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Jews For Jesus
Totally Jewish ^ | Not dated | Eliana Schneider

Posted on 08/26/2002 8:52:04 PM PDT by Seti 1

Jews For Jesus

by Eliana Schneider

The Ukranian Jewish community was celebrating last week after local authorities banned a Jews for Jesus movement from seeking to convert people in the eastern city of Dnepropetrovsk.

After a brief investigation, the mayor’s office discovered the missionary group did not have municipal approval for its three-week evangelical campaign.

Alexander Lakshin, president of Moscow’s anti-missionary organisation Magen, told TJ: “We are sure our protests influenced their decision. While we are not against religious groups, we are opposed to Jews for Jesus because it employs deceptive tactics to convert Jews.”

The opposition to the missionaries received wide public attention and national media coverage, most of it sympathetic to the Jewish community.

Lakshin said: “Many of the city’s 60,000 Jews are easy targets for missionaries. When they see Jews for Jesus wearing t-shirts with the word Jew on it, or handing out menoras, they are unfortunately drawn to them.”

Avi Snyder, European director for Jews for Jesus, based in Finchley, told TJ: “From the very beginning of our activities there our colleagues were opposed by other Jewish people who counter-leafleted and stole and destroyed our property.”

According to Snyder, more than 370,000 pamphlets were handed out to hundreds of curious Jewish spectators and 96 people were converted.

And despite the ban, he admitted the missionary group still continued to make follow-up visits to local Jews.

Rabbi Shmuel Arkush, director of Operation Judaism, an anti-missionary organisation in the UK, told TJ: “It really is disgraceful. They prey on the weak and vulnerable, people who want to be Jews and don’t know how to go about it.”


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: religion
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1 posted on 08/26/2002 8:52:04 PM PDT by Seti 1
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To: Seti 1
The Nazarenes have been slandered like this for 2000 years.
2 posted on 08/26/2002 8:53:26 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck
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To: HiTech RedNeck
The Nazarenes have been slandered like this for 2000 years.

Except for the times that they murdered and pillaged during the various pogroms, expulsions, burnings, crusades, inquisitions, blood libels, and holocosts.

3 posted on 08/26/2002 9:02:08 PM PDT by Nachum
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To: Nachum
Anyone for "Idiots for Islam"?
4 posted on 08/26/2002 9:04:19 PM PDT by zarf
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To: Nachum
Ethical Monotheism
5 posted on 08/26/2002 9:06:19 PM PDT by onedoug
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To: Nachum
Oh yes, and innuendoed too.
6 posted on 08/26/2002 9:11:46 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck
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To: Seti 1
People drift in and out of faith and faiths. Known many who were in very intense and, frankly, annoying religious groups.Everyone of them came out of it and grew from the experience. Freedom is always best. Let people be exposed to it all. Laws prohibiting the free exercise of faith are destructive to the human soul.
7 posted on 08/26/2002 9:14:50 PM PDT by LarryLied
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To: Nachum
Except for the times that they murdered and pillaged during the various pogroms, expulsions, burnings, crusades, inquisitions, blood libels, and holocosts.

not by the New Testament they didn't ... now if you meant that name of Christianity was misused for some of the above things, well then, you have a valid point ...
8 posted on 08/26/2002 9:17:05 PM PDT by Bobby777
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To: Bobby777
Sounds like someone might have a grudge?
9 posted on 08/26/2002 9:24:35 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck
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To: Seti 1
Good ol' Russia. Some things never change. Still need a permit from the local politburo to talk to others about Jesus.
10 posted on 08/26/2002 10:43:27 PM PDT by Bonaparte
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To: HiTech RedNeck
maybe so ... there have been many emporers down through the years that used the name of Christianity for little more than to amass Earthly kingdoms ... for that I don't have a problem if somebody gripes about it ...
11 posted on 08/27/2002 12:14:21 AM PDT by Bobby777
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To: Bonaparte
Good ol' Russia. Some things never change. Still need a permit from the local politburo to talk to others about Jesus

Not only Russia. Don't try preaching on any street corners in the Middle East.

