Messianic JudaismA recent comment on the blog stated:
“Evangelizing anyone is almost an act of war. It is two-faced and insults both the person doing the evangelizing and the person who is subject to the attack. It treats religion and philosophy as if both are a commodity - a sack of potatoes. Trying to convert anyone politically or in any other way insults their intelligence and their feelings. It is enough for anyone to just say what they think. Change is up to the other person and they should never be the subject of some brainless manipulation. ”
As Americans we are fortunate to live in an open religious society. In contrast to other countries, religious affiliation is the prerogative of the individual. Family pressures are certainly present, but Americans from all religious backgrounds have unprecedented freedom to affiliate with any (or none) religious movement they choose.
That being said, all religious communities, including the Jewish community should understand “evangelization” in the context of the American experience. I do not believe in evangelization in anything more than the model presented by Chabad. The model of Jews for Jesus is something I oppose.
That being said, Jews should not be so offended that evangelical Christians are intent on evangelizing them. Why? Because evangelicals are intent on evangelizing everyone including Christians from other non-evangelical denominations. Evangelicals try to evangelize Messianic Jews, in part because they believe (those who are observant) that they are in error. The concern that evangelicals might believe that Jews are destined to hell should be irrelevant to most Jews…since most reject this view.
The response to this by both the normative Jewish community as well as traditionally oriented Messianic Jewish communities is education. Educated individuals immersed in Jewish texts have no need to fear the proselytizing attempts of any religious group.
This is the key. The educated Jew is an individual is that is searching for G-d and this, the desire to reflect Lev David (the heard of David) should be what Messianic Jews encourage. Only someone that is searching for G-d could be interested in the Moschiah.
Tags: Chabad, Christians, Conversion, Evangelical Christians, Jewish Community, Jews for Jesus, Messianic Jews, Messianic Judaism, proselytizing
11 responses so far ↓
1 Daniel // Mar 28, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Being trained as a missionary, I always felt that peoples souls were at stake. Specially meeting secular Jews that have little interest in the things of G-d. Once I learned more about Judaism I realized that lack of engagement has much to do with persecution as well as lack of understanding of G-d’s character and purposes. I feel that many people have nowhere to go to, where G-d’s principles are clearly communicated. The many religious groups out there are more interested in numbers than true change in people’s hearts and the Message of Moshiach and Hashem is hidden in a huge pile of garbage that is fed to people.
2 anonymous // Mar 31, 2008 at 3:08 pm
I tend to agree with the admin although I would like to add something.
Having been on the receiving end of attempts to convert me to islam, various cults, etc. I believe also part of the issue to for one group of people to bring others into their group for either financial reasons or to get someone under their authority for a variety of reasons.
Christians trying to deny rabbinic authority (despite the fact that I think the rabbis overstep their authority on a regular basis) have set themselves up as new authorities and their interpretation of scripture to be authoritative.
On the other hand, I tend to think that most is well intentioned. Someone who has not received any moral instruction who receives it from a missionary and changes their life or whatever is likely to be better off.
Most orthodox Jews that I know would not lift a finger to give any amount to time to teaching non-Jews or helping them in any way. I’m reminded of Jonah refusing to teach the people of Ninevah and fleeing rather than telling them that G-d wanted them to repent of whatever it was that they were doing. He didn’t care about them at all.
I am reminded of Abraham pleading on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah out of concern for them. Someone convinced that someone is going to hell without evangelizing them is acting out of concern.
Evangelizing to get someone to contribute financially to their organization and twisting texts to meet that purpose isn’t war, but deceptive it is. Jews for Jesus is one of those groups.
Michael Medved has a very good chapter in one of his books called ‘A more christian country is better for the jews’ or something like that. He points out that the moral teachings of most christian groups is good for the entire country.
Is evangelizing an act of war? Probably not.
Pirkei Avos - Chapter 1, Mishnah 1
Moses received the Torah from Sinai, and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be deliberate in judgement; and raise up many disciples, and make a fence for the Torah.
3 Objector // Mar 31, 2008 at 3:51 pm
You are doing that Schizophrenic thing that Messianics do all the time.
I am afraid that to be able to make your point, you have to debunk Traditional Judaism even though that is what you use at the end of your argument. It goes back to the problem of not submitting to rabbinical leadership, but using our texts to prove that we are wrong for the arguments we make against Christian/Messianics. If you hold your missionaries at such a high esteem, why don’t you join them at their pro-Israel rallies where they say “we love Jews but hate everything they do or say” Anti-Semitism is so engrained in Christianity that even so called messianic Jews who claim to keep Torah, still mischaracterize other Jews as selfish and prejudiced. They always hold us to a higher standard when we were not the ones murdering the other group by the thousands. Why do Jews not reach out to non-Jews ? Is because everytime we do, we end up crucified like your Rebbe.
