hamas war continues to devastate Gaza, leaving tens of thousands dead and a humanitarian catastrophe. We must reconcile our support for Israel with our Christian duty to speak against injustice and suffering, recognizing that being pro-Israel doesn't require ignoring Palestinian suffering.
• Over 60,000 Palestinians killed according to Gaza health ministry, with half being women and children
• Humanitarian crisis with widespread starvation and malnutrition, particularly affecting children
• Evangelical church's unwavering support for Israel creating a moral blind spot
• Supporting Israel doesn't mean endorsing all actions of the Israeli government
• Biblical precedent for speaking against injustice, even to "God's chosen people"
• Attack on Holy Family Catholic Church killing Christians seeking refuge
• Pro-life values must extend beyond abortion to include Palestinian lives
• Need for a two-state solution that recognizes the humanity of both peoples
• Being critical of Israeli government actions is not anti-Semitism
• Christians must advocate for peace, humanitarian aid, and diplomatic solutions
We must speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. If we claim to be pro-life, we must be consistently pro-life for all people made in God's image.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, everybody, welcome back to Over-Opinionated
.
I got a pretty, I got anepisode coming up for you.
It's going to be a little heavyand we need to get to it
because it's very important andI think the church isn't
ignoring it.
But before we start, we'regoing to open up with our daily
(00:21):
readings of the Lord's Prayerand the Apostles' Creed.
So, with our daily readings ofthe Lord's Prayer and the
Apostles' Creed.
So, our Father, which art inheaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as itis in heaven.
Give us this day our dailybread and forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive thosethat trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil, for
(00:44):
thine is the kingdom, the powerand the glory forever and ever.
Amen We'll.
But delivers from evil, fordivine is the kingdom, the power
and glory forever and ever.
Amen.
We'll move on to the apostlescreed.
I believe in god, the fatheralmighty, maker of heaven and
earth, and in jesus christ, hisonly son, our lord, which was
conceived by the holy ghost,born of the virgin mary,
suffered under pontius Pilate,was crucified, dead, buried.
(01:06):
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose from thedead, he ascended into heaven
and sat up at the right hand ofGod, the Father Almighty.
From hence he shall come tojudge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost,the Holy Catholic Church, the
communion of saints, forgivenessof sin, the resurrection of the
(01:29):
body and the life everlasting,and there's always the ascension
into hell.
A lot of people just interpretthat as him going in the grave,
and the Holy Catholic Churchmeans universal, not the Roman
Catholic Church, the universal,so anybody who is a believer.
(01:50):
Okay, I have to talk aboutsomething that's pretty heavy
and I have prayed about this.
It's been very heavy on myheart.
It's a very, very tough issue.
It's been very heavy on myheart.
It's a very, very tough issue,but I believe the church is
(02:14):
either ignoring it or they aredownplaying it, especially the
evangelical church, and itscares me.
But the situation in the GazaStrip is just heartbreaking and
we have to talk about it.
I know that many people in theevangelical church see Israel as
God's chosen people and that tohave Christ come back, israel
(02:38):
has to be in the land, be inJerusalem, has to be over the
Israel-sized Palestinian states,and I am going to dig into that
in a future podcast.
You can still believe thatIsrael is God's chosen people.
(02:59):
You can still be apre-millennialist believing that
Jesus will come back before themillennial reign and the
rapture of the church.
You can still believe thesethings and you can still support
the state of Israel and admitwhat Israel is doing right now
(03:20):
is wrong.
And me saying what Israel isdoing right now is wrong is not
me hating the Jewish people,it's not me being anti-Semitic
and it's not me talking againstGod's chosen people.
Remember in the Bible God roseup many, many prophets to speak
against Israel so they wouldrepent from their ways and stop
(03:43):
sinning.
So just because someone isGod's chosen people does not
mean that they cannot sinagainst him greatly.
Also, remember Israel is not aChristian nation.
They are far from it.
Honestly, they're mostly asecular country and I know many
(04:06):
evangelicals that support Israelno matter what, and I don't
believe that's a very Christianprinciple.
I know that the rise ofanti-Semitism is going up,
especially on the right, and Iabhor that.
I think it's horrible.
But it's not anti-Semitic tosay the state of Israel is wrong
in how they're pursuing thiswar effort.
(04:28):
This war has went on for almosttwo years.
It is totally unproportionate.
And I don't know how you lookat the news from an objective
level, looking at all differentkinds of sources from the left
and the right, and say thatIsrael is not killing innocent
civilians without anyrepercussions, without any care.
(04:54):
They are killing innocentPalestinians and they are hiding
behind Hamas.
They are hiding behind horriblethings that have happened to
Jews in their history, andpeople have used the word
genocide to describe this.
I'm okay with using that wordbecause I do think if this is
(05:14):
not a genocide, it's gosh, it'sclose, it's a war crime.
It's definitely a war crime.
Innocent people are starving inGaza and you can only blame
Hamas.
So much I've heard.
Well, the Palestinians voted infor Hamas.
Yeah, in 2007, 2006, almost 20years ago.
(05:36):
They haven't had an electionsince then in the Gaza Strip.
It's not a democracy.
They're basically anoligarchical, theocratic
dictatorship, a Islamic, anextremist Islamic dictatorship.
(05:58):
And, yeah, I understand a lot ofpeople are sympathetic, but a
lot of this is Israel's faultfor bombing them into oblivion,
for turning their homes andtowns into rubble, killing their
brothers, sisters and mothers.
As the church does nothing, asthe church just says well, it's
all Hamas' fault.
Stop hiding behind Hamas.
(06:21):
Yes, do I know that Hamas hidesin the synagogues, churches and
hospitals and mosques?
Yeah, they do.
But Israel also hides behindHamas on the international stage
as they kill more and morePalestinians, as Netanyahu, the
(06:43):
Prime Minister of Israel and hisfar-right government and I'm
far-right, but this is a littledifferent basically want to
exile the Palestinians so thatthey can have a complete Jewish
state in the area.
Netanyahu is not interested ina two-state solution.
He's not interested in aPalestinian state.
(07:08):
Tell me why there are so manysettlements in the West Bank.
Tell me why they are starvingthe people in Gaza.
You can only blame Hamas solong.
You can only blame them for solong.
So I'm going to read you guys afew articles.
This one's from PBS News andwe're going to discuss some of
(07:30):
these articles.
I understand that all news isbiased, but when multiple news
sources on the left or mid-leftor even in the middle are all
reporting the same thing, evenfrom the middle and the left, or
even in the middle are allreporting the same thing from
the middle and the left, andeven some of the a little on the
right maybe not as much this ishappening, guys.
(07:54):
This is not.
I understand there's propagandathat Hamas uses, but this is
happening.
This is.
This is not fake.
So don't let someone try totell you that this is not
happening or that this is allHamas' fault, that no one's
starving in Gaza and that Israelhas nothing to do with it.
That's just not true.
(08:14):
Now Israel started to let morehumanitarian aid in because the
international community ispushing them to do so.
But I'm going to read you anarticle from PBS News from July
29th Over 60,000 Palestinianshave died in the Israel-Hamas
war, gaza's health ministry says.
(08:37):
Now people will criticize Gaza'shealth ministry because it is
ran by Hamas.
I understand that Maybe theyare inflating those numbers.
Let's take that by half.
What if it's only 30,000?
That's still extraordinarilyunproportionate compared to the
1,200 that Hamas killed and,guys, it's a lot more than
(08:59):
30,000.
I'm just saying, if you onlytook it by half, the 60,000
number is probably prettyaccurate, even with the lies of
Hamas.
When you see these footage Notall this footage is fake, guys,
most of it's not.
And yeah, I understandpropaganda exists but when we
(09:20):
see multiple images coming infrom cameras and cell phones
from Gaza Of families starvingto death, of buildings falling
on top of them, of churchesgetting hit by Israel, I just
they've lost their credibility.
Israel's lost me.
(09:40):
I was a strong supporter ofIsrael.
I grew up I'm getting a littleemotional.
I grew up being taught thatIsrael was God's lost me.
I was a strong supporter ofIsrael.
I grew up I'm getting a littleemotional.
I grew up being taught thatIsrael was God's chosen people
and to always support them.
Those who will bless you willbe blessed and those who will
curse you will be cursed.
Now I believe that verse wasmisused.
But I loved Israel.
(10:02):
I still do to a certain extent.
But I grew up.
This is God's chosen people.
Love them and honor them.
And now I see these people.
Well, now I see the Israeligovernment.
Let me rephrase that Now I seethe Israeli government Just
killing, just killing innocentpeople out of revenge for
(10:28):
October 7th, out of a dream ofhaving a greater Israel where
there is no Palestine, where weethnically cleanse Palestinians
from the land.
It breaks my heart, so let'sget into the land.
