Posted on 12/03/2021 9:37:08 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Some 51% of Evangelical Protestants in the United States say they believe Jews are God’s chosen people, according to a recently released survey.
Titled “The Jewish Connection: Evangelicals and Israel,” the findings were announced this week by Infinity Concepts, a faith-based communications agency that co-produced the report with Grey Matter Research.
Drawing from a survey of approximately 1,000 Evangelical Protestant Americans, the report found that 51% of respondents believed that Jews were still God’s chosen people.
By contrast, 19% said they were unsure, 17% said they believe Christians have replaced Jews as the chosen people, 10% said they believe Jews were never God’s chosen people, and 2% held an “other” view.
There was a generational difference in this sentiment, with 59% of respondents who were 70 or older saying they believe Jews were still the chosen people, while only 44% of those aged 40 and below agreed.
The report measured priority status for Israel and the Jews, using a scale of 1 to 5, in which 1 meant not important while 5 meant very important.
This part of the survey found that 48% of respondents believe that “supporting Israel and the Jewish people to be important in their own charitable behavior,” ranking the issue as a 4 or 5.
The report also found that 20% of Evangelical respondents were “Israel loyalists,” which meant they not only believed Jews were the chosen people, but also placed “a very high priority on supporting them.”
“From the Jewish and Israeli perspective, the Evangelical community is often viewed as a monolithic group that is both pro-Israel and pro-Jewish,” said Mark Dreistadt, CEO of Infinity Concepts, in comments to The Christian Post on Wednesday.
“We knew this was not true, but felt it was important to quantify the diversity as best we could. By looking at theological viewpoints, charitable giving, and support priorities we were able to see the mosaic of diversity emerge.”
Dreistadt also told CP that he found the “number of people that do not have a specific perspective” on the issue to be interesting, adding that he believed it “represents important growth opportunities for increased awareness, education and engagement with regard to Jewish-Christian relations and cooperation.”
“My perception is that Protestant Evangelicals are embracing the Jewish community — and the Jewish community is embracing the Evangelical community — more than ever before,” he continued.
“This is a trend that I personally hope will continue as the two communities learn to understand, trust and value one another. Because of the benchmarks established in this survey, we will be able to objectively measure progress in the years ahead.”
The group Christians United for Israel had some issues with the report, emailing a statement to CP on Wednesday in which they said the findings were “somewhat sensationalized.”
“A majority of Evangelicals believe the Jews are God’s chosen people. In stark contrast, just 17% support replacement theology,” CUFI stated. “Imagine a politician with a 51% approval and 17% disapproval rating — would they be worried?”
Respondents who put interest in Israel and the Jews high on the 5-point scale were asked to rank multiple issues on their priority. These included: “Supporting Holocaust survivors,” “Helping needy individuals and families in Israel,” “Supporting pro-Israel politicians or political positions in the U.S.,” “Helping Jews outside of Israel return to their homeland of Israel,” “Helping people learn about the Jewish roots of Christianity,” “Supporting medical services and first responders in Israel,” “Helping preserve or excavate biblical sites,” and “Supporting Messianic believers and businesses in Israel.”
Of the respondents, “helping needy individuals and families in Israel” ranked the highest with 27% putting that as top priority, while 16% placed “helping people learn about the Jewish roots of Christianity” as a top priority, with the remaining options ranging from 7% to 11% of respondents.
Ron Sellers, president of Grey Matter Research, told CP that he felt the survey showed that many Evangelicals in the United States prefer to help Israel and the Jewish people in non-political ways.
“So much coverage of anything having to do with Israel is from a political viewpoint that it’s easy to start viewing the topic primarily through a political lens,” Sellers said.
“But the vast majority of American Evangelical Protestants have higher priorities for helping Israel and the Jewish people than supporting pro-Israel politicians or political positions in the U.S. It’s a great reminder that no matter what may be going on politically, to Evangelicals, Israel is far more than a political topic.”
CUFI also took issue with how the “pollsters demanded respondents choose one top priority in the context of support for Israel,” believing that it “does not provide a great deal of insight.”