4 anonymous // Apr 1, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I remember a while back before chanukah a chabad rabbi in seattle threatened to sue the local airport if they were not allowed to display a menorah because the airport had a christmas tree.
The airport pulled the trees down and there was an uproar over the incident. As I recall, Michael Medved, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Michael Savage (all Jewish) all condemned chabad over the incident and went out of their way to reach out to the the local christian community and let them know that chabad did not represent the opinion of the jewish community. Nobody was crucified over the incident.
http://michaelmedved.townhall.com/blog/g/abb10fee-2d2b-4625-a868-15161c9bf635
If anti-semitism is so entrenched in christianity, one would think there would be a lot more in a predominately christian country. There is less here than anywhere else in the world…
A friend of mine was ranting about someone wishing him ‘merry christmas’ a few years ago and I suggested he move to israel. He said he wasnt going to. I asked why. He said ‘I don’t want to get mortared’.
5 Daniel // Apr 2, 2008 at 9:54 am
Administrator can you speak about the politically conservative Jewish community and their philosophy of collaboration and interaction with Christians?
6 admin // Apr 3, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Antisemitism is entrenched within Christianity. The success and uniqueness of the American experience cannot be the basis for discounting its historic and continued existence.
Compare the perspective on Jews in say Latin America, or in the former Soviet Union and the Christians of these regions have much more “classical” views.
The unique mixture of the philosophical Enlightenment/Age of Reason, a capitalistically oriented Protestantism, and creation of the American pioneering individual has given Jews a unique opportunity to thrive in this great country.
7 Objector // Apr 3, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Anonymous have you ever heard of the term “Kol Israel”?
8 anonymous // Apr 3, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Please tell us specifically why anti-semitism is entrenched in Christianity and give examples.
There is a very good book by some preacher named john hagee called ‘in defense of israel’. I suggest reading it sometimes the next time you’re in a barnes and noble. he acknowledges a history of conflict and completely refutes any basis for it in the new testament.
He also views Judaism as a separate and valid covenant (as does the vatican), which is commendable and even goes so far as to discourage prosetlyzing to jews.
Michael Medved and Michael Savage also do not consider christianity to be inherently anti-semitic. Rabbi Daniel Lapin agrees.
if you wish to talk about an anti-semitic religion, talk about islam.
the soviet union was an atheist country that persecuted christians right along with jews or anything else. i do not know anyone who considers the atheist soviet russia to be christian.
If you would like to go over what the talmud says about non-jews (christians included) I would be happy to do that.
9 Objector // Apr 7, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Many Jews have issues with Hagee such as Rabbi Yoffie who has made it clear that he is not planning on launching a campaign against Hagee or Christians United For Israel, but called for Reform congregations to not participate in CUFI’s events and to continue to call for public condemnation of inflammatory and bigoted statements from Christian Zionist leadership.
“We should refrain from participating in ‘Night to Honor Israel’ road shows that Pastor Hagee sponsors, Yoffie told the rabbis. “I have listened to my colleagues who have chosen to do otherwise and have tried to understand. But my view is that most of the time, these evenings will not increase our political clout. They will reduce our political clout and drive away our allies. And I cannot accept the argument from Jewish leaders that they can endorse CUFI events, appear as speakers at these events, accept CUFI money, and still distance themselves from the positions that CUFI embraces.
This issue is at its core about support of Israel, he explained. “And it is important to remember that Israel’s greatest friends and most important defenders are not the fundamentalists and extremists and those who take their orders directly from God, but those who work for an end to this terrible conflict, and who pray for peace for all who live in the land that we all call holy,†Rabbi Yoffie said as he finished his speech. from an article by the JTA
10 Objector // Apr 7, 2008 at 5:12 pm
That is the disconnect, Jews view Pastor Hagee and many other Christian Zionists as people who want to “advance their theology but they do so at the expense of Israel’s security and well-being.â€
11 Daniel // Jul 28, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Groups suchs as Jews for Jesus and Hebrew Christians try to convert Jews by using the same antisemitic tactics as historical Christianity. They use terms which demean Judaism as legalistic and make a distinction between their so called form of Judaism (Christian Theology) and Classical/Traditional Judaism which they disregard as “rabbinic” in a derogatory way. Other terms used against Jews are dead, blind, deceived by the devil, bound by the tradions of men, etc.
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