It breaks my heart, so let'sget into the article.
(10:48):
Over 60,000 Palestinians havebeen killed in the 21-month
Israel-Hamas war, gaza's healthminister said Tuesday.
The ministers, part of theHamas-run government said the
death total has climbed to 6,034people and over 145,870 people
(11:15):
wounded since Hamas' October 7,2023 attack.
It did not say how many werecivilians or militants, but has
said that women and childrenmake up around half, and that's
probably a lot.
There's probably a lot of truth.
Gaza has a very youngpopulation Make up about half of
(11:39):
the dead.
The minister is staffed bymedical professionals.
The United Nations and otherindependent experts view its
figures as the most reliablecount of casualties, so the
United Nations agrees with it.
I'm not saying that that exactnumber is true.
It might be inflated a littlebit.
Maybe it's 50,000.
(12:01):
I don't know, but that's a lotof people, guys, and the more
are dying every day because ofstarvation and bombings.
Israel's offense has destroyedvast areas of Gaza, displacing
around 90% of the population.
About 90% of the Palestiniansin Gaza have been displaced from
(12:22):
their home.
My gosh guys have beendisplaced from their home, my
gosh guys.
And the cause to a catastrophichumanitarian crisis, with
experts warning a famine.
At least 77 Palestinians killedin the past day.
As international organizationswarn of worst-case scenario of
(12:42):
famine, israel continued tostrike the Gaza Strip, killing
at least 77 Palestinians in thepast day, according to local
hospitals.
More than half were killedwhile attempting to access aid
Hospitals said include a risingtoll of a deadly incident on
(13:03):
Monday as people attempt toaccess from a truck convoy
passing through the Gaza Strip.
Local hospitals said that theyreceived the bodies of an
additional 33 people who weregunned down around an aid convoy
in southern Gaza on Monday,bringing the total from an
(13:23):
incident to 58.
The Israeli military did notcomment on the shooting and
that's some things that happened.
People are going in to get theaid and they're getting shot and
a lot of reports that theIsraeli, that people sorry that
the IDF is doing this and maybe,maybe it's not being ordered by
(13:48):
Israel, but maybe Israel'sturning a blind eye to it.
And well, when they'll say,well, hamas is doing it, maybe,
maybe Hamas is doing some of it?
I'm no fan or defender of Hamas, but Israel has got blood on
their hands and I don't know howyou don't see it.
I just stopped using Hamas as ascapegoat to kill more innocent
(14:10):
Palestinian people.
It's sickening.
I'm going to keep reading.
Israel says it only targetsmilitants and takes
extraordinarily measures toavoid harming civilians.
It blames civilians' death onHamas because the militants
operate in populated areas.
The military said it targetsHamas military infrastructures
(14:35):
Over the past day, invokingrocket launchers, weapons
storage facilities and tunnelsAround.
An additional 14 Palestinianswere killed while attempting to
access aid near the American andIsraeli backed Gaza
humanitarian fund site incentral Gaza, according to local
(14:57):
hospitals neighbor Dean ghf.
Nor the middle Military Commandon the shooting.
Israel's military said in thepast it only fires warning shots
if troops feel threatened, andthe GAF has said their
contractors haven't fired atcivilians.
Airstrikes also targeted tentshosting displaced people in the
(15:23):
central city of Naraset, killing30 people, including 12
children and 14 women, accordingto Al-Adhan Hospital.
The strikes come asinternational organizations
(15:45):
continue to warn about the direhumanitarian situation in Gaza,
which has twerkened on the brinkof famine of two years.
Recent deployments havedramatically worsened the
situation.
According to the InternationalFood Security Phase and
(16:05):
Classification, or IPC, israelrejects claims of starvation.
Well, they can reject theclaims of starvation, but when
you see these pictures, when yousee all these news agencies,
yeah, they're just all lying,everybody's lying, and the
Israeli government's telling thetruth.
They're just angels.
That's it.
Netanyahu and his governmentand the IDF.
(16:26):
They're just being angels.
They don't care.
They're not really starvingPalestinians.
It's all Hamas that's starvingthe Palestinians.
It has nothing to do withIsrael having a blockade, not
putting aid in and then shootingat Palestinians trying to get
food.
It has nothing to do with therockets killing these people,
(16:51):
nothing.
I might have been born, but itwasn't yesterday.
I'm not that stupid.
I support Israel as a country.
I do not support this war crime.
I do not support this genocide.
God have mercy on us.
God have mercy on the church.
Let's keep reading.
Israel's foreign minister, godand Star, on Tuesday rejects
(17:16):
claims of starvation policies inGaza and said the focus on
starvation is a campaign ofinternational pressure.
Yeah, to start a campaign ofinternational pressure.
Yeah, it's a campaign ofinternational pressure, but
because you're starving people,the pressure is directly
sabotage the chances for aceasefire and hostage deal.
(17:38):
It is only pushing towardmilitary escalation by hardening
Hamas' stance.
He said oh man, here's Israelagain.
I understand I want all thehostages to go home, but this
does not justify this slaughter.
And I don't even know, if theygot the hostages back, if they
(17:58):
would stop the slaughter at thispoint.
They're just using them as amoral shield On the
international stage.
I am so sick of it.
I hate what's happened To thehostages and I want them all
home.
But my gosh, is that worth60,000.
(18:20):
Dead Palestinians and if you sayyes, you have a heart issue and
your heart is so hard, it's sohard and it's so hard that you
don't care about thesePalestinians, maybe because
they're not white, maybe becausethey're Muslim, I don't care.
I don't care if thesePalestinians are mostly Muslim
(18:44):
or mostly Arabic and mostlydon't speak English.
My God, they're human beings.
I mean God's image.
How does this not break yourheart for your fellow human
being?
How can you be so cold-hearted?
How can the church turn a blindeye?
I'm a proud evangelical guys.
Um, I'm so.
(19:06):
I'm proud of the evangelicalchurch, and I mean the low
church Protestants, baptists,pentecostals Methodists,
conservative Methodists,non-denominationalists.
When it comes to transgenderism,we take a hard line stand and
say no.
We will not let this happen toour children.
We don't want this in ourbathrooms.
(19:28):
We want to protect kids.
We take a hard line stance onfamily issues, the nuclear
family, upholding a mother and afather and children, marriage
between a man and a woman.
We uphold that life begins atconception and that no one
should die in the mother's wombby abortion, and we will fight
(19:51):
tooth and nail for that.
I'm proud of that and I will.
I'm as anti-abortion as itmother's womb by abortion, and
we will fight tooth and nail forthat.
I'm proud of that and I will.
I'm I'm as anti-abortion asit'll ever get.
Um, I will stand up for thelife of unborn babies.
I will.
But what about the lives inpalestine right now?
What if they weren't born andthey were in the womb of an
(20:14):
American woman?
Then you would fight for them.
But if they're born and they'rein the Middle East and they
have a different religion thanyou, they look different than
you, they speak a differentlanguage than you, god, forgive
us.
I mean that God, have mercy onus.
(20:35):
We should be evangelizing tothese people.
How are they going to acceptChrist when they know that we
turned a blind eye to theirsuffering and murder and
genocide?
How are we going to reach outto these people, to Christ?
The Holy Spirit can break, canbreak your heart down and can
(20:57):
move past anything.
But, my God, our silence iskilling people.
Do you really think that Trumpdoesn't listen to the
evangelical church?
He does.
They helped get him elected.
I'm not saying that they can doanything that they want to for
(21:20):
Trump to do, but Trump doeslisten to the evangelical church
.
If it wasn't for us, hewouldn't be elected.
And yeah, trump has made somecomments that he is upset with
Israel about how they'reconducting this war, but he's
not putting pressure on them,not really.
He's made.
Maybe he's made a few comments.
(21:41):
He's putting a little bit ofpressure, not enough.
We need, we need to cut funding.
We need to cut funding toIsrael till they stop this
murder.
We have to stop this, guys.
We can't just hide behind Hamasand the Holocaust.
As evil as Hamas is, as evil asthe Holocaust is, it doesn't
(22:05):
justify more murder.
It's what this is.
It's what this is.
I'm going to keep reading.
The US and Israel have bothrecalled their negotiation teams
over the past, as negotiationsseem to have stalled.
Hamas-led militants killed1,200 people, mostly civilians,
(22:28):
in the attack that sparked thewar and abdicated and abducted
and over a hundred and fifty one.
They are still holding 50calves lips and about 20
believed to be alive after mostof the rest were released in the
ceasefire of the deals.
The war took a major turn inearly March when Israel composed
(22:52):
about a two and a half monthblockade, barging the entry of
all food, medicine, fuel andother goods.
Weeks later, israel ended theceasefire with a surprise
bombardment and began seizinglarge areas of Gaza, measuring,
(23:14):
it said, were aimed at pursuingHamas to release more hostages.
