Tuