By Ted Belman
Today just two blocks away from the latest Arab killing spree, I met Penny Taylor, the Director of Jews for Judaism. “It is the premier organization working to counter an aggressive inroad into the Jewish community and providing specialized crisis and support counseling for individuals and families affected by conversion, missionaries and cults.”
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The spiritual climate in Israel is more receptive towards other religions today than it ever has been before. The moral and financial support of Evangelical Christian groups has created a political and spiritual environment where missionary activity is not only thriving, but rapidly on the increase. More and more Israeli citizens and Jewish visitors to Israel are embracing Christianity as a result.
According to both Jewish and Christian sources, Israel is currently home to nearly 20,000 Hebrew Christians and over 130 Hebrew Christian congregations. Additionally, worldwide there are approximately 1000 evangelical organizations solely devoted to the evangelization and conversion of Jewish people to some form of Christianity. These figures do not include cults and other religious organizations seeking converts from Judaism. In April 2008, the Supreme Court of Israel ruled that a person cannot be disqualified from immigrating to Israel under the Law of Return based on faith in Jesus, if his/her father is Jewish. This landmark decision has opened the gates for thousands of Hebrew Christians to immigrate to Israel, as they are now being enthusiastically encouraged to do by Hebrew Christian leadership, which will create an even larger presence of indigenous missionaries in the land of Israel.
When combined with the fact that there is a misconception worldwide (both in Israel and abroad) that there is no missionary problem in the Jewish State of Israel, and the relaxation of anti-proselytizing laws over the past 25 years, the danger of Jewish conversion out of Judaism has never been greater. Jews for Judaism’s proven methodology and excellent track record along with the expertise and insight of the Director of the Jerusalem center make us particularly well positioned to combat this phenomenon effectively.
Burning of Bibles.
Penny Taylor covers the story in detail in Taking out The Trash
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First let’s look at the whole story. The town of mostly religious Jews had recently been targeted by missionaries, a form of harassment. The missionaries were not invited to come, they invaded, and in the wake of their invasion, they left hundreds, maybe even thousands of New Testaments and other missionary literature. The townspeople were in a quandary, what to do with this heresy that they did not want in their homes? So, the Deputy Mayor came up with a solution. He offered to take the unwanted trash off the residents’ hands and dispose of them in such a way that made it clear and in no uncertain terms that such literature was not only unsolicited, but unwelcome.
Explosion of a package which injured son of a Messianic Pastor in
You may remember this event in March for which Jews were blamed. Penny explains,
- Thursday, March 20, 2008, marked an interesting change in the dynamics between the Orthodox Jewish communities and the Evangelical Christian and “Messianic” communities in Israel. The event which sparked this change was the explosion of a package which severely injured the teenage son of a Messianic Pastor in Ariel, a city in Israel. Despite the fact that the MO was typical of Palestinian terrorists, particularly since it was packed with shrapnel, and despite the fact that the Al Aksa Brigade is reported to have taken credit for it, according to the Ma’an news agency, and despite the fact that the Pastor has, for some time, had a fatwa on his head (a muslim death threat) for having converted Muslims to Christianity, the family, messianic community and legal representation continue to look towards the religious Jewish community, whom they typically call “extremists” for the perpetrator(s) of the crime.
Although it has yet to be shown that the family has ever received an actual death threat from a religious Jew, and despite the fact that this does not fit the way even the most extreme religious Jews operate, it would seem that the Messianic community is using this event as a springboard for legal change in their status in this country. Citing past harassment by the religious Jewish community and annoying protests that have sometimes ended in fisticuffs, Caleb Meyers, legal council for the Messianic community and the Ortiz family, is milking this for all its worth.
Bill, I am in a way attacking the messenger as the messenger is more interested in protecting his own ass in the States than he is in protecting Jews from being attacked by his Christian friends. Yes I am sacred of the message , not for myself but for the Jewish People. I am afraid as they are attacking Jews, some by supporting the enemies of the Jews, some by supporting the enemies of Israel, some direct frontal missioning and most is not honest straightforward approaches. They have raise may millions of dollars for their campaigns directed at Jews here in Israel and abroad but especially in Israel.
You love to blame the victims or fault the victims and by invoking ecumenical brotherly love ( again I think, self serving) You blame us for not doing a better job of protecting ourselves in a non confrontational manner.
So in essence, we are at fault because we suffer from assimilated Jews like yourself that while supportive of Israel also supports groups that would destroy us in a different way. I see no essential difference between Christians trying by all manner of attack to destroy Judaism, thereby destroying the Jewish people. Or Arabs and Muslims that are shooting at us. In fact we are better prepared to defend ourselves from the Arabs then we are from the Christians. I haven’t touched the Vatican, or the Orthodox Churches yet but that’s another ball of wax no less dangerous and insidious.