At least 8,867 Palestinianshave been killed since then.
Israel erased, eased theblockade in May, but the UN
urges it says it hasn't allowednearly enough aid to enter it in
(23:38):
and that they have struggled todeliver it because of Israel,
israeli restrictions and thebreakdown of law and order.
An alternative, israel-backedsystem ran by American
contractors has been martyred byviolence and controversy,
(23:58):
gutted health system, dailystrikes and a humanitarian
crisis.
Near daily Israeli strikes havehit schools, shelters,
hospitals and other civilianbuildings, killing men, women
and children.
The military usually says itwas targeted military, hiding
(24:18):
out among civilians, whileoccasionally acknowledging
mistakes.
Israel's offenses and blockadeshave also gutted Gaza's health
system, with several hospitalshaving shut down and others only
partially functioned as theyreceived waves of wounds.
(24:39):
The hunger crisis has alsotaken its toll.
The World Health Organizationsays more than 60 people have
died this month frommalnutrition related causes,
including 24 children under five.
Overall, 88 children died ofcauses related to malnutrition
since the war started, 58 diedthis month also malnutrition
(25:03):
related causes.
According to the gaza healthministry, they're in hunger
crisis.
People can die frommalnutrition and from common
illnesses and injuries that thebody is not strong enough to
fight.
The ministry does not includehunger related deaths in its
overall total.
Guys, that's how, how can younot be heartbroken?
(25:26):
I just I don't understand, guys.
How can we not be heartbrokenfor what's going on in Gaza?
It's just a moral failing onthe evangelical church, which
I'm proudly a part of.
(25:47):
But we're dropping the ball,guys.
But I am glad I think somepeople are waking up.
We had a church picnic kind oftoday and I was talking to a few
of my church members and onewas, you know, he's definitely
very pro-Israeli.
He doesn't agree with me on this, but a few of them do, and I
(26:09):
think the tide is starting toturn a little bit.
But we, we're dropping the ball, guys.
Um, we gotta, we gotta speakout, we gotta use our voice.
It's gonna offend people, it'sgonna offend our friends in the
church.
You know, I have, I definitelyhave a calling on my life and
(26:29):
maybe one day I'll be a pastorof a church, maybe I'll just be
a minister or a street minister.
I'm already doing streetministry, but maybe it's.
But this isn't going to help meany, because, how the
evangelical church views Israel,nothing I'm saying right now is
(26:51):
going to really help me.
It could actually hurt me.
But I have to say something.
I'm not an expert on this war.
I understand that there isHamas propaganda, but when
everything is saying that thisis a war crime, an almost a
(27:14):
genocide, when I see peopleholding out pans that look like
something that Americans feedtheir dogs in and I'm not
calling Palestinians dogs, don'tyou dare say that, but I have
these pans that they're holdingout for food, that looks like
something I feed both my dogs in.
Okay, I know that it's adifferent part of the world and
we're very privileged.
That looks like something Ifeed both my dogs in.
(27:34):
Okay, I know that it's adifferent part of the world and
we're very privileged, but Iwant you to think about that.
In America, our dogs sometimesare more privileged than the
Palestinian and sometimes eatbetter.
They're not worth more.
Okay, I love my dogs, but mydogs aren't worth more than a
(27:57):
Palestinian or anybody in thisworld.
Palestinians are still made inGod's image Guess what?
Jesus died for them and theycan still be saved.
And there are some Christiansthat are born again in Palestine
, that are being hurt and thathave died because of this war.
Don't forget, there arePalestinian Christians.
There are not many.
Hamas has run most of them off.
(28:19):
But if you can't have a heartthat's broken for these people,
instead you have a cold heartbecause they're Muslims, because
they don't look like us,because of our people, of their
nationality in Hamas, is evil.
(28:41):
Really, you need to check yourheart.
I do have another article.
I'm going to skim through it.
It's from the Vatican News.
It's a Catholic news site and,man, I understand there's a lot
of anti-Catholics, but justplease listen to this article.
I'm not endorsing the CatholicChurch.
(29:03):
Everyone knows I have a ton ofproblems with their theology,
but there was a Catholic Churchthat was struck about two to
three weeks ago.
Three people died.
The priest was extremely badlyinjured.
One of those persons wasactually a Protestant Baptist
that was in the church that died.
And I say that because I sawsome jerks on Twitter I know
(29:26):
it's Twitter, I know it's theInternet Say well, you know they
weren't Christians, they wereCatholics.
Well, number one, even if theyweren't Christians, I don't want
them to die in their place ofworship.
You, jerk.
And number two, show a littlegrace.
I have a ton of theologicalproblems with Roman Catholics,
but show a little grace.
This is someone that believesin the same God that you do, the
(29:48):
same Trinity that you do, andhas a cross around his neck a
lot of times.
Maybe it's a crucifix, I don'tcare.
Show a little grace, don't besuch a jerk To people out there
that are so anti-Catholic thatthey could care less if they die
.
Oh man, that one makes me madtoo, because there are Catholics
(30:14):
that are truly saved and I.
I don't agree with Rome'stheology and I think it can lead
some people astray, and thatscares me.
I'd never try to get someone togo to a Roman Catholic church,
but, my gosh, if you have nohumanity, no Christian love
crying out for you, when theseCatholic Christians and a
(30:39):
Baptist die in a church whenIsrael hits it, you need to
repent.
There's no other word to say.
You just need to repent.
You're sick.
I'm just so disgusted by it,guys.
I'm just so disgusted by it.
Alright, I'm going to startreading.
(30:59):
Israeli forces strike catholicparish in gaza.
The holy family church, theonly catholic church in gaza,
was struck by a raid thismorning, resulting in free
deaths and several injuries,including the parish priest,
father gabriel romani, in astatement in the Latin parish in
Jerusalem appeals to leaders toraise their voice, to do all
(31:23):
that is necessary in order tostop this tragic and which is
humanely and morally unjust.
Vatican News.
The Holy Family Church, theonly Catholic church in the Gaza
Strip, was hit by a tank thismorning.
Three people subsequently diedfrom their injuries.
(31:44):
Others were reportedly wounded,more likely including the
parish priest, father GabrielRomani, cardinal Pizzabala.
He was actually rumored that hewas going to be considered to
be the next Pope.
They ended up choosing the newPope Francis, but he was on the
(32:06):
short list.
Cardinal Pizzabala, latinPatriarch of Jerusalem early,
spoke to Vatican News.
What we know for sure is that atank that ID idf says by
mistake, but we are not sureabout this they hit the church
directly, the church of the holyfamily, the latin church, he
(32:29):
said.
Three or four people seriouslywounded among those, four or two
in dramatic conditions andtheir lives in serious danger.
There are also other injuries,but less problematic, among also
the parish priests, becausethey were all in the church.
We don't have completeinformation about what has
(32:55):
happened in Gaza today becausethe community in Gaza is not
that simple, he explained,adding he will try to get more
information as soon as possible.
We will never leave them alone.
Speaking in Italian to VaticanNews, cardinal Pizzaballo
expresses his closeness to thoseaffected in Gaza.
(33:17):
We will always try to reachGaza in all possible ways,
directly and indirectly.
Now it's too early to talkabout all of this.
We need to understand whathappened, what should be done,
especially to protect our people, and, of course, try to make
sure that these things will nothappen anymore.
(33:38):
Then we will see how tocontinue, but certainly we will
never leave them alone.
Earlier, the Latin Patriarch ofJerusalem had posted a press
release on X confirming that thechurch was struck by a raid.
The statements are nofatalities confirmed at the
moment, but the church hassubstantial damage.
(34:00):
According to the Catholic PressAgency, sir, the Holy Family
Church is currently hostingabout 500 displaced Christians.
Death, suffering anddestruction are everywhere and
in a statement posted later thatday, the Latin Patriarch of
Jerusalem said the people of theHoly Family compound are people
(34:24):
who found in the church asanctuary, hoping that the
horrors of war might at lastspare their lives after the
homeless possessed and dignityhad already been stripped away.
Possess and dignity had alreadybeen stripped away.
Extending its deepestcondolences to the betrothed
families on behalf of the entireChurch of the Holy Land.
(34:47):
The Patriarch offered prayersand condemned the raid, pointed
out that it was just one of manyattacks destroying the people.
The Lattern Patriarch stronglycondemned this tragedy and the
tragedy of innocent civilians ofa sacred place.
However, this tragedy is nogreater or more terrible than
(35:10):
any others that have been thebefall of the gossip.
That's true.
Just because they're Christian,that doesn't make it well.
I mean it might hurt us morebecause we're Christian.
That doesn't make it well.
I mean it might hurt us morebecause we're Christian.
But we shouldn't just say, well, they're Christian.
We have to end the war.
We should realize that 60,000people have been murdered by
Israel and we should end the warbecause of that.
(35:30):
That's why we should end thewar.
Many other innocent civilianshave been harmed, displaced and
killed.
Death and suffering anddestruction are everywhere.
The statement reads, launchingan urgent appeal.
The statement continues sayingthe time has come for leaders to
(35:52):
raise their voice and do allthat is necessary to stop this
tragedy, which is humanly andmortifyingly unjust.
The horrific war must come to acomplete end so that we may
commune as long as work inresorting human dignity,
resigning in closeness to thosewho are burying members of the
(36:16):
community in this painful hourare burying members of the
community in this painful hour.
The patriarch and the churchexpress gratitude for all the
expression of solidarity andcloseness and retreat at
Cardinal Pizzabala pledges neverto leave the people alone.
We will continue to stand bythe community of Gaza in all
that is done.
And he actually, cardinalPizzabala, actually went to Gaza
(36:37):
and visited.
That is done.
And he actually, cardinalPizzabala, actually went to Gaza
and visited with those families.
Man, a part of that article, apart of that article really
touched me.
Yeah, when you're going tochurch after you've been
displaced because your home'sbeen bombed and you're seeking
(36:58):
refuge, a place of prayer, andthen you die in that church that
Israel hit and they claim itwas a mistake.
There's only one Catholicchurch in Gaza.
There's only a handful ofchurches in Gaza.
How is it a mistake?
And if it was a mistake, youneed to punish the guy who did
(37:22):
it.
You need to, you need to makean example out of him.
You need to discharge him.
This is awful guys.
Even Mike Huckleby MikeHuckleby, an evangelical
supporter of Israel, theambassador to Israel, condemned
this attack.
He said it was wrong.
You're losing people like MikeHucklebee, you're losing people
(37:46):
like Donald Trump.
You're starting to lose theevangelical community that has
supported you unequivocally andwe never should have.
I'm not saying we should neversupport Israel.
I still support Israel.
I still want there to be anIsraeli state.
There should be a Jewish state.
That is their homeland, butit's also the Palestinians'
(38:12):
homeland and they've been therefor around I don't know around
500 years.
I was having a conversation withsome of my friends at church.
I think my family's been herebefore the foundation of the
United States, at least part ofit, and I don't know if my
ancestors did horrible thingsthe Indians and if there was
(38:35):
some, it wouldn't surprise me.
I'm sure some did and somedidn't, but it would be wrong
for the Native Americans, ifthey rose in population, to kick
families of settlers andimmigrants that have lived here
for a long time expect.
You take my family before theUnited States was formed as a
(38:58):
country.
I'm 71 english guys on myancestry dna.
I'm pretty english, um,genetically.
You know I'm all americannationally but I'm all team usa.
But that would be like thenative americans putting us in
little pockets just because wedid it to them.
It was.
(39:18):
Just because we did it to them.
It was wrong when we did it tothem.
It would be wrong if they didit to us, uh, a hundred of years
later.
Uh, it would be wrong for themto to make us go back to England
.
I've never been in England.
I've never been on that island.
I like the country.
I'd love to visit it.
Maybe one day I will, maybe not, but I've been in America my
(39:44):
entire life.
I've been in.
I've been an Appalachian myentire life, born in Bluefield,
west Virginia, the wrong side ofVirginia, as I was, the wrong
side of Bluefield, as I alwaysjoke.
Virginia is the wrong side ofBluefield, as I always joke.
Five minutes from the stateline.
(40:07):
Basically is the closesthospital my family could get to
and at the time they had babies.
They don't even have them thereanymore.
That's how old I am, I guess,now, but I've been in the United
States and in the South myentire life in Appalachia.
(40:28):
Would it be right for NativeAmericans to send me on an
airplane back to England, a landI've never been, and just say,
well, you're 71% geneticallyEnglish?
Yeah, I am and I speak English.
There's a lot of stuff about meculturally that comes directly
from England, but I'm anAmerican.
I'm an American.
I live in America.
My whole life I've lived inAmerica.
(40:50):
That's my country.
This is where I'm from.
That's the same thing withPalestine.
Maybe their ancestors conqueredthe land and they shouldn't
have, and that's true they did.
But is that the Palestinians'fault that live there now?
No, should they be kicked outand ethnically cleansed to force
(41:13):
to live in Jordan or Egypt?
To force to live in Jordan orEgypt?
No, there has to be a two-statesolution, at least a two-state.
Honestly, in my mind, a freestate solution would be the best
.
Palestine is the West Bank,gaza is the Gaza Strip, and
Israel.
This place has been a messsince the founding of the state
(41:41):
of Israel and way before that.
Guys, I just want to encourageyou.
If you feel like you're alonein your evangelical church and
the way you feel you're not, youmight be in that congregation,
but you're not alone.
We have to speak up.
(42:01):
We have to say this is wrong.
We do it with abortion, and I'mproud of us for standing up for
unborn life in the womb,because abortion is horrendous
and it's evil, but so is what'sgoing on in Gaza, and if we're
going to be pro-life, let's bepro-life.
Pro-life doesn't mean you haveto be against stuff like the
(42:26):
death penalty.
I don't think so, because itmeans you are standing up for
innocent life, not those whohave forfeited their life by
committing a horrible crime.
But pro-life does mean morethan just that inside the womb
of a woman, where the life is.
That's part of it.
We protect those lives with allour hearts, but we also need to
(42:47):
call out injustice in Palestine, in Gaza, and say this is wrong
, this is murder.
I don't care if you're anAmerican ally, and even if your
ancestors suffered horrible,horrible genocide themselves
(43:07):
doesn't give you the right to tohurt another group of people
like the Palestinians in Gaza.
Doesn't, doesn't at all.
I want to read you guys a Bibleverse.
It's going to be the Bibleverse of the day and I think
it's appropriate.
I've been reading through thebook of Proverbs.
(43:31):
This is Proverbs 6, starting atverse 16 in the New
International Version.
There are six things the Lordhates, seven that are detestable
to him Haulty eyes, a lyingtongue, hands that shed innocent
blood, a heart that desireswicked schemes, feet that are
(43:55):
too quick to rush to evil, afalse witness who pours out lies
, and a person strifing upconflict in the community.
I've used this verse beforeabout abortion and I'm using
this verse now God hates thehands that shed innocent blood.
He hates murder.
(44:15):
He hates murder, he hate, hatesmurder, he hates.
Call it murder, war crime,genocide.
He hates the hands that shedinnocent blood.
We can't be silent, guys.
We can't be silent on thisissue, even if it costs us
friends, if it costs usopportunities.
We speak the truth in love, wedon't be jerks about it and we
(44:41):
don't fall into the trope andevils and racism of
anti-Semitism, because it's justas wrong to hate Jews as it is
Palestinians.
I encourage you guys toactually watch the Darrell
McClain show, listen to his lastpodcast.
He did an excellent breakdownof this, probably way better
(45:02):
than I have, and he's right, andI heard him say this and it
stuck with me God lovesPalestinian children just as
much as he loves Israelichildren.
But do we, as Christians, lovePalestinian children just as
(45:23):
much as Israeli children?
Because I don't know if theanswer to that is yes, when
they're both made in God's imageand they both need the saving
power of Jesus.
We need to get more people savedin Israel and in Palestine, the
home where Jesus grew up, whichstill rejects him mostly to
(45:43):
this day.
There are still good Christiansin Israel and in Palestine,
thank God, but they areoutnumbered.
The place, bethlehem, whereJesus was born, where Jesus was
baptized, where Jesus wasbaptized, where Jesus walked
with his disciples, where Jesusdied for our sins and where
(46:08):
Jesus rose from the grave, as aland that still rejects him and
even he said a prophet, isrejected in his own hometown.
I'm going to say a prayer andthen get us out of here.
Father, thank you for this dayyou gave us.
I pray for the Palestinianpeople that are suffering so
(46:31):
much.
I pray that you will break thehearts of Israel, people in the
government and the IDF that theywill be able to see their
humanity.
I pray that you will break thehearts of the Hamas that they
will be able to see the humanityin Israel.
You will break both of theirhearts, convict them and save
(46:53):
them, lord, for there's no onetoo evil for you to save.
Please help feed thesePalestinian children, the babies
, the women and the men.
God have mercy on them.
Let the evangelical church startto rise up, not out of
anti-Semitism, but for love forthe Palestinians.
Dear Lord, this land that youlived in, you died in that you
(47:18):
taught us how to live aChristian life and gave us the
Bible, gave us your Gospels,mark Matthew, mark, luke and
John, so we could imitate you,so we could have a relationship.
If you, where you, died on thecross and rose from the grave,
hallelujah, let that landfinally accept you One day.
(47:40):
It will One day.
I truly believe in my heart itwill.
