Jewish rejection of evangelicals rooted in cynicism, ignorance, fear

JTA ^ | 7-16-02 | Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

[robowombat]

Wise words from a wise man.

[fogarty]

"What is clearly visible to me from my vantage point is that the majority of evangelicals are passionately pro-Israel because it is part of their theology to love and support the Jewish people."

This sums it all up. I just wish that American Jews could wake up and see this.

[Alouette]

BTTT

[dennisw]

THINK ABOUT THIS:

You post good stuff from Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein....
While Larry Lied posts the garbage from leftist lesbo Arlene Stein. Lied's mission being to harm Christian-Jewish relations.

[SJackson]

Actually, the articles were an editorial page trilogy.

Evangelical support helps Israel, and it s not based on anti-Semitism

Jewish affair with Christian right is both misguided and shortsighted

The original poster prefers to only one side of the story.

[jpl]

But it is not individual Jews I hold responsible for this state of affairs. Instead, I lay the blame squarely at the feet of the organized Jewish community, who have sinned by omitting serious discussion and consideration of this matter for the better part of the last 20 years.

I believe the blame really lies with the media-entertainment axis in Hollywood and New York, which is intensely hostile to religion in general, but Christianity in particular. They go out of their way to drive a wedge between Christians and Jews.

[republicman]

I don't stick up for Israel because I am Christian and believe that God will reward me for doing it. I do it because I cannot support our own war on terrorism and reject theirs without being a hypocrite.

Also, its because I reject the left wing fanatical argument that because some group has failed (Palestinians) that they are by definition oppressed. As Bernie Goldberg said "sometimes the underdog deserves to be the underdog".

As to why Jews are not running out to embrace right wing christians. There are several reasons. Some the author points out, some he does not.

An example--Many Jews are liberals who don't support Israel.

Another--Jewish culture has always had a leftward tilt. I'm not sure why, but it always has. So I wouldn't expect them to embrace someone they normally disagree with.

And lastly, but definitely not least--the left has been able to spread the lie that right wingers are nazi-like. When any honest appraisal would show that the modern left has far far more in common with Nazis than the right.

Beyond that there are many Jews who ARE noticing that we are on their side, and the liberals generally aren't. To them I say welcome home.

[Dark Wing]

ping

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

After years of building bridges of understanding and cooperation with the evangelical community, I realize these bridges have remained essentially one-way streets.

. . . an echo, to me, of Ann Coulter's description of liberals seeking to find common cause with conservatives in light of 911. They wish to build bridges of understanding with conservatives, but those bridges already exist. Conservatives can't avoid hearing the views of liberals, it's the air Americans breathe who read newspapers and especially who watch TV. You cannot be conservative in America without first consciously evaluating the claims of liberalism, and finding them wanting. The trouble is not the lack of a bridge but that the bridge is one-way.

because journalism and entertainment publicly marginalize conservatives, liberals readily can avoid hearing conservatives. And they do so, studiously. One is left to suspect that deep down liberals know that their belief system won't stand scrutiny.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

After years of building bridges of understanding and cooperation with the evangelical community, I realize these bridges have remained essentially one-way streets.

. . . an echo, to me, of Ann Coulter's description of liberals seeking to find common cause with conservatives in light of 911. They wish to build bridges of understanding with conservatives, but those bridges already exist. Conservatives can't avoid hearing the views of liberals, it's the air Americans breathe who read newspapers and especially who watch TV. You cannot be conservative in America without first consciously evaluating the claims of liberalism, and finding them wanting. The trouble is not the lack of a bridge but that the bridge is one-way.

because journalism and entertainment publicly marginalize conservatives, liberals readily can avoid hearing conservatives. And they do so, studiously. One is left to suspect that deep down liberals know that their belief system won't stand scrutiny.

[dennisw]

Actually, the articles were an editorial page trilogy.

Evangelical support helps Israel, and it s not based on anti-Semitism

Jewish affair with Christian right is both misguided and shortsighted

The original poster prefers to only one side of the story.

Of course Lied posted the one that has some lefty Jew knocking the valuable Christian allies of Israel. His mission is to sow discord between Christians and Jews.

[Alouette]

Jewish culture has always had a leftward tilt. I'm not sure why, but it always has.

No, it always has not. Judaism has been around for 4000 years. The "leftward tilt" began only in the mid-1800's, with the rise of the Reform movement. Doctrines of Jewish faith were gradually replaced by liberal/left philosophy. With the rise of Orthodoxy, this trend is declining.

[Inkie]

This is one Jew from a family who totally recognizes the truth, about which the rabbi so eloquently wrote. Thank you for this post. My rabbi is similarly inclined; gives a "Christmas sermon" along these same lines. My mom and I recently joined the local chapter of Jewish Republicans and we are going to an event next month. LA Jews who can recognize who our real friends are (not our self-hating Hollywood Streisand types) should look into joining the organization.

[Inkie]

Thanks for that clarification. You always have good posts.

[republicman]

My apologies. You're right, I stand corrected.

[Thinkin' Gal]

...standing for Israel is considered a mitzvah within the evangelical Christian world. Loving the Jewish people is an article of their faith, something in which they are deeply invested.

Deuteronomy 6:1-3

1 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:
2 That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

04687 mitsvah {mits-vaw'}
from 06680; TWOT - 1887b; n f
AV - commandments 177, precept 4, commanded 2, law 1, ordinances 1; 181

1) commandment
1a) commandment (of man)
1b) the commandment (of God)
1c) commandment (of code of wisdom)

Good deeds, indeed!

Isaiah 11:11-13

11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

[Thinkin' Gal]

I should have included the following, which is repeated seven times in the book of Revelation:

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

[GulliverSwift]

Great article. I would disagree with what he says in the motivation of Christians supporting Israel. There are some who take the view he said, however, most do so because they realize the fact that as the only democratic country in the middle east, if the USA didn't support it would have been destroyed decades ago.

What's unfortunate is that too many Jewish people have a bigoted and benighted view of active Christians. It's sad that for years they had to endure a bigotry and now they dispense it to another minority group. I think that the Hollyweird faction does play a part in this; I have yet to see a show which features evangelicals as stars and portrays them as anything other than repressed, deceitful, hate-filled hypocrites.

[Mamzelle]

Conservative (small c) Jews have always had a kind word to say about American evangelicals, but even their support is done at arm's length (unless you are a black evangelical). Liberal Jews decry and insult American evangelicals, and keep them at arm's length unless they happen to be black Baptists. The difference is that at least the conservatives don't insult us---but they don't want to rub elbows with us, either...

Check out NRO--nationalreview.com--one of my favorite online publications. This magazine has Catholics and conservative Jews in its major editorical capacity. Whenever they write an article about evangelicals and Jews, since the subject recently has become more interesting, they get a Catholic or a Jew to write it. Getting an evangelical writer is just too exotic for their tastes. I've seen it over and over...no evangelical writes for them. I guess, along with being barefoot and toothless and tattooed, we're also illiterate...?

I've gotten my feelings hurt a time or two. Sick of being accused by the liberals of antisemitism, and also sick of making the conservatives *uneasy*.