Portland Jews Brace for Assault by 'Jews for Jesus' (anti-Christian Bigotry Alert!)

Torah Atlanta ^ | 2002 | Paul Haist

[jstone78]

Portland Jews Brace for Assault by 'Jews for Jesus'

By Paul Haist, Jewish Review

Portland’s Jewish community has mobilized to resist a two-week assault by Jews for Jesus who will unleash a sizeable squad of trained proselytizers on the city at the beginning of June. A former Eugene rabbi who now specializes in combating Jews for Jesus returned to Oregon May 7 and 8 to help the Jewish community here prepare for the assault. The campaign is planned to coincide with the annual Portland Rose Festival when thousands of people will be on the streets and accessible by pamphleteers.

Rabbi Efraim Davidson is the director of Torah Atlanta, a counter-missionary group that serves the southeast United States. Davidson, who lives in Atlanta now, was a founder and the spiritual leader of Congregation Ahavas Torah in Eugene.

ANTI-'JEWS FOR JESUS' FLIER

The Jewish Federation of Portland and its Community Relations Committee have been aware for several months of JFJ plans to bring their crusade here now to take advantage of the large public gatherings that will occur during the Rose Festival.

Davidson said that the Portland campaign is part of a JFJ five-year program called “Behold Your God.” He has confronted similar JFJ campaigns in other cities, including Tampa, Fla., and Atlanta.

“Behold Your God,” is, according to Davidson, “a very well coordinated, multi-million-dollar campaign” focusing on 66 cities worldwide with Jewish populations of 25,000 or more.

He said that the Jews for Jesus use aggressive proselytizing to target disenfranchised or unaffiliated Jews, Russian immigrants and college students. He said their techniques are manipulative, deceptive and anti-Semitic.

Jews for Jesus have had some success in recent years. Davidson cited figures that show the group has grown from a mere seven U.S. congregations in 1975 to 478 today. There already are at least five so-called messianic congregations in Portland, according to the Web site www.missionportland.org, although Davidson identifies only three messianic congregations here.

Davidson added that in 1973 there were an estimated 10,000 born Jews in the United States who were practicing Christians. Today, 29 years later, he put that figure at about 250,000.

Davidson said the JFJ typically names a coordinator for a particular city that is part of its campaign plan. That person, who he identified as Sue Pearlman in Portland, does the groundwork for the upcoming campaign.

That groundwork includes, said Davidson, “hooking up with a messianic congregation and using it as the physical base for training.”

The coordinator also usually contacts local Baptist churches to recruit lay Christian volunteers. Davidson said the JFJ relies on the Baptists because they are “very motivated evangelicals.”

[Alouette]

Does not the Torah teach that justice for sin demands a blood sacrifice? Does it not also teach that the sacrifice needs to be performed in the temple? Are those still tenets of Judaism, or are they simply overlooked today for the sake of convenience?

Somebody already asked that question on this thread.

[William Terrell]

Excuse me, but are you threatening my life?

"By initiating comments or responding to those made by others, you void your position of reluctance, like when going to war to kill others somone voids their right to keep their own life safe from assault."

Where do you see a threat to your life in this statement? Are you going to war on me and try to take my life, such that your's would be, by your own actions, forfeit?

I'm applying a univerally understood principle governing actions in one theater to actions in another.

You managed to surprise me. Did you read the passage carefully? It seems clear to me. Can you point out where it is unclear to the point where your interpretation is reasonable?

[malakhi]

I'm sorry about your rash, but I would still be interested in knowing what you believe is necessary to inherit eternal life. I have never been given a clear answer by any Jew regarding this. Basically, as I understand it, Judaism teaches that there is an afterlife, but that's about it. Will be a separation of the "righteous" from the "unrighteous"? How is someone deemed righteous? I have also heard that the righteous does not necessarily include only Jews. Does Judaism teach that "salvation" is possible apart from keeping the Jewish law?

Here you go.

Salvation from What?

See also the article linked therein.

Olam Ha-Ba: The Afterlife

[malakhi]

So I would have to convert to Judaism in order to inherit eternal life?

Nope. See my link above and also:

B’Nai No’ach Children of Noah and The Seven Laws

What "basic tenets" of Judaism do you keep in light of the Messiah's apparent tardiness?

Ironic that you should ask this in light of the apparent tardiness of Jesus's return.

Does not the Torah teach that justice for sin demands a blood sacrifice?

