The Old Testament, he added, has been misused for over 50 years by Christian fundamentalists who see the creation of the modern state of Israel as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. These people, who are mostly American, he said, are more Zionist than Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel. Though he said he was tempted to leave the conference, Bishop Riah said he decided to stay and press for a dialogue on the Holy Land after meeting with Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey. While painful, the snub is not worth risking a major confrontation with conservative evangelicals, he said. Bishop Riah said he was looking forward to the challenge of educating bishops of the conference on the situation of Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land.
Ignorance breeds indifference.
Paul Burbridge, who directed and helped script the play, said his team was unaware that the language might pose a problem for Palestinian Christians. While they were aware of the theological connotations, they had no inkling of the play's political overtones, he said. The script, he noted, had been reviewed by theologians from Cambridge University, and a copy had been faxed to the Lambeth Conference office well in advance to allow for translation. Mr. Burbridge said he was sorry for the unintentional slight and said he would be meeting with Bishop Riah to offer his apology. Mr. Burbridge's company, Riding Lights Theatre in York, has 21 years of experience writing and staging Biblically centered plays and sketches, and is known throughout England and the Anglican Communion for its work.