Anti occupation/war Christmas carol ( sung in church today)

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I went to a carol service in church this morning. We sung "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" with new "radical" lyrics. All the other carols we sang were with the normal words. Apparently there is a whole lot of of carols rewritten in the way though. I had never heard of them before and found them interesting to read/sing.

Oh, little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
A wall is laid where tourists stayed, and tanks go rolling by.
And in thy dark streets shineth, no cheerful Christmas light;
The grief and fears of four sad years, are met in thee tonight.
How silently, how silently, the World regards it all,
As now thy heart is torn apart, by Israel’s ghetto wall.
They terrorize a people- a war crime and a sin;
Their winding “fence” can make no sense;
Revenge can still get in.
O promised child of Bethlehem, cast down the iron cage,
The wall of hate that separate, and harden and enrage;
Bring justice and make equal; come down from far above;
And come to birth upon this earth as hope and peace and love.

I'm kind of mixed on that.
It says some things I take to be accurate.

I also see it as the church getting political. It is the church's job to equip its members to go out and save souls. And to minister to the needs of people.

Have seen both conservative evangelical and liberal churches step over the line into politics. Not their job.

The message the church is supposed to have is one to reach the heart and soul and spirit and mind of the person.
And to aid the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the abused, the rejected, at an individual and personal level.

Reach the people, save the people, and the the people will go out and make the changes.

And if the people can in turn reach the leaders, and save the leaders, then the leaders will be inclined to make the changes.

Yes, people are flawed and selfish, leaders too, and nothing works perfectly.

The church's ultimate job is to lead the hearts of people to faith in Christ. Period.
Then, in actually acting truly Christ-like, the people will act to make the changes.

(not acting in the twisted mutations of Christ-like sometimes seen, Westboro Baptist Church of Fred Phelps being Exhibit A of that.)

It's almost like some Christians worship the City of Bethlehem instead of the dude who was born there. Sheesh!
No, that is not meant to imply things happening there are good and proper.
But people will continue to act that way until their hearts are changed.
That is where the Church is supposed to go.
Come on guys (the church), get off all these tangents start doing what your own book says to do!

There is no right or wrong side to wars. They are all screwed up in the head. Be happy if you are reaping the benefits. You could very well be on the other side and still be pissed off.

Should the church then have ignored the holocaust when it was in operation?

Heres all the lyrics to the anti zionist carols from the website. I am not saying i agree with it, maybe it is unfair they make no mention of innocent Israelis killed in the conflicts. I think the one they chose for my church was the least controversial one. But here they are for interests sake.


SUMMARY OF “THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS”

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Twelve assassinations,
Eleven homes demolished,
Ten wells obstructed,
Nine smashed computers,
Eight gunships firing,
Seven checkpoints blocking,
Six tanks a-rolling,
Five settlement rings.
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,

And an uprooted olive tree.



"Jews for Justice for Palestinians," together with a group called "Just Peace UK," are planning to sing these carols in London on Mon 22nd Dec. at 6 pm at the Edith Cavell statue, near the National Gallery, (nearest tube: Charing Cross), and from 6.30 pm to 7 pm in Covent Garden, (probably Neal Street) and Leicester Square. They are planning to give out these song sheets with the carols (attached in full below) to passers by.

-- Tom Gross



CAROLS IN FULL

O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
A wall is laid where tourists stayed,
And tanks go rolling by.
And in thy dark streets shineth
No cheerful Christmas light;
The grief and fears of three sad years
Are met in thee tonight.

How silently, how silently
The world regards it all,
As now thy heart is torn apart
By Israel's ghetto wall.
They terrorize a people -
A war crime and a sin;
Their winding "fence" can make no sense;
Revenge can still get in.

O promised child of Bethlehem,
Cast down the iron cage,
The walls of hate that separate
And harden and enrage;
Bring justice and make equal;
Come down from far above;
And come to birth upon this earth,
As hope and peace and love.



ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY

Once in royal David's city
Stood some big Israeli tanks;
Mothers giving birth to babies
Met with checkpoints and roadbanks.
Holy land was all defiled
As a bullet killed a child.

Round the ancient tomb of Rachel
They have built a ghetto wall;
Rachel's weeping for her children,
And "her children" means us all.
But this city's strangulated,
Rachel's children segregated.

David's people once instructed
All the world in righteousness;
Once they spoke of truth and justice,
Now they ravage and oppress.
Nations, look at Bethlehem,
And speak out the truth to them.



THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

On the first day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
An uprooted olive tree.

