Posted on 10/17/2002 4:20:26 PM PDT by jstone78
Evangelical Group Says Jews Need Conversion
WHEATON, Ill. (AP) The World Evangelical Alliance is taking issue with an August report from U.S. Roman Catholic bishops that opposes efforts to target Jews for conversion.
The evangelical organization, an alliance of 120 national and regional church fellowships and 75 non-denominational ministries, has reaffirmed and reissued a declaration defending Jewish evangelism that was written in 1989 by 16 theologians from nine nations.
One of those theologians, the Rev. J.I. Packer, an Anglican teaching at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, endorsed the reaffirmation. "Sharing Jesus Christ with our Jewish friends is as important a task as ever it was," he said.
The 27-point statement decries anti-Semitism and confesses that Christian churches have "been much to blame for tolerating and encouraging it," but says this history doesn't remove the right to share Christianity with Jews.
The Catholic bishops said deepened appreciation of God's unbroken covenant with the Jewish people means "campaigns that target Jews for conversion to Christianity are no longer acceptable in the Catholic Church."
But the evangelical paper defends such targeted evangelism and denies that Israel's covenant relationship by itself brings salvation or that "any person can enjoy God's favor apart from the mediation of Jesus Christ."
"Faith in Jesus Christ is humanity's only way to come to know the Creator," the paper asserts.
It was pointless for the Catholic bishops to say that, since we Catholics shrink from evangilizing anyhow.
What does that say about our belief!
Tolkien, BTW, was a Christian, but of course you didn't know that, frodolives, before you started bashing "fundamentalist loonies"....
I'm a Christian, I've never been to a service where a Pastor spoke about Hell-fire and Brimstone.
Maybe you need to actually talk to a few Christians rather than rely on some jerkwater movie's characterization of them....
Oh, that's right! Worldwide Christians are crashing planes into buildings, planning suicide bombings, and prohibiting members of other religions from their religious practices under threat of death...
Lord, I'd call this man an idiot, but I know you wouldn't be pleased if I did....
You have forgotten the 50,000-100,000 Jews who believe that Jesus is the Messiah.
The main reason MY Jewish friends vote Democratic is because they are Reform Jews, about as close to the real thing as I am (Presbyterian). They pretty much do as they wish as far as religion goes which fits the Democrats idea of do anything that makes you feel good.
The past President of my local Temple once told me that being a Reform Jew was like being a Democrat with religious holidays.
(OldFriend, Reform used in the correct manner, PING)
TONIGHT! 6pm PDT/9pm EDT Unspun With AnnaZ and Guest Hostess DIOTIMA!
ELECTIONS and OMISSIONS!
Plus, let's hear from FReepers around the country about what you're doing in YOUR local area with the midterm elections!
Call in! 1-868-RadioFR!
I see you are a Marine from California. That would explain your lack of manners.
United States Army - Texas
When some people find a wonderful thing, they want to share it with others. Then again some folks want to keep good things to themselves.
I never understood why people who believe they have found something profoundly valuable would not care about whether others receive the same blessing.
And yes, they're democrats...........double arrrrrrrrggggggghhhhh
How Jews have benefited from proselytizing: Yes, that's right, benefited. Without jewish proselytizing BC and into the early christian era there wouldn't be enough Jews today to sustain Israel, it probably would not have been founded in the first place. (In my view, the Jews were more enlightened then.
Has it ever occurred to you that if you invited certain peoples (especially in the middle east) to share in the blessings of Yahweh, the security of Israel and Jews generally might IMPROVE? Those poor folk have no clue as to what the blessings of the Hebrews are.
As a great Jew once said: "How shall they hear, without a preacher?"
I understand and would get rid of my Jewish friends, but they're just so darn nice!
BTW did you notice I've gotten better about the REFORM (no E D)?
That would be because you live in the middle of the California wine country, God bless you.
Maybe you need to actually talk to a few fellow Christians in some jerkwater location and see what your fellows are really like, in too many cases.
Howz that again? Chosen by whom, and for what? (Cite specific Biblical authority, please.)
Click here for 3-MINUTE ISRAELITE HISTORY.
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.