Best of 2025 - Shameful distortion that lies at the heart of US conservative politics |
The news of ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza is cause for great rejoicing and for giving credit where it is due. But the big questions remain: where to from here, and how did the world allow this to happen in the first place?
A repost from 15 October 2025
Where to from here will not have a happy outcome unless the question “how we got to this place” is honestly addressed, acknowledged and corrected. Jonathan Sachs is right to identify unadulterated Western-style colonialism as one of the causes, I wish to draw attention to a shameful Christian distortion that lies at the heart of US conservative politics inasmuch that their foreign policy has dominated outcomes in the Middle East.
To understand this distortion and to understand how it has impacted the lives of 21st century Palestinians, we have to delve into the legacy of one Cyrus Ingerson Scofield (1843-1921).
At a personal level, Scofield’s life does not measure up. He was allegedly guilty of several acts of dishonesty and fraud. He was allegedly an army deserter. He claimed titles, including Doctor of Divinity, he did not have. He abandoned his wife and children, leaving them without means of support.
He was, however, capable of considerable charm and influence. In 1883, he was ordained a congregationalist minister with connections to the Plymouth Brethren and had........