EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANSSubject: Dr. Stuart's Essay that everyone is discussing GOOD,BAD AND WORSE NEWS: REFLECTIONS ON EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS ACTIVE IN AND "FOR THE SAKE OF" (THE STATE OF) ISRAEL by Rev. Dr. Geert (Chaim) Cohen Stuart This short account is incomplete. Also, since the prohibition of "lashon hara" (evil speech) is valid even when dealing with dubious matters, no names of persons are given.When I arrived in 1982 in Jerusalem to serve the Netherlands Reformed Church as Theological Advisor on Jewish-Christian Relations, I tried to develop good contacts with all parties on the Jerusalem scene, including the different Evangelical Christian organizations. It worried me to note that Israeli prime ministers, members of knesset and mayors often granted great honor to Evangelical Christian "Zionists", who, in my opinion, were just "wolves in sheeps' clothing". For most Evangelical Christian leaders and supporters of the State of Israel, the establishment of a Jewish State was one of the final steps leading up to the fulfillment of their expectation of a "Second Coming" of Jesus. The Evangelical Christian messianic kingdom (with Jesus on the throne) can only come when all Jews have returned to the "promised Land". This explains why these Evangelical Christians have become ardent supporters of activities that "help the Jews home". Evangelical Christians are prepared to open their pockets and bank accounts to achieve this goal of "helping the Jews home". Wisely for them, they work on this (pre-messianic) project in close cooperation with the Jewish Agency. Several times I asked people from Exobus, Good News Travel, Eben HaEzer and similar Evangelical Christian groups why they were working on the "russification" and secularization of the Jewish State? On the Jewish and Israeli side, the Jewish Agency in the former Soviet Union seems to be represented by people who just want to keep their jobs. So they need "success" in stimulating "aliyah" (immigration to Israel), ANY aliyah. One may ask whether or not the Jewish Agency and its representatives are at all concerned with the Jewishness of their "olim" (immigrants) or only with generating numbers. The Jewish Agency is the first Zionist organization that should be questioned on this issue. It bothers me that no one terminates these immigration programs, which have a devastating impact on the Jewish character of the State of Israel. Also, as a result of these Jewish Agency programs an increasing number of "economic" refugees are coming to Israel. In the end, it will undermine the Jewish State. Such immigration might become a more dangerous threat to the State of Israel than that posed by the Arab world. Evangelical Christians eagerly await an End Time onslaught against the Jewish State brought on by Gog and Magog. Maybe Gog and Magog have discovered a more efficient way to achieve their goal of an "Endloesung" (Final Solution) to the Jewish Question than military attack: undermine the Jewish State from the inside through massive non-Jewish immigration. It is like letting in the Trojan horse. Evangelical Christians believe that, one way or another, as soon as all Jews will be brought back to the Land of Israel, the great attack by Gog and Magog (see Revelation 16 and 20) will take place. Many Evangelical Christians believe that, according to this scenario, they will be taken up to heaven (2 Thessalonians 4) in a Pre-Tribulationist Rapture. >From their ring side seats in heaven, these "believers" will watch the majority of humanity be exterminated during that terrible War of Gog and Magog. "Mission laundering" (i.e., hidden missionary activities) are undertaken by many Evangelical Christians who realize full well that most Jews simply don't have the faintest understanding of the concepts of Christian witness and mission. Many Evangelical Christians know that for practical reasons "mission is not done" (at least not openly). Thus, it is formally, publicly and officially replaced by "humanitarian aid" (always, and allegedly, with "no strings attached" and ever repeated claims of "no hidden agendas"). On the other hand, most Evangelical Christian volunteers and many workers who come to Israel to "labor in God's vineyard" are less sophisticated in covering up their true intentions and activities than the official representatives of the Evangelical Christian organizations that bring them to Israel. Evangelical Christian volunteers and workers will often plainly state the reason for their "good works": they do what they do for the love of Jesus and the love of the Jews, to wit the "love" of Jesus for "lost" Jewish souls. Spiritually sophisticated -- and ethical -- Jewish partners will wisely break off contact with their Evangelical Christian "Zionist" supporters before the last shameful stage is reached of letting the Evangelical Christian fox into the Jewish chicken coop. It is very difficult to cope with people, in this case Evangelical Christians, with hidden agendas. The problem is, however, that many of these Evangelical Christian groups have become major financial supporters of social welfare and other activities in Israel. Many Jewish and Israeli foundations have tragically and foolishly become dependent on Evangelical Christian money. Mainline Protestant churches in general send money only to Resident Arab ("Palestinian") churches or organizations allegedly protecting Resident Arab "human rights" (i.e., "protecting" these "rights" at least in so far as and only when such "rights" are allegedly violated by the big, bad Israeli Jews). I understand that a Jewish fund raiser thinks (or preferably says): "I accept their Evangelical Christian money, but not their Evangelical Christian missionary message". The question is, however, where the process finally leads. Once again, accepting money from such Evangelical Christian groups leads in part to undermining the spiritual independence