Please give the area peace.
Let President Trump stand up forwhat is right and let him put
pressure on Israel to stop this.
Let Israel's heart breaksbreaks.
Help the people in Israel,because I know not all of them
(48:02):
support this.
Help them this.
Help them to stop this and justdoesn't to call upon their
government to stop this madness.
Please help the Palestinianpeople, children and women, and
(48:23):
have mercy on us.
Save our souls, help the churchin Israel and Palestine In your
holy name, amen.
God bless you guys.
I plan back being here nextweek.
Have a great week.
Okay, everybody, welcome back to Over-Opinionated
.
I got a pretty, I got anepisode coming up for you.
It's going to be a little heavyand we need to get to it
because it's very important andI think the church isn't
ignoring it.
But before we start, we'regoing to open up with our daily
(00:21):
readings of the Lord's Prayerand the Apostles' Creed.
So, with our daily readings ofthe Lord's Prayer and the
Apostles' Creed.
So, our Father, which art inheaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as itis in heaven.
Give us this day our dailybread and forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive thosethat trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil, for
(00:44):
thine is the kingdom, the powerand the glory forever and ever.
Amen We'll.
But delivers from evil, fordivine is the kingdom, the power
and glory forever and ever.
Amen.
We'll move on to the apostlescreed.
I believe in god, the fatheralmighty, maker of heaven and
earth, and in jesus christ, hisonly son, our lord, which was
conceived by the holy ghost,born of the virgin mary,
suffered under pontius Pilate,was crucified, dead, buried.
(01:06):
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose from thedead, he ascended into heaven
and sat up at the right hand ofGod, the Father Almighty.
From hence he shall come tojudge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost,the Holy Catholic Church, the
communion of saints, forgivenessof sin, the resurrection of the
(01:29):
body and the life everlasting,and there's always the ascension
into hell.
A lot of people just interpretthat as him going in the grave,
and the Holy Catholic Churchmeans universal, not the Roman
Catholic Church, the universal,so anybody who is a believer.
(01:50):
Okay, I have to talk aboutsomething that's pretty heavy
and I have prayed about this.
It's been very heavy on myheart.
It's a very, very tough issue.
It's been very heavy on myheart.
It's a very, very tough issue,but I believe the church is
(02:14):
either ignoring it or they aredownplaying it, especially the
evangelical church, and itscares me.
But the situation in the GazaStrip is just heartbreaking and
we have to talk about it.
I know that many people in theevangelical church see Israel as
God's chosen people and that tohave Christ come back, israel
(02:38):
has to be in the land, be inJerusalem, has to be over the
Israel-sized Palestinian states,and I am going to dig into that
in a future podcast.
You can still believe thatIsrael is God's chosen people.
(02:59):
You can still be apre-millennialist believing that
Jesus will come back before themillennial reign and the
rapture of the church.
You can still believe thesethings and you can still support
the state of Israel and admitwhat Israel is doing right now
(03:20):
is wrong.
And me saying what Israel isdoing right now is wrong is not
me hating the Jewish people,it's not me being anti-Semitic
and it's not me talking againstGod's chosen people.
Remember in the Bible God roseup many, many prophets to speak
against Israel so they wouldrepent from their ways and stop
(03:43):
sinning.
So just because someone isGod's chosen people does not
mean that they cannot sinagainst him greatly.
Also, remember Israel is not aChristian nation.
They are far from it.
Honestly, they're mostly asecular country and I know many
(04:06):
evangelicals that support Israelno matter what, and I don't
believe that's a very Christianprinciple.
I know that the rise ofanti-Semitism is going up,
especially on the right, and Iabhor that.
I think it's horrible.
But it's not anti-Semitic tosay the state of Israel is wrong
in how they're pursuing thiswar effort.
(04:28):
This war has went on for almosttwo years.
It is totally unproportionate.
And I don't know how you lookat the news from an objective
level, looking at all differentkinds of sources from the left
and the right, and say thatIsrael is not killing innocent
civilians without anyrepercussions, without any care.
(04:54):
They are killing innocentPalestinians and they are hiding
behind Hamas.
They are hiding behind horriblethings that have happened to
Jews in their history, andpeople have used the word
genocide to describe this.
I'm okay with using that wordbecause I do think if this is
(05:14):
not a genocide, it's gosh, it'sclose, it's a war crime.
It's definitely a war crime.
Innocent people are starving inGaza and you can only blame
Hamas.
So much I've heard.
Well, the Palestinians voted infor Hamas.
Yeah, in 2007, 2006, almost 20years ago.
(05:36):
They haven't had an electionsince then in the Gaza Strip.
It's not a democracy.
They're basically anoligarchical, theocratic
dictatorship, a Islamic, anextremist Islamic dictatorship.
(05:58):
And, yeah, I understand a lot ofpeople are sympathetic, but a
lot of this is Israel's faultfor bombing them into oblivion,
for turning their homes andtowns into rubble, killing their
brothers, sisters and mothers.
As the church does nothing, asthe church just says well, it's
all Hamas' fault.
Stop hiding behind Hamas.
(06:21):
Yes, do I know that Hamas hidesin the synagogues, churches and
hospitals and mosques?
Yeah, they do.
But Israel also hides behindHamas on the international stage
as they kill more and morePalestinians, as Netanyahu, the
(06:43):
Prime Minister of Israel and hisfar-right government and I'm
far-right, but this is a littledifferent basically want to
exile the Palestinians so thatthey can have a complete Jewish
state in the area.
Netanyahu is not interested ina two-state solution.
He's not interested in aPalestinian state.
(07:08):
Tell me why there are so manysettlements in the West Bank.
Tell me why they are starvingthe people in Gaza.
You can only blame Hamas solong.
You can only blame them for solong.
So I'm going to read you guys afew articles.
This one's from PBS News andwe're going to discuss some of
(07:30):
these articles.
I understand that all news isbiased, but when multiple news
sources on the left or mid-leftor even in the middle are all
reporting the same thing, evenfrom the middle and the left, or
even in the middle are allreporting the same thing from
the middle and the left, andeven some of the a little on the
right maybe not as much this ishappening, guys.
(07:54):
This is not.
I understand there's propagandathat Hamas uses, but this is
happening.
This is.
This is not fake.
So don't let someone try totell you that this is not
happening or that this is allHamas' fault, that no one's
starving in Gaza and that Israelhas nothing to do with it.
That's just not true.
(08:14):
Now Israel started to let morehumanitarian aid in because the
international community ispushing them to do so.
But I'm going to read you anarticle from PBS News from July
29th Over 60,000 Palestinianshave died in the Israel-Hamas
war, gaza's health ministry says.
(08:37):
Now people will criticize Gaza'shealth ministry because it is
ran by Hamas.
I understand that Maybe theyare inflating those numbers.
Let's take that by half.
What if it's only 30,000?
That's still extraordinarilyunproportionate compared to the
1,200 that Hamas killed and,guys, it's a lot more than
(08:59):
30,000.
I'm just saying, if you onlytook it by half, the 60,000
number is probably prettyaccurate, even with the lies of
Hamas.
When you see these footage Notall this footage is fake, guys,
most of it's not.
And yeah, I understandpropaganda exists but when we
(09:20):
see multiple images coming infrom cameras and cell phones
from Gaza Of families starvingto death, of buildings falling
on top of them, of churchesgetting hit by Israel, I just
they've lost their credibility.
Israel's lost me.
(09:40):
I was a strong supporter ofIsrael.
I grew up I'm getting a littleemotional.
I grew up being taught thatIsrael was God's lost me.
I was a strong supporter ofIsrael.
I grew up I'm getting a littleemotional.
I grew up being taught thatIsrael was God's chosen people
and to always support them.
Those who will bless you willbe blessed and those who will
curse you will be cursed.
Now I believe that verse wasmisused.
But I loved Israel.
(10:02):
I still do to a certain extent.
But I grew up.
This is God's chosen people.
Love them and honor them.
And now I see these people.
Well, now I see the Israeligovernment.
Let me rephrase that Now I seethe Israeli government Just
killing, just killing innocentpeople out of revenge for
(10:28):
October 7th, out of a dream ofhaving a greater Israel where
there is no Palestine, where weethnically cleanse Palestinians
from the land.
It breaks my heart, so let'sget into the land.
It breaks my heart, so let'sget into the article.
(10:48):
Over 60,000 Palestinians havebeen killed in the 21-month
Israel-Hamas war, gaza's healthminister said Tuesday.
The ministers, part of theHamas-run government said the
death total has climbed to 6,034people and over 145,870 people
(11:15):
wounded since Hamas' October 7,2023 attack.
It did not say how many werecivilians or militants, but has
said that women and childrenmake up around half, and that's
probably a lot.
There's probably a lot of truth.
Gaza has a very youngpopulation Make up about half of
(11:39):
the dead.
The minister is staffed bymedical professionals.
The United Nations and otherindependent experts view its
figures as the most reliablecount of casualties, so the
United Nations agrees with it.
I'm not saying that that exactnumber is true.
It might be inflated a littlebit.
Maybe it's 50,000.
(12:01):
I don't know, but that's a lotof people, guys, and the more
are dying every day because ofstarvation and bombings.
Israel's offense has destroyedvast areas of Gaza, displacing
around 90% of the population.
About 90% of the Palestiniansin Gaza have been displaced from
(12:22):
their home.
My gosh guys have beendisplaced from their home, my
gosh guys.
And the cause to a catastrophichumanitarian crisis, with
experts warning a famine.
At least 77 Palestinians killedin the past day.
As international organizationswarn of worst-case scenario of
(12:42):
famine, israel continued tostrike the Gaza Strip, killing
at least 77 Palestinians in thepast day, according to local
hospitals.
More than half were killedwhile attempting to access aid
Hospitals said include a risingtoll of a deadly incident on
(13:03):
Monday as people attempt toaccess from a truck convoy
passing through the Gaza Strip.
Local hospitals said that theyreceived the bodies of an
additional 33 people who weregunned down around an aid convoy
in southern Gaza on Monday,bringing the total from an
(13:23):
incident to 58.
The Israeli military did notcomment on the shooting and
that's some things that happened.
People are going in to get theaid and they're getting shot and
a lot of reports that theIsraeli, that people sorry that
the IDF is doing this and maybe,maybe it's not being ordered by
(13:48):
Israel, but maybe Israel'sturning a blind eye to it.
And well, when they'll say,well, hamas is doing it, maybe,
maybe Hamas is doing some of it?
I'm no fan or defender of Hamas, but Israel has got blood on
their hands and I don't know howyou don't see it.
I just stopped using Hamas as ascapegoat to kill more innocent
(14:10):
Palestinian people.
It's sickening.
I'm going to keep reading.
Israel says it only targetsmilitants and takes
extraordinarily measures toavoid harming civilians.
It blames civilians' death onHamas because the militants
operate in populated areas.
The military said it targetsHamas military infrastructures
(14:35):
Over the past day, invokingrocket launchers, weapons
storage facilities and tunnelsAround.
An additional 14 Palestinianswere killed while attempting to
access aid near the American andIsraeli backed Gaza
humanitarian fund site incentral Gaza, according to local
(14:57):
hospitals neighbor Dean ghf.
Nor the middle Military Commandon the shooting.
Israel's military said in thepast it only fires warning shots
if troops feel threatened, andthe GAF has said their
contractors haven't fired atcivilians.
Airstrikes also targeted tentshosting displaced people in the
(15:23):
central city of Naraset, killing30 people, including 12
children and 14 women, accordingto Al-Adhan Hospital.
The strikes come asinternational organizations
(15:45):
continue to warn about the direhumanitarian situation in Gaza,
which has twerkened on the brinkof famine of two years.
Recent deployments havedramatically worsened the
situation.
According to the InternationalFood Security Phase and
(16:05):
Classification, or IPC, israelrejects claims of starvation.
Well, they can reject theclaims of starvation, but when
you see these pictures, when yousee all these news agencies,
yeah, they're just all lying,everybody's lying, and the
Israeli government's telling thetruth.
They're just angels.
That's it.
Netanyahu and his governmentand the IDF.
(16:26):
They're just being angels.
They don't care.
They're not really starvingPalestinians.
It's all Hamas that's starvingthe Palestinians.
It has nothing to do withIsrael having a blockade, not
putting aid in and then shootingat Palestinians trying to get
food.
It has nothing to do with therockets killing these people,
(16:51):
nothing.
I might have been born, but itwasn't yesterday.
I'm not that stupid.
I support Israel as a country.
I do not support this war crime.
I do not support this genocide.
God have mercy on us.
God have mercy on the church.
Let's keep reading.
Israel's foreign minister, godand Star, on Tuesday rejects
(17:16):
claims of starvation policies inGaza and said the focus on
starvation is a campaign ofinternational pressure.
Yeah, to start a campaign ofinternational pressure.
Yeah, it's a campaign ofinternational pressure, but
because you're starving people,the pressure is directly
sabotage the chances for aceasefire and hostage deal.
(17:38):
It is only pushing towardmilitary escalation by hardening
Hamas' stance.
He said oh man, here's Israelagain.
I understand I want all thehostages to go home, but this
does not justify this slaughter.
And I don't even know, if theygot the hostages back, if they
(17:58):
would stop the slaughter at thispoint.
They're just using them as amoral shield On the
international stage.
I am so sick of it.
I hate what's happened To thehostages and I want them all
home.
But my gosh, is that worth60,000.
(18:20):
Dead Palestinians and if you sayyes, you have a heart issue and
your heart is so hard, it's sohard and it's so hard that you
don't care about thesePalestinians, maybe because
they're not white, maybe becausethey're Muslim, I don't care.
I don't care if thesePalestinians are mostly Muslim
(18:44):
or mostly Arabic and mostlydon't speak English.
My God, they're human beings.
I mean God's image.
How does this not break yourheart for your fellow human
being?
How can you be so cold-hearted?
How can the church turn a blindeye?
I'm a proud evangelical guys.
Um, I'm so.
(19:06):
I'm proud of the evangelicalchurch, and I mean the low
church Protestants, baptists,pentecostals Methodists,
conservative Methodists,non-denominationalists.
When it comes to transgenderism,we take a hard line stand and
say no.
We will not let this happen toour children.
We don't want this in ourbathrooms.
(19:28):
We want to protect kids.
We take a hard line stance onfamily issues, the nuclear
family, upholding a mother and afather and children, marriage
between a man and a woman.
We uphold that life begins atconception and that no one
should die in the mother's wombby abortion, and we will fight
(19:51):
tooth and nail for that.
I'm proud of that and I will.
I'm as anti-abortion as itmother's womb by abortion, and
we will fight tooth and nail forthat.
I'm proud of that and I will.
I'm I'm as anti-abortion asit'll ever get.
Um, I will stand up for thelife of unborn babies.
I will.
But what about the lives inpalestine right now?
What if they weren't born andthey were in the womb of an
(20:14):
American woman?
Then you would fight for them.
But if they're born and they'rein the Middle East and they
have a different religion thanyou, they look different than
you, they speak a differentlanguage than you, god, forgive
us.
I mean that God, have mercy onus.
(20:35):
We should be evangelizing tothese people.
How are they going to acceptChrist when they know that we
turned a blind eye to theirsuffering and murder and
genocide?
How are we going to reach outto these people, to Christ?
The Holy Spirit can break, canbreak your heart down and can
(20:57):
move past anything.
But, my God, our silence iskilling people.
Do you really think that Trumpdoesn't listen to the
evangelical church?
He does.
They helped get him elected.
I'm not saying that they can doanything that they want to for
(21:20):
Trump to do, but Trump doeslisten to the evangelical church
.
If it wasn't for us, hewouldn't be elected.
And yeah, trump has made somecomments that he is upset with
Israel about how they'reconducting this war, but he's
not putting pressure on them,not really.
He's made.
Maybe he's made a few comments.
(21:41):
He's putting a little bit ofpressure, not enough.
We need, we need to cut funding.
We need to cut funding toIsrael till they stop this
murder.
We have to stop this, guys.
We can't just hide behind Hamasand the Holocaust.
As evil as Hamas is, as evil asthe Holocaust is, it doesn't
(22:05):
justify more murder.
It's what this is.
It's what this is.
I'm going to keep reading.
The US and Israel have bothrecalled their negotiation teams
over the past, as negotiationsseem to have stalled.
Hamas-led militants killed1,200 people, mostly civilians,
(22:28):
in the attack that sparked thewar and abdicated and abducted
and over a hundred and fifty one.
They are still holding 50calves lips and about 20
believed to be alive after mostof the rest were released in the
ceasefire of the deals.
The war took a major turn inearly March when Israel composed
(22:52):
about a two and a half monthblockade, barging the entry of
all food, medicine, fuel andother goods.
Weeks later, israel ended theceasefire with a surprise
bombardment and began seizinglarge areas of Gaza, measuring,
(23:14):
it said, were aimed at pursuingHamas to release more hostages.
At least 8,867 Palestinianshave been killed since then.
Israel erased, eased theblockade in May, but the UN
urges it says it hasn't allowednearly enough aid to enter it in
(23:38):
and that they have struggled todeliver it because of Israel,
israeli restrictions and thebreakdown of law and order.
An alternative, israel-backedsystem ran by American
contractors has been martyred byviolence and controversy,
(23:58):
gutted health system, dailystrikes and a humanitarian
crisis.