“Just because one chooses one item as a top priority, does not mean they ignore all other ways of supporting Israel,” the organization added.
“If one wanted to assess, for example, the impact of Evangelical support for ‘pro-Israel politicians,’ one should’ve asked a question about whether the respondent is more or less likely to support a politician with whom they agreed/disagreed on issues relevant to Israel.”
RE: Jews wrote the Bible so yes they made it so they were God’s chosen people.
Are you saying that God did not tell them anything and they made the whole thing up including the gospels (all written by Jews )?
15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
They are - the key is in who is a Jew. Paul answers this question - all Christians are grafted in the Jewish tree - Jews who reject Jesus will be cut off, but can be restored to their natural place if they accept Jesus.
“Are you saying that God did not tell them anything and they made the whole thing up including the gospels (all written by Jews )?”
Why would God only pick Jews as the chosen people? If that is the case why should a non Jew follow christianity?
Shouldn’t any person who follows his teachings be one of the chosen people?
I’m surprised that 10% of Evangelicals would say that the Jews were never God’s chosen people. Does that mean that 10% of Evangelicals have never read the Bible?
It might appear to some (too many, really) that God has set aside Israel, but in reality He is not done with them, and the seven years of Tribulation will bring around a remnant of Jews to believe and be ushered into the coming Millennial reign of Christ.
It is all explained in The Word of GOD, a supernatural messaging vehicle ONLY God could write. To read it and not believe the data transfers is a silly, misguided position too many follow today as deception rises ever higher.
Is it known whether Luke was a Jew or a Gentile?
It’s true: God chose to provide the Messiah through Israel’s lineage. Jews are God’s chosen people, and because of that, all those who follow the Jewish Messiah may enjoy salvation.
“American Evangelicals persist in thinking blood heritage and a piece of real estate in the middle east are significant indicators of God’s favor.”
So much so that only a remnant shall survive, all the rest will parish.
Since most of the American Evangelicals are going the same place as most of the Jews, what do they know.
Jesus was a JEW!
The Jews were “broken off” due to their unbelief in Christ, but “if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.” (Romans 11)
There would be no need to graff in the Jews AGAIN if they were never broken off. If the Jews can be God’s chosen and of the saved while SEPARATE and APART from Christ remaining in UNBELIEF of Christ then Christ’s death was in vain. A fleshly Jew outwardly must become a spiritual Jew inwardly (become a Christian) to be of God’s chosen (Romans 2:28-29)
He IS also God with us, God come down into our four dimensional limits well then raised from death into a greater spacetime realm, the same realm to which God has Promised to transform ALL believers in Whom He sent.
Paul makes it clear in Romans chapters 9-11 the Jews were cast off. Those Jews in Acts 2 to whom Peter preached the first recorded gospel sermon were lost, NOT OF GOD. Yet those few Jews (”remnant” as Paul calls them in Rom 11) that believed, repented and were baptized became Christians, God’s chosen and had their sins remitted (saved). All the rest of those Jews remained lost for they rejected Christ and His NT gospel in unbelief.
The OT promises made to fleshly Israel have been fulfilled.
The idea fleshly Israel is still God’s chosen comes from the non-Biblical, man made idea of Premillennialism.
RE: Does that mean that 10% of Evangelicals have never read the Bible?
IT is one thing to read the Bible, but it’s quite another thing to take it seriously enough to understand it and obey the teachings.
The question becomes “chosen for what?” I certainly believe the Jews were chosen to communicate God’s word, bring forth the Christ and demonstrate the impossibility of man earning his own salvation.
As was Judas.
Yes, God did not spare the natural branches (the Jews) because of their unbelief in Christ (1 Thess 2:14-16), hence they were broken off. While most Jews rejected Christ many Gentiles accepted Christ therefore the Gentiles were graffed in. Tough God cast off the Jews God did not make salvation impossible for the Jews for if the Jews will not abide in unbelief (if they become believing Christians) they can be graffed in AGAIN.
If you were a Jew in Jerusalem in 70 A D, you probably would not feel you were “chosen.” But, they were chosen for that.
Roman’s 2:29.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.