of the Jewish community. Jews, don't fool yourselves! Evangelical Christians support activities that, according to their estimation, will usher in "the End of Days". Therefore they support the Greater Israel Movement, because that may be the fastest way to provoke "the powers of the north" to attack the Jewish State. This might also be a reason underlying Evangelical Christian support for rebuilding the Third Temple. I don't know of anything in Christian theology that requires a Temple in Jerusalem. Evangelicals know full well that efforts to rebuild the Temple now may enrage the Arab world to such extent that it may lead Arabs to incite the War of Gog and Magog against the Jewish State (which may be precisely what Evangelical Christian supporters of the enterprise want, the quicker to bring a Second Coming of Jesus). I know that many Israeli Jews do not like Barak and his politics. Barak at least did not address the International Christian Celebration during the Feast of Tabernacles (praise the Lord!). Over the years I have begun to distrust all Israeli politicians who rely on Evangelical Christian "Zionist" support. In the end it can never be good for the Jews. Do not forget that Christianity is by nature a missionary religion. My own Church officially -- but hesitantly -- in 1951 left the path of "mission to the Jews". But in most churches it is still on the agenda. Evangelical Christian support of so-called messianic Jewish communities in Israel is continuously growing. In 1988 I wrote a report for the Netherlands Reformed Church on the internal state of these messianic Jewish communities. I concluded that in almost none of them could any knowledge of authentic Jewish tradition be detected. My report for the Netherlands Reformed Church was an asset for those in the Church who wanted to get rid of me. To my regret, an increasing number of parishes in the Netherlands Reformed Church support these "messianic Jewish communities". My observations about "messianic Jews" were confirmed in "Myths and Facts", issues 30-31/1990 of Mishkan, a journal on Jewish Evangelism published by the United Christian Council in Israel and the Jerusalem based Caspari Center, which is funded by the Norwegian Mission to Israel. On the other hand, I don't think these "messianic Jewish" communities are very dangerous to the Jewish community. The "messianic Jews" are very weak, despite or because of the funding they receive from Evangelical Christian "Zionists" abroad. Counter missionary organizations such as Yad l'Achim should be careful not to make "messianic Jewish" groups seem more important than they are. The more vehement the attacks, the more money these "messianic Jewish" groups are able to raise from Evangelical Christians abroad. In the course of my research in 1988 I was able to establish that in the previous year perhaps one Jew had become member of a messianic Jewish community, while about 50 Christians had become Torah observant Jews through a process of LEGITIMATE conversions to Judaism. It could be very important to discuss the issue of PHONEY conversions to Judaism in depth with both the Israeli Ministry of the Interior and rabbinical courts. I know of several Christians who went straight from the "mikvah" (ritual bath) after their "conversions" to Judaism to "messianic Jewish" prayer meetings to thank their gods for the miracle that they were able to con the rabbinical courts supervising their conversions! I am deeply worried because several Christians with clearly missionary intentions received extended permits to stay in Israel or even became "toshav keva" (permanent residents). Their visas were also granted at a time when the Israeli Minister of the Interior was a member one of the religious parties. To summarize: Most mainline Protestant churches support the Resident Arab ("Palestinian") War against Israel. Most Evangelicals Christians support the State of Israel, not for the sake of the Jewish State itself, but for the sake of hastening a Second Coming of Jesus. These Christians may sometimes put their missionary activities on a backburner, for they believe that the eyes of the (in their eyes "blinded") Jews will be "opened" as soon as Jesus returns. Or sometimes these Christians will at least conduct their missionary activities in covert and discreet ways. Only less sophisticated Evangelical Christians actively involve themselves in open evangelism among Jews. Evangelical Christian influence is increased by political interest and the lack of forethought (to put it mildly) of the Jewish Agency, the Israeli Ministry of the Interior and the Israeli rabbinical courts. The inflow into Israel of non-Jewish Russians (possibly up to 80% of current aliya) is a time bomb that may undermine the Jewish character of the state. Last, but not least, as the proverbs say, money does not smell, a golden key opens every door and rich men's spots are covered by money. In Dutch we have an expression (in rhyme): money that is stupid straightens what is crooked. Shalom from Rhoon, Rev. Dr. Geert (Chaim) Cohen Stuart [Rev. Dr. Geert (Chaim) Cohen Stuart] *********************************** ABOUT THE ROOT & BRANCH ASSOCIATION'S COUNTER MISSIONARY GROUP The Counter Missionary Group of the Root &Branch Association researches missionary and cult activity by non-Jewish religious groups in the State of Israel. COORDINATOR: Mrs. Michaela Lawson [michaela@beitorot.org] ADVISORY BOARD: Mr. Mark Powers International Director Jews for Judaism [mark@jewsforjudaism.org] *********************************** ABOUT THE ROOT & BRANCH ASSOCIATION: The Root & Branch Association, an all-volunteer, non-membership organization founded by Torah-observant Jews, promotes cooperation between the State of Israel and other nations, and between Jews and B'nai Noah (non-Jews) in Israel and abroad, to build a better world based on the universal Noahide Covenant and Laws as commanded by the G-d of Israel in the Bible and Jewish Tradition. |