Near daily Israeli strikes havehit schools, shelters,
hospitals and other civilianbuildings, killing men, women
and children.
The military usually says itwas targeted military, hiding
(24:18):
out among civilians, whileoccasionally acknowledging
mistakes.
Israel's offenses and blockadeshave also gutted Gaza's health
system, with several hospitalshaving shut down and others only
partially functioned as theyreceived waves of wounds.
(24:39):
The hunger crisis has alsotaken its toll.
The World Health Organizationsays more than 60 people have
died this month frommalnutrition related causes,
including 24 children under five.
Overall, 88 children died ofcauses related to malnutrition
since the war started, 58 diedthis month also malnutrition
(25:03):
related causes.
According to the gaza healthministry, they're in hunger
crisis.
People can die frommalnutrition and from common
illnesses and injuries that thebody is not strong enough to
fight.
The ministry does not includehunger related deaths in its
overall total.
Guys, that's how, how can younot be heartbroken?
(25:26):
I just I don't understand, guys.
How can we not be heartbrokenfor what's going on in Gaza?
It's just a moral failing onthe evangelical church, which
I'm proudly a part of.
(25:47):
But we're dropping the ball,guys.
But I am glad I think somepeople are waking up.
We had a church picnic kind oftoday and I was talking to a few
of my church members and onewas, you know, he's definitely
very pro-Israeli.
He doesn't agree with me on this, but a few of them do, and I
(26:09):
think the tide is starting toturn a little bit.
But we, we're dropping the ball, guys.
Um, we gotta, we gotta speakout, we gotta use our voice.
It's gonna offend people, it'sgonna offend our friends in the
church.
You know, I have, I definitelyhave a calling on my life and
(26:29):
maybe one day I'll be a pastorof a church, maybe I'll just be
a minister or a street minister.
I'm already doing streetministry, but maybe it's.
But this isn't going to help meany, because, how the
evangelical church views Israel,nothing I'm saying right now is
(26:51):
going to really help me.
It could actually hurt me.
But I have to say something.
I'm not an expert on this war.
I understand that there isHamas propaganda, but when
everything is saying that thisis a war crime, an almost a
(27:14):
genocide, when I see peopleholding out pans that look like
something that Americans feedtheir dogs in and I'm not
calling Palestinians dogs, don'tyou dare say that, but I have
these pans that they're holdingout for food, that looks like
something I feed both my dogs in.
Okay, I know that it's adifferent part of the world and
we're very privileged.
That looks like something Ifeed both my dogs in.
(27:34):
Okay, I know that it's adifferent part of the world and
we're very privileged, but Iwant you to think about that.
In America, our dogs sometimesare more privileged than the
Palestinian and sometimes eatbetter.
They're not worth more.
Okay, I love my dogs, but mydogs aren't worth more than a
(27:57):
Palestinian or anybody in thisworld.
Palestinians are still made inGod's image Guess what?
Jesus died for them and theycan still be saved.
And there are some Christiansthat are born again in Palestine
, that are being hurt and thathave died because of this war.
Don't forget, there arePalestinian Christians.
There are not many.
Hamas has run most of them off.
(28:19):
But if you can't have a heartthat's broken for these people,
instead you have a cold heartbecause they're Muslims, because
they don't look like us,because of our people, of their
nationality in Hamas, is evil.
(28:41):
Really, you need to check yourheart.
I do have another article.
I'm going to skim through it.
It's from the Vatican News.
It's a Catholic news site and,man, I understand there's a lot
of anti-Catholics, but justplease listen to this article.
I'm not endorsing the CatholicChurch.
(29:03):
Everyone knows I have a ton ofproblems with their theology,
but there was a Catholic Churchthat was struck about two to
three weeks ago.
Three people died.
The priest was extremely badlyinjured.
One of those persons wasactually a Protestant Baptist
that was in the church that died.
And I say that because I sawsome jerks on Twitter I know
(29:26):
it's Twitter, I know it's theInternet Say well, you know they
weren't Christians, they wereCatholics.
Well, number one, even if theyweren't Christians, I don't want
them to die in their place ofworship.
You, jerk.
And number two, show a littlegrace.
I have a ton of theologicalproblems with Roman Catholics,
but show a little grace.
This is someone that believesin the same God that you do, the
(29:48):
same Trinity that you do, andhas a cross around his neck a
lot of times.
Maybe it's a crucifix, I don'tcare.
Show a little grace, don't besuch a jerk To people out there
that are so anti-Catholic thatthey could care less if they die
.
Oh man, that one makes me madtoo, because there are Catholics
(30:14):
that are truly saved and I.
I don't agree with Rome'stheology and I think it can lead
some people astray, and thatscares me.
I'd never try to get someone togo to a Roman Catholic church,
but, my gosh, if you have nohumanity, no Christian love
crying out for you, when theseCatholic Christians and a
(30:39):
Baptist die in a church whenIsrael hits it, you need to
repent.
There's no other word to say.
You just need to repent.
You're sick.
I'm just so disgusted by it,guys.
I'm just so disgusted by it.
Alright, I'm going to startreading.
(30:59):
Israeli forces strike catholicparish in gaza.
The holy family church, theonly catholic church in gaza,
was struck by a raid thismorning, resulting in free
deaths and several injuries,including the parish priest,
father gabriel romani, in astatement in the Latin parish in
Jerusalem appeals to leaders toraise their voice, to do all
(31:23):
that is necessary in order tostop this tragic and which is
humanely and morally unjust.
Vatican News.
The Holy Family Church, theonly Catholic church in the Gaza
Strip, was hit by a tank thismorning.
Three people subsequently diedfrom their injuries.
(31:44):
Others were reportedly wounded,more likely including the
parish priest, father GabrielRomani, cardinal Pizzabala.
He was actually rumored that hewas going to be considered to
be the next Pope.
They ended up choosing the newPope Francis, but he was on the
(32:06):
short list.
Cardinal Pizzabala, latinPatriarch of Jerusalem early,
spoke to Vatican News.
What we know for sure is that atank that ID idf says by
mistake, but we are not sureabout this they hit the church
directly, the church of the holyfamily, the latin church, he
(32:29):
said.
Three or four people seriouslywounded among those, four or two
in dramatic conditions andtheir lives in serious danger.
There are also other injuries,but less problematic, among also
the parish priests, becausethey were all in the church.
We don't have completeinformation about what has
(32:55):
happened in Gaza today becausethe community in Gaza is not
that simple, he explained,adding he will try to get more
information as soon as possible.
We will never leave them alone.
Speaking in Italian to VaticanNews, cardinal Pizzaballo
expresses his closeness to thoseaffected in Gaza.
(33:17):
We will always try to reachGaza in all possible ways,
directly and indirectly.
Now it's too early to talkabout all of this.
We need to understand whathappened, what should be done,
especially to protect our people, and, of course, try to make
sure that these things will nothappen anymore.
(33:38):
Then we will see how tocontinue, but certainly we will
never leave them alone.
Earlier, the Latin Patriarch ofJerusalem had posted a press
release on X confirming that thechurch was struck by a raid.
The statements are nofatalities confirmed at the
moment, but the church hassubstantial damage.
(34:00):
According to the Catholic PressAgency, sir, the Holy Family
Church is currently hostingabout 500 displaced Christians.
Death, suffering anddestruction are everywhere and
in a statement posted later thatday, the Latin Patriarch of
Jerusalem said the people of theHoly Family compound are people
(34:24):
who found in the church asanctuary, hoping that the
horrors of war might at lastspare their lives after the
homeless possessed and dignityhad already been stripped away.
Possess and dignity had alreadybeen stripped away.
Extending its deepestcondolences to the betrothed
families on behalf of the entireChurch of the Holy Land.
(34:47):
The Patriarch offered prayersand condemned the raid, pointed
out that it was just one of manyattacks destroying the people.
The Lattern Patriarch stronglycondemned this tragedy and the
tragedy of innocent civilians ofa sacred place.
However, this tragedy is nogreater or more terrible than
(35:10):
any others that have been thebefall of the gossip.
That's true.
Just because they're Christian,that doesn't make it well.
I mean it might hurt us morebecause we're Christian.
That doesn't make it well.
I mean it might hurt us morebecause we're Christian.
But we shouldn't just say, well, they're Christian.
We have to end the war.
We should realize that 60,000people have been murdered by
Israel and we should end the warbecause of that.
(35:30):
That's why we should end thewar.
Many other innocent civilianshave been harmed, displaced and
killed.
Death and suffering anddestruction are everywhere.
The statement reads, launchingan urgent appeal.
The statement continues sayingthe time has come for leaders to
(35:52):
raise their voice and do allthat is necessary to stop this
tragedy, which is humanly andmortifyingly unjust.