On the second day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Two trampled doves
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the third day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Five settlement rings.
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Six tanks a-rolling,
Five settlement rings.
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Seven checkpoints blocking,
Six tanks a-rolling,
Five settlement rings.
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Eight gunships firing,
Seven checkpoints blocking,
Six tanks a-rolling,
Five settlement rings.
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Nine smashed computers,
Eight gunships firing,
Seven checkpoints blocking,
Six tanks a-rolling,
Five settlement rings.
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Ten wells obstructed,
Nine smashed computers,
Eight gunships firing,
Seven checkpoints blocking,
Six tanks a-rolling,
Five settlement rings.
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Eleven homes demolished,
Ten wells obstructed,
Nine smashed computers,
Eight gunships firing,
Seven checkpoints blocking,
Six tanks a-rolling,
Five settlement rings,
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,
And an uprooted olive tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Arik Sharon sent me
Twelve assassinations,
Eleven homes demolished,
Ten wells obstructed,
Nine smashed computers,
Eight gunships firing,
Seven checkpoints blocking,
Six tanks a-rolling,
Five settlement rings.
Four falling bombs,
Three trench guns,
Two trampled doves,

And an uprooted olive tree.



O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL

O come all ye faithful,
All who care for justice,
O look ye, O look ye at Bethlehem;
Come and behold it
Under occupation.
O come, let's not ignore it,
O come, let's not ignore it,
O come, let's not ignore it,
Tell the world.

Sing, all ye people,
Sing in indignation,
Be with the citizens of Bethlehem;
Sing out for justice,
Freedom from oppression.
O come, let's not ignore it,
O come, let's not ignore it,
O come, let's not ignore it,
Tell the world.



IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER

In the bleak midwinter,
Refugees made moan;
Sharon stood like iron,
Bush was like a stone.
Tanks were rolling, tank on tank,
Tank on tank,
Through the camps of Gaza
And the West Bank.

How can we stop him,
Ariel Sharon?
Silence of the nations
Lets him carry on.
Where is there a wise man
Who could do his part?
Tell the world to stop him
With its heart.



THE OLIVE AND THE IDF

The olive and the IDF
When they are both full-grown,
Every olive tree on the West Bank
The IDF cuts down.

O the rampaging of settlers
And the rolling of the tanks;
The grinding of the bulldozers
As the olives fall in ranks.

The olive bears a berry
As green as any grass;
When the owners go to pick the fruit
They're not allowed to pass.

O the rampaging of settlers
And the rolling of the tanks;
The grinding of the bulldozers
As the olives fall in ranks.

This oppression bears a berry
As red as any blood,
As the owners see their livelihoods
All trampled into mud.

O the rampaging of settlers,
And the rolling of the tanks;
The grinding of the bulldozers
As the olives fall in ranks.

If you want to buy the olives,
You'll find it very hard;
To those that make it to checkpoints
The way outside is barred.

O the rampaging of settlers,
And the rolling of the tanks;
The grinding of the bulldozers
As the olives fall in ranks.

The olive and the IDF,
When they are both full-grown,
Every olive tree on the West Bank
The IDF cuts down.



WE FOUR KINGS

FOUR KINGS TOGETHER

We four kings, we're called the Quartet;
With a roadmap off we all set,
No-one knowing where we're going,
Or how far we can get.

CHORUS

O, map of wonder, map of light,
Map of promises so bright,
In three phases, through the mazes
Guide us with no end in sight.

1ST KING

I'm King George, the USA man;
And it goes according to plan;
Fighting terror, righting error;
After Iraq, Iran.

CHORUS

O, map of wonder, etc.

2ND KING

I this year am King of EU;
My name's known to more than a few -
Berlusconi; I and Tony
Take from King George our cue.

CHORUS

O map of wonder, etc.

3RD KING

I'm King Putin, Muscovite Tzar,
With this map I travel afar;
I'm partaking in peace-making,
Just like in Chechnya.

CHORUS

O map of wonder, etc.

4TH KING

I'm King Kofi, head of UN;
It makes laws again and again,
But ignored is, for the sword is
Mightier than the pen.

CHORUS

O map of wonder, etc..

FOUR KINGS TOGETHER

We four kings, we're all in a flap,
For we've got ourselves in a trap -
Stopped by trenches, walls and fences,
Not marked upon the map.

CHORUS

O map of wonder, etc.

FOUR KINGS TOGETHER

We four kings, bewildered we are,
For this map's not getting us far,
Nowhere leading - for we're needing
Not a map but a star.

CHORUS

O star of freedom, star of light,
Star of peace with justice bright,
Shining ever, they can never
Target-bomb thy perfect light.

I think it is mostly the bad treatment and displacement from Israel that pushes them into terrorism although i am sure the strict "our way is the only way" nature of both religions only inflames it.

to speculate maybe the aboriginies in USA and Australia did not resort to terrorism becasue they did not have the technology, and maybe also cause they were too divided and not united in culture/politics as much as Arabs/Muslims. Maybe the angers and fears of the people who suicide-bomb and the politicians who can't agree to terms are different.