U.S. Christians 'morally' support Israel

JPost/Joel Rosenberg ^ | 10 April, 2008 | Etgar Lefkovitz

[Salem]

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U.S. Christians 'morally' support Israel
By Etgar Lefkovitz
The Jerusalem Post
April 10, 2008

More than 80 percent of American Christians say they have a "moral and biblical obligation" to support the State of Israel, and half say Jerusalem should remain its undivided capital, according to a survey released on Thursday.

While evangelical Christians are the strongest supporters of the Jewish state, strong pro-Israel convictions cut across all key Christian denominations in the US, according to the poll carried out on behalf of the Washington-based Joshua Fund, an evangelical organization.

Eight-two percent of respondents said they had a "moral and biblical obligation" to love and support Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem," 10% disagreed and 8% did not know.

Eighty-four percent of Protestants agreed with the statement (including 89% of Evangelicals), compared to 76% of Catholics.

Half of the American Christians surveyed opposed Israel dividing Jerusalem with the Palestinians in a peace agreement, 33% were unsure and 17% thought it should be divided.

Fifty-three percent of Protestants supported a united Jerusalem, as did 44% of Catholics.

Evangelical Christians were most supportive of a united Jerusalem, with 62% in favor and 11% against.

A plurality of the US Christians (44%) surveyed said they did not know whether a future Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip would be a peaceful moderate democracy or a terrorist state, 32% said that it would be a terrorist state and 24% said that it would be a peaceful democracy.

The survey found clear differences between Protestants and Catholics on the issue.

Protestants were more likely to say a Palestinian state would be a terror state by a 10-point margin; Catholics were evenly split. Evangelical Protestants said a such entity would be a terrorist state by a 20-point margin, but non-evangelical Protestants said it would be a peaceful and moderate democracy by six percentage points.

The belief that a Palestinian state would be a terrorist state was strongest among Republican and conservative Evangelicals.

Nearly half (49%) of American Christians surveyed were interested in visiting Israel, including about quarter of both Catholics and Protestants who were "strongly" interested.

Forty-seven percent of those polled were not interested in visiting.

There are 50 million-60 million evangelicals Christians in the US.

Two-thirds of respondents said that if Iran developed nuclear weapons, it would eventually try to use them to attack Israel, 23% were unsure and 13% said Iran would not attack.

Finally, 45% said they would be more likely to support a US presidential candidate who would protect America from Islamic terrorism, protect Israel from a nuclear attack from Iran, oppose the division of Jerusalem and refuse to pressure Israel to make concessions on issues of national security, compared to 29% who said such positions had no effect on their vote and 9% who would be less likely to support such a candidate.

The survey will be officially released on Thursday at a conference at the Jerusalem International Convention Center (Binyenei Ha'uma) organized by The Joshua Fund that is expected to be attended by 2,000 evangelical Christians from around the world.

The non-profit organization aims to raise more than $100 million over the next three years to help Israeli victims of terrorism, and to fund humanitarian projects in Israel in education, health, welfare and immigrant absorption, and $20m. for Christians in the West Bank, Gaza, Iraq and Sudan, said Joel C. Rosenberg, the group's founder and president.

"Our support for Israel is unwavering and unconditional," he said.

The survey, which was conducted by McLaughlin and Associates by a telephone sampling of 1,000 American Christians last month, had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

[Salem]

"While evangelical Christians are the strongest supporters of the Jewish state, strong pro-Israel convictions cut across all key Christian denominations in the US...."

Hoe about that?  

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" ... It's time we recognized the nature of the conflict. It's total war and we are all involved. Nobody on our side is exempted because of age, gender, or handicap. The Islamofacists have stolen childhood from the world."—FReeper Retief
"Palestine is the wrong name for their State. It should be called Anarchy."—FReeper sgtbono2002
"Then let's wait and see what the Arabs do after they take Gaza. There's nothing like Arab reality to break up a Jewish fantasy."—FReeper Noachian
A student told his professor he was going to "Palestine" to "fight for freedom, peace and justice,"—Orwellian leftist code words that mean "murder Jews."



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[Convert from ECUSA]

Ping!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks C from E.

[444Flyer]

Bush, Rice and the rest of D.C. are you listening?

[Yitzchak]

Wow.

[justiceseeker93]

How do you square these results with the trend of “mainstream” Protestant churches divesting from Israel to protest her alleged prosecutution of her “Palestinian” minority? Is there a disconnect between the officialdom of these churches and their congregants?

[Convert from ECUSA]

There is a major disconnect between many/most officals and leaders of mainstream churches and their congregants. While there is a loud and irritating minority of rad-lib congregants that get all the attention, most congregants are more conservative overall from the leadership. Places like the PCUSA, ELUSA, TEC (formerly the ECUSA - my former denomiation), UMC, etc. Most of these so-called “religious” organizations are run by ex-sixties hippie leftovers with the usual anti-US, pro-marxist, anti-anything traditionally Judeo-Christian views and agenda. Most of these groups have been loosing Christain members for years, as Christians fed up with their “spirituality” vote with their feet.

Sadly, in more recent years, some Evangelical groups and leaders have become more anti-Israel and pro-Amalekstinian.

[rdl6989]

Sadly, in more recent years, some Evangelical groups and leaders have become more anti-Israel and pro-Amalekstinian.

-Sad but true.

[SJackson]

Abbreviated mideast ping

[justiceseeker93]

Just read an excellent book on the subject posted, written by a Jewish guy with a Washington (Spector Republican) political background:

Standing with Israel: Why Christians Support the Jewish State(paperback), by David Brog, published by FrontLine (a Strang company), 600 Rinehart Road, Lake Mary FL 32746, www.frontlineissues.com .

[Salem]

"How do you square these results with the trend of “mainstream” Protestant churches divesting from Israel to protest her alleged prosecutution of her “Palestinian” minority? Is there a disconnect between the officialdom of these churches and their congregants?"

What you are seeing is some traction by efforts of people like Hillary to penetrate the Evangelical camp in American political circles. Some. If they were making any type of major impact, you wouldn't see the MSM, Democrat political machine, and others, hyperventilating and screeching about it as they do.

People like Hagee are being attacked because they have major pull and are making an impact. The numbers are still there, desperately trying to be buried by those who would benefit otherwise.

We still have the field. We push onward.  

[Convert from ECUSA]

That is an excellent book!