The horrific war must come to acomplete end so that we may
commune as long as work inresorting human dignity,
resigning in closeness to thosewho are burying members of the
(36:16):
community in this painful hourare burying members of the
community in this painful hour.
The patriarch and the churchexpress gratitude for all the
expression of solidarity andcloseness and retreat at
Cardinal Pizzabala pledges neverto leave the people alone.
We will continue to stand bythe community of Gaza in all
that is done.
And he actually, cardinalPizzabala, actually went to Gaza
(36:37):
and visited.
That is done.
And he actually, cardinalPizzabala, actually went to Gaza
and visited with those families.
Man, a part of that article, apart of that article really
touched me.
Yeah, when you're going tochurch after you've been
displaced because your home'sbeen bombed and you're seeking
(36:58):
refuge, a place of prayer, andthen you die in that church that
Israel hit and they claim itwas a mistake.
There's only one Catholicchurch in Gaza.
There's only a handful ofchurches in Gaza.
How is it a mistake?
And if it was a mistake, youneed to punish the guy who did
(37:22):
it.
You need to, you need to makean example out of him.
You need to discharge him.
This is awful guys.
Even Mike Huckleby MikeHuckleby, an evangelical
supporter of Israel, theambassador to Israel, condemned
this attack.
He said it was wrong.
You're losing people like MikeHucklebee, you're losing people
(37:46):
like Donald Trump.
You're starting to lose theevangelical community that has
supported you unequivocally andwe never should have.
I'm not saying we should neversupport Israel.
I still support Israel.
I still want there to be anIsraeli state.
There should be a Jewish state.
That is their homeland, butit's also the Palestinians'
(38:12):
homeland and they've been therefor around I don't know around
500 years.
I was having a conversation withsome of my friends at church.
I think my family's been herebefore the foundation of the
United States, at least part ofit, and I don't know if my
ancestors did horrible thingsthe Indians and if there was
(38:35):
some, it wouldn't surprise me.
I'm sure some did and somedidn't, but it would be wrong
for the Native Americans, ifthey rose in population, to kick
families of settlers andimmigrants that have lived here
for a long time expect.
You take my family before theUnited States was formed as a
(38:58):
country.
I'm 71 english guys on myancestry dna.
I'm pretty english, um,genetically.
You know I'm all americannationally but I'm all team usa.
But that would be like thenative americans putting us in
little pockets just because wedid it to them.
It was.
(39:18):
Just because we did it to them.
It was wrong when we did it tothem.
It would be wrong if they didit to us, uh, a hundred of years
later.
Uh, it would be wrong for themto to make us go back to England
.
I've never been in England.
I've never been on that island.
I like the country.
I'd love to visit it.
Maybe one day I will, maybe not, but I've been in America my
(39:44):
entire life.
I've been in.
I've been an Appalachian myentire life, born in Bluefield,
west Virginia, the wrong side ofVirginia, as I was, the wrong
side of Bluefield, as I alwaysjoke.
Virginia is the wrong side ofBluefield, as I always joke.
Five minutes from the stateline.
(40:07):
Basically is the closesthospital my family could get to
and at the time they had babies.
They don't even have them thereanymore.
That's how old I am, I guess,now, but I've been in the United
States and in the South myentire life in Appalachia.
(40:28):
Would it be right for NativeAmericans to send me on an
airplane back to England, a landI've never been, and just say,
well, you're 71% geneticallyEnglish?
Yeah, I am and I speak English.
There's a lot of stuff about meculturally that comes directly
from England, but I'm anAmerican.
I'm an American.
I live in America.
My whole life I've lived inAmerica.
(40:50):
That's my country.
This is where I'm from.
That's the same thing withPalestine.
Maybe their ancestors conqueredthe land and they shouldn't
have, and that's true they did.
But is that the Palestinians'fault that live there now?
No, should they be kicked outand ethnically cleansed to force
(41:13):
to live in Jordan or Egypt?
To force to live in Jordan orEgypt?
No, there has to be a two-statesolution, at least a two-state.
Honestly, in my mind, a freestate solution would be the best
.
Palestine is the West Bank,gaza is the Gaza Strip, and
Israel.
This place has been a messsince the founding of the state
(41:41):
of Israel and way before that.
Guys, I just want to encourageyou.
If you feel like you're alonein your evangelical church and
the way you feel you're not, youmight be in that congregation,
but you're not alone.
We have to speak up.
(42:01):
We have to say this is wrong.
We do it with abortion, and I'mproud of us for standing up for
unborn life in the womb,because abortion is horrendous
and it's evil, but so is what'sgoing on in Gaza, and if we're
going to be pro-life, let's bepro-life.
Pro-life doesn't mean you haveto be against stuff like the
(42:26):
death penalty.
I don't think so, because itmeans you are standing up for
innocent life, not those whohave forfeited their life by
committing a horrible crime.
But pro-life does mean morethan just that inside the womb
of a woman, where the life is.
That's part of it.
We protect those lives with allour hearts, but we also need to
(42:47):
call out injustice in Palestine, in Gaza, and say this is wrong
, this is murder.
I don't care if you're anAmerican ally, and even if your
ancestors suffered horrible,horrible genocide themselves
(43:07):
doesn't give you the right to tohurt another group of people
like the Palestinians in Gaza.
Doesn't, doesn't at all.
I want to read you guys a Bibleverse.
It's going to be the Bibleverse of the day and I think
it's appropriate.
I've been reading through thebook of Proverbs.
(43:31):
This is Proverbs 6, starting atverse 16 in the New
International Version.
There are six things the Lordhates, seven that are detestable
to him Haulty eyes, a lyingtongue, hands that shed innocent
blood, a heart that desireswicked schemes, feet that are
(43:55):
too quick to rush to evil, afalse witness who pours out lies
, and a person strifing upconflict in the community.
I've used this verse beforeabout abortion and I'm using
this verse now God hates thehands that shed innocent blood.
He hates murder.
(44:15):
He hates murder, he hate, hatesmurder, he hates.
Call it murder, war crime,genocide.
He hates the hands that shedinnocent blood.
We can't be silent, guys.
We can't be silent on thisissue, even if it costs us
friends, if it costs usopportunities.
We speak the truth in love, wedon't be jerks about it and we
(44:41):
don't fall into the trope andevils and racism of
anti-Semitism, because it's justas wrong to hate Jews as it is
Palestinians.
I encourage you guys toactually watch the Darrell
McClain show, listen to his lastpodcast.
He did an excellent breakdownof this, probably way better
(45:02):
than I have, and he's right, andI heard him say this and it
stuck with me God lovesPalestinian children just as
much as he loves Israelichildren.
But do we, as Christians, lovePalestinian children just as
(45:23):
much as Israeli children?
Because I don't know if theanswer to that is yes, when
they're both made in God's imageand they both need the saving
power of Jesus.
We need to get more people savedin Israel and in Palestine, the
home where Jesus grew up, whichstill rejects him mostly to
(45:43):
this day.
There are still good Christiansin Israel and in Palestine,
thank God, but they areoutnumbered.
The place, bethlehem, whereJesus was born, where Jesus was
baptized, where Jesus wasbaptized, where Jesus walked
with his disciples, where Jesusdied for our sins and where
(46:08):
Jesus rose from the grave, as aland that still rejects him and
even he said a prophet, isrejected in his own hometown.
I'm going to say a prayer andthen get us out of here.
Father, thank you for this dayyou gave us.
I pray for the Palestinianpeople that are suffering so
(46:31):
much.
I pray that you will break thehearts of Israel, people in the
government and the IDF that theywill be able to see their
humanity.
I pray that you will break thehearts of the Hamas that they
will be able to see the humanityin Israel.
You will break both of theirhearts, convict them and save
(46:53):
them, lord, for there's no onetoo evil for you to save.
Please help feed thesePalestinian children, the babies
, the women and the men.
God have mercy on them.
Let the evangelical church startto rise up, not out of
anti-Semitism, but for love forthe Palestinians.
Dear Lord, this land that youlived in, you died in that you
(47:18):
taught us how to live aChristian life and gave us the
Bible, gave us your Gospels,mark Matthew, mark, luke and
John, so we could imitate you,so we could have a relationship.
If you, where you, died on thecross and rose from the grave,
hallelujah, let that landfinally accept you One day.
(47:40):
It will One day.
I truly believe in my heart itwill.
Please give the area peace.
Let President Trump stand up forwhat is right and let him put
pressure on Israel to stop this.
Let Israel's heart breaksbreaks.
Help the people in Israel,because I know not all of them
(48:02):
support this.
Help them this.
Help them to stop this and justdoesn't to call upon their
government to stop this madness.
Please help the Palestinianpeople, children and women, and
(48:23):
have mercy on us.
Save our souls, help the churchin Israel and Palestine In your
holy name, amen.
God bless you guys.
I plan back being here nextweek.
Have a great week.
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