12 posted on 08/27/2002 7:16:44 AM PDT by Seti 1
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To: onedoug
Or if you don't like monotheism there is always:

http://www.netjer.org/newgallery/

13 posted on 08/27/2002 7:22:33 AM PDT by Seti 1
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To: HiTech RedNeck
The attitude of some Jewish leaders towards "Jews for Jesus" borders on the Inquistorial. In essence, trying to convert somebody to your religious faith is sort of like selling a car. Abridging the right to freely advertise your "product", in this case your religious beliefs, is contrary to all standards of civilized western society and abridgement of free speech.

As long long as the vendor (missionary) doesn't make a pest of him/herself by continuing to try to sell his product to an unwilling listener, and as long as no force is employed, what's the big deal?

If some Jews are so concerned about this, why don't THEY try to proselytize Christians and stop acting like a bunch of cryto-fascist crybabies?
14 posted on 08/27/2002 7:26:19 AM PDT by ZULU
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To: Seti 1
No thanks. Polytheism promotes competing moralities.
15 posted on 08/27/2002 8:36:06 AM PDT by onedoug
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To: ZULU
If some Jews are so concerned about this, why don't THEY try to proselytize Christians

Jews don't proselytize. You have to be born of a Jewish mother to be a Jew. People can be converted but they need a good reason (marrying a Jew is one). It's very reluctantly done and only by the non-Orthodox (is that correct?). If I'm not mistaken, a converted Jew cannot be married to a born Jew in Israel.

I'd be interested in a discussion of this by someone who knows the facts.

16 posted on 08/27/2002 11:00:43 AM PDT by Seti 1
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To: Seti 1
>You have to be born of a Jewish mother to be a Jew.

That is merely a man-made rule, and has nothing to do with tracing legitimate Jewish roots back to ~500 BC or so.

17 posted on 08/27/2002 4:44:06 PM PDT by LostTribe
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To: Seti 1
Other countries have still not caught up to our Founding Fathers...
18 posted on 08/27/2002 10:22:06 PM PDT by Michael2001
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To: Seti 1; BenF; Alouette
Jews don't proselytize. You have to be born of a Jewish mother to be a Jew. People can be converted but they need a good reason (marrying a Jew is one). It's very reluctantly done and only by the non-Orthodox (is that correct?). If I'm not mistaken, a converted Jew cannot be married to a born Jew in Israel.

I'm not Jewish, but I know it is possible to convert since it occured in the OT (Ruth). I'm paging two guys who should know a lot more about this than me
19 posted on 08/27/2002 10:25:10 PM PDT by Michael2001
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To: Michael2001
I know it is possible to convert since it occured in the OT (Ruth).

Of course it is possible to convert, I know many people who have done so. Jews do not actively seek converts, but they will accept converts who are sincere in their beliefs. Seti is always looking for opportunities to complain about the Jews.

Conversion is a very meticulous procedure designed to guarantee that the convert is sincere in his or her convictions and is prepared to fulfill all the requirements of the Torah. A full conversion requires the initiate to accept upon himself or herself all the laws commanded in the Torah, and prove their intentions by living as a Jew for at least a year. This is followed by circumcision (for men) and immersion in a mikvah (ritual bath) for men and women.

Non-Orthodox organizations do not follow this procedure, nor do they require applicants to observe all the commandments, therefore their "conversions" are not valid and they remain non-Jews.

The "Jews For Jesus" organization has been around for many years. They are a Christian missionary society which especially targets Jews. They used to be called the "Society for Meliorating the Condition of the Jews" and during the 19th century manage to snag about one or two converts a year, mainly by paying them money to join. Jews find this society particularly annoying because of their tactics of deception. I have no problem with sincere Christians witnessing their faith as long as they are upfront about it, and I enjoy a good discussion of prophecy and scriptures, but it really ticks me off when people misrepresent themselves. There are so many unsaved gentiles in the world, why focus all their energies and attention on the Jews? Is a converted Jew worth more points?

I don't think Christians would be too happy with people presenting themselves as "Christians for Allah" trying to persuade other Christians that the only way to be "saved" is through Mohammed and the Koran.

20 posted on 08/28/2002 4:30:05 AM PDT by Alouette
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