Nope, that is a misunderstanding found in the Christian scriptures, particularly Hebrews. For more go here:

Qorbanot: Sacrifices and Offerings

Does it not also teach that the sacrifice needs to be performed in the temple?

You are right on this one, yes.

Are those still tenets of Judaism, or are they simply overlooked today for the sake of convenience?

They are still tenets of Judaism. See my link on qorbanot, above. It addresses this issue.

[malakhi]

The question is, if Leviticus is composed of commandments of God, how does Rabbinical authority cahnge it?

The Torah gives authority of interpretation.

If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, even matters of controversy within thy gates; then shalt thou arise, and get thee up unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose.
And thou shall come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days; and thou shalt inquire; and they shall declare unto thee the sentence of judgment.
And thou shalt do according to the tenor of the sentence, which they shall declare unto thee from that place which the LORD shall choose; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they shall teach thee.
According to the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do; thou shalt not turn aside from the sentence which they shall declare unto thee, to the right hand, nor to the left. (Deuteronomy 17:8-11)

Matrilineal descent? Is that custom a mandate from God or men?

Isaac was Abraham's heir; Ishmael was not. You should be able to figure it out from there. There are other scriptural examples too, but this should suffice.

[malakhi]

P.S. Yehuda, why are you so concerned about losing Jews to JFJ?

I'm guessing it might have something to do with this quote from the article:

Davidson added that in 1973 there were an estimated 10,000 born Jews in the United States who were practicing Christians. Today, 29 years later, he put that figure at about 250,000.

[Sloth]

Matthew 3:9 -- "and do not think to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones."

[malakhi]

Matthew 3:9 -- "and do not think to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones."

For thou art a holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be His own treasure, out of all peoples that are upon the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 7:6)

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

250,001 Don't forget the light! :)

BigMack

[malakhi]

250,001 Don't forget the light! :)

In the United States today, for example, there are about 200,000 people who chose to accept the Jewish faith.

Mack, you could make it 200,001! ;o)

[Marysecretary]

The Jews had to return to Israel before the Messiah could come back. That happened in 1948. Just be patient. He'll get here before too much longer...

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Mack, you could make it 200,001! ;o)

What have we here...

(3) Judaism encourages religious freedom of thought. Judaism welcomes probing spiritual questions.

Come home angelo, and spare your self all the years ahead of us. :)

BigMack

[chemainus]

My Jewish friends say JFJ "oh well what the hell"...the same as they do for Orthodox Jews and extremely liberal Jews and Catholics and Jehovah's witnesses and Muslims and Taoists and atheists and drunks and gays and straights and idiots and nerds and , well, regular folks just like you and me........"oh well what the hell".. "whatever lets you sleep at night"...tolerance in the spiritual realm my friends, tolerance , from the Jews to the Christians to the Muslims and back.... as long as no threats or harm ensues...if harm ensues, then it is purely a secular matter and dog may eat dog.

[Marysecretary]

I had a couple of Mormons stop me on the sidewalk as I was getting ready to to into my favorite second hand store during lunch. They kept talking to me until I finally had to tell them that I appreciated their sharing their faith with me but that I had to go. They kept talking and hanging around. I finally just said goodbye and went into the store. I wasn't rude, I was just ready to have them leave. I can understand if people are a bit too zealous, but they need to learn when it's enough and just let it go.

[Marysecretary]

No, Pat's NOT a goof. He and his organization feed and clothe more people than anyone else's. He has outfitted an airplane to go into third world countries and give medical care and operations free of charge. His Operation Blessing is there wherever there is a flood or a tornado or any other big tragedy. Give the guy some credit.

[William Terrell]

Who wrote Deuteronomy?

Isaac was Abraham's heir; Ishmael was not.

I can how this can be interpreted as matrilineal descent. But it can also be interpreted as God's plans for those two individuals, regardless of whose womb they cam from, or that they cam from a womb at all. Is there any other more overt Biblical passage or commandment from God or one His prophets that would indicate descent through female line?

I think it much more likely that the custom devolves from the fact that the mother is the primary conditioner of Jewish principles and conditioning from the earliest of ages. From the many Jews I've known and those of whom I've known their background, that makes the most practical sense.

I would tend to doubt that the custom is commanded by God.

[CaptainAwesome]

"jews for jesus" is an insult to anybody with half a brain.

[malakhi]

Come home angelo, and spare your self all the years ahead of us. :)

Oh, sure, I'd do that, and next thing you know you wouldn't be answering my pings!

Besides, this may be my only chance to get a Harley. ;o)