Christianity is attacking us why should we not respond in kind by attacking them? Good neighbors and good fences are possible when we are respected for our beliefs and wants not just what they need or want. I do not agree with one thing you said. You or your thinking will never stop them. What will stop them is when they fear missionizing Jews in Israel more than they fear not missionizing us here. Would that lose us their support? maybe but I would rather not have their support if it were contingent upon allowing them to continue unimpeded. It’s then their call.
here is an example of only one Jews for Jesus Blog and you can see how any ignorant Jew would be at a disadvantage. Any knowledgeable Jew of Judaism could dissect those vermin!!!
by Rich Robinson
To re-phrase Chaucer,
“When April with her sweet showers,
the drought of March has parched to the root,…
Then do folk get expelled…”
Yes, this April marks two expulsions, in a manner of speaking. Passover (beginning the night of April 19) is not really an expulsion like the bad ones when Jews were kicked out of Spain, Portugal, and other countries. It’s really about liberation, which came about when Pharaoh, having had it up to here with the plagues, essentially said, “Get out of here already!” His expelling us was God’s way of freeing us—a good expulsion.
The day before Passover, April 18, marks the release of Ben Stein’s film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, one of the latest in a series of advocacy films. Ben is talking about the expulsion that comes when proponents of Intelligent Design are “persecuted” in academic settings and denied the right of free inquiry, expelled from the academic establishment. In this case, expulsion is the opposite of freedom—a bad expulsion. (Check out the film’s web site, by the way, it is really quite funny and thought-provoking.)
There’s a third “expulsion” worth mentioning at this time of year. Jews who declare that they believe in Jesus are routinely “expelled” from among the Jewish people. I put “expelled” in quotes because there is really no authority that can expel or excommunicate Jews from the Jewish people. For every rabbi who might have excommunicated someone for something, one can find another rabbi who doesn’t agree with the first rabbi. Jewishness comes from God via parents, and one’s people are one’s people by virtue of a common history, culture, and destiny. A Jew can no more be expelled from the Jewish people than someone can be expelled from the human race because they believe the Creator is a frog from Neptune…or because they believe in Intelligent Design. But there are still some who would like to see such an expulsion, and good riddance to those pesky Jews for Jesus.
People can be expelled from countries, and they can be expelled from academia. This is a good time of year to contemplate what freedom means: freedom from slavery, freedom of inquiry, freedom of religion. I don’t know what your seder will be like this year, but at mine I am thinking of celebrating not only our redemption from Pharaoh, but the possibilities of redemption from suppression of thought of all kinds. Will anyone join me? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Posted by Jews for Jesus | 4/02/2008
8 comments:
Jeffrey Levine said…
The fact is that Christianity is founded around the concept of the Trinity. Jews and Judaism have rejeted both of thise concepts, and therefore reject Jesus.
G-d gave the Jews a list of goals and conditions to recognize the true Messiah, and Jesus did not fulfill these requirements. So the Jewish contemporaries of Jesus rejected him outright!
When a Jew chooses to accpet Jesus, he accpets the Trinity, and dismisses the idea of one indivisible G-d. This idea is totally incompatible with Judaism.
The final result being that when a Jew accepts Jesus, he becomes a Christina. It doesn’t matter if the new Christian celebrates some Jewish festivals, that does nothing to connect them to Judaism.
Jews have a set of rules that define who is Jewish, and accpetance of Jesus and the Trinity makes one an automatic Christian.
ANd yes, the Jews have every right to deny these pseudo-Christians any participation in the Jewish community.
Thank goodness very few Jews are stupid enough to buy into your scam.
2:56 PM
Anonymous said…
It’s wonderfully convenient that you use blanket rejections and ad hominem attacks so that you don’t actually have to deal with whether Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. The automatic disqualifications are not so automatic. Don’t just take people’s word on things. Study the scriptures and ask God to reveal His truth to you. Either Jesus is the Savior of the whole world, including the Jews, or he is Savior no one. If that’s the case, we Christians should be looking elsewhere for salvation. Are you willing to find out for yourself?
4:29 PM
Rich Robinson said…
In response to Jeffrey Levine, Christianity is primarily founded around the idea that Jesus is the Messiah. But Levine does not distinguish Jews from Judaism, or from his own presumably Orthodox Judaism. 21st century Jews have embraced quite a few things that Levine would probably reject – we have JUBUs, New Age Jews, secular Jews, HinJews, and the list goes on. Levine should be consistent and deny them a right to their Jewishness. When he writes that “Jews have a set of rules that define who is Jewish,” that’s almost ludicrously incorrect. Where is this list of rules? Is it the definition of Orthodox Judaism? What does Levine then do about other Jews. Or is it just a negative, Jews can believe anything except Jesus. “The Jews” have never gotten together at any point and decided who is in and who is out, because for every Jew who wants someone out, another one wants him in. The bottom line, to paraphrase Forrest Gump, is that “Jewish is as Jewish does.” Which goes for Jews who follow Jesus as well as those who don’t.
4:51 PM
Mike said…
Hey Jeffrey,
You’re entitled to your opinion for sure… I’m a little offended by the closing statements in which you refer to Christian Jews as “stupid” though… I happen to have a couple of very close friends who are Jewish Christians. You’d have a hard time convincing them they no longer are Jews just because “you” say so.
I was also a little disappointed that you failed to back up any of your claims and gave only broad sweeping generalizations as to your point of view.
What God given conditions for the Messiah did Jesus fail to fulfill?
Jesus was a Jew. His disciples were Jews. So why can’t modern day followers of the Jewish Jesus still be Jews?
6:16 PM
Strolch said…
wonderfull. yea, jesus is the lord 🙂 we love him 🙂
god bless you 🙂
strolchi 🙂
11:09 PM
joyce said…
According to box office totals, the movie, EXPELLED, made over 3 million this, its opening weekend. It only opened in 1,052 theaters, but is number 9 in the top ten !
Wow.
3:30 PM
Trekin4JC said…
Only people who are fearful of truth seek to suppress it. I heard Richard Dawkins proposed to disallow Christians from attended Oxford University. What is he afraid of? Jesus said the Truth will set you free, so we should seek truth not suppress it, or oppress those seeking to present it in public forums.
1:32 PM
Trekin4JC said…
Also to Jeffery Levin, the trinity does not diminish the idea of an indivisible God. God is still one as He has always been. Jesus is prevalent all through the Old Testament.
Somewhat related to my response to Bill about the conniving tactics employed by today’s missionaries is this JPost article by Rabbi Emanuel Feldman:
How to reply when the doorbell rings.
Freedom of religion is the freedom to believe whatever you want. It is not, however, the freedom to do or act however you want, even in the name of religion. No Christian in the United States, for example, would have a problem with restrictions concerning bigamy, incest, human sacrifice, or any other number of crimes which might be related to one’s religious beliefs. Look at the Mormon Church in Utah, the events that happened in Waco, Texas or the “Heaven’s Gate” cult suicides. In the United States freedom of religion does not mean freedom of behavior, and neither should it in Israel.
The State of Israel has not said that people cannot believe in Jesus if they want to. What they have said, at certain times, is that those who believe in Jesus do not have the right to persuade others to come to that same belief. While Christians, who’s right to spread their beliefs goes unfettered in the United States, balk at the idea that their ability to spread the Gospel might be restricted in what is supposed to be a democratic country, the truth is that this is not a right to which they are entitled. In Israel, we are free to be Jews, however we define that on an individual basis. However, freedom of religion ceases – as it should – to be such when freedom to believe crosses the line into freedom to harass.
Sadly, there are no lack of educated Torah observant Jews, rabbis included, who were involved with this from the start and continue to do so today, even with all that’s becoming known about this two-faced operation.
We all have to hang our heads in shame.
The real problem is Bill levinson and those who think like him. Personally I think the Muslims have the right idea chop their heads off, you do one or two and I guarantee we will never experience missionary problems in Israel. Since Bill Levinson is more attuned to Christianity than to Judaism, by his own admission in previous posts, he is proud of his reformed Jewish church and his, Lesbian Rabbi, I would expect no better from a source like this.
Judaism is not a Tolerant religion, It is not based on pluralism, It does allow for others to do their own thing but not in the Jewish Land of Israel. The Talmud commands us to kill those who would kill us first , prempt if you like, but doesn’t mention what to do with missionaries. I personally don’t see much difference. One wants to kill the physical self the other wants to steal the spiritual self of every Jew. This is an attack and as close to war (in context) as we can get. Our secular fools have opened the door ( not even cracks any more but the door) for Christians to do their thing, and they are doing their thing to our disgrace.
Violence has its place when reason breaks down or is ignored. If violence is the only method for stopping them I cannot deny this reality. It may soon come to violence and all the negatives you can dream up if it does not stop. Then how will you face your Goyim neighbors?
Well, Bill, when the religion of hundreds of millions of your fellow Americans starts respecting Israel by not shoving its books in our faces, doorsteps and mailboxes, we’ll consider a way to reciprocate.
And please stop blaming “rabbis” for Jews that convert. The majority of these Jews are completely ignorant of Judaism, often at their own insistance or their parents on how they were to be brought up, and are connived through standard missionary tactics of lies and enticements often at moments of spiritual and emotional weakness.
In Islam, we like to refer to this as a combo of dawa and taqqiyah.
According to Halakha this kind of “litterature” has to be burned and CANNOT IN ANY CASE be donated even not to gentiles, since for gentiles idolatry is also forbidden.
Of course, this is not politically correct. And Bills reaction only shows at what extent people in the US are brain washed by christiology.