- Liberal Jewish leaders are among the loudest defenders
of "civil rights" and "freedom from defamation." Yet
their so-called "anti-hate" laws represent the scariest threat
to Christian freedom in America. And the Jewish state of Israel is anything
but free for Jews who convert to Christianity. Messianic Jews face stiff
opposition both in Israel and the United States from their Talmud-following
brethren.
-
- The Talmud teaches that worship of Christ is
idolatry; many Jews believe conversion of Jews threatens a spiritual Holocaust
upon the Jewish people. In Israel and the United States, powerful Jews
teach that it is an assault to lead a precious Jewish soul toward truth
about Jesus. Conversion of Jews represents theft and even spiritual "genocide."
-
- Jewish opposition compelled the Christian Jews
of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC) to focus on discrimination
against their Israeli brethren at a June conference in Jerusalem. About
300 Jewish believers in Christ gathered to protest discrimination in Israel.
-
- The UMJC conference's discussed topics including
"the recent public burning by haredim of New Testaments distributed
by missionaries in Or Akiva, a bomb attack that seriously wounded the son
of well-known Messianic Jew in Ariel and the attempt to disqualify a Messianic
Jewish high school girl from this year's International Bible Quiz for Jewish
youth."
-
- Meanwhile, gentile evangelicals remain oblivious,
or uncaring, about persecution against their fellow Christians. They continue
to lavish financial and moral support on Israel, despite its continuing,
blatant anti-Christianity. Recently a young Christian Jewish woman was
denied citizenship in Israel because she allegedly "committed missionary
activity," thus "acting against the interests of the state of
Israel and against the Jewish people." Another Christian, a grad
student from Germany, even now battles the government of Israel, which
is trying to deport her for the "speech crime" of witnessing.
(See, <http://truthtellers.org/alerts/christiandeportedfromisreal.htm>Christian
Deported From Israel )
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- A recent Associated Press article described
how Christians Jews in Israel face persecution and violence. It quotes
Rabbi David Rosen, head of interfaith affairs for the powerful American
Jewish Committee. Rosen defends Israel's anti-Christian policies. He is
a powerful American Jewish leader and this is his description of America's
dominant faith, a faith that created the freedoms of our nation- "Historically
the core of Christianity ... was 'convert or die,' so it was seen and is
still seen as an assault on Jewish existence itselfWhen you are called
to join another religion, you are being called on to betray your people."
-
- This slander against Christianity demonizes
two millennia of faith. It is shocking that the head of interfaith for
the AJC, an organization the New York Times calls the "dean of American
Jewish organizations," should describe Christians as preaching "convert
or die." While such coercion did exist during the Catholic Inquisition,
this is a gross mischaracterization of two millennia of authentic Christianity-a
period in which Christians have done more to advance human happiness than
any other group. Christians preserved learning in the Dark Ages, built
the world's freest nation, founded thousands of universities and schools
in poor countries, militated against slavery and other sins, and spread
Christ's gospel of self-denying love. It is also deeply troubling that
this powerful Jew describes personal religious decisions as ethnic or national
betrayal. What kind of civil liberties can he support if he believes Jewish
individuals are guilty of treason if their consciences lead them to a religious
conversion?
-
- The rabbi's troubling words won't shock anyone,
however, who knows hard-line Judaism's teachings about Christ. Talmud-believing,
Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox Jews are taught to hate and despise Christ,
the "false prophet" who lured millions into idolatry. (See, U.S.
Government, Talmud Mock New Testament) One British rabbi put it this way
when asked about the witness of Messianic Jews: "We have rejected,
do reject and always will reject what they are saying. To target Jews,
I see it as antisemitic."
-
- Such animosity is very alive in Israel.
-
- "Calev Myers, a lawyer who represents Messianic
Jews [in Israel], said he has fought 200 legal cases in the past two years,"
reports the Associated Press. "Most involve authorities' attempts
to close down houses of worship, revoke the citizenship of believers or
refuse to register their children as IsraelisIn incidents of violence,
police are reluctant to press charges, Myers said."
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- American evangelicals, who fill church pews
every Sunday to worship, would never support a harassment campaign against
a Jewish family in their neighborhood. They would never allow the public
burning of Judaism's most sacred text, the Talmud. They would never support
ecclesiastical leaders who advocate violence against people of other faiths.
-
- Yet such bigotry against Christian Jews has
occurred this spring in Israel. (See, <http://truthtellers.org/alerts/israelahistoryofhate.htm>Israel:
A History of Hate Crimes, <http://truthtellers.org/alerts/israeliteengang.htm>Israel
Teen Gang Attacks Arabs, <http://truthtellers.org/alerts/christiandeportedfromisreal.htm>Christian
Deported From Israel and <http://truthtellers.org/alerts/israelichristiansworshipunder.htm>Israeli
Christians Worship Under Armed Guard ) By unconditional support and blessing
of Israel, tens of millions of American churchgoers empower these very
acts. The persecution is just done a little farther away in a place American
Christians call the "holy land." But Messianic Jews are learning,
the hard way, the opposite: Israel is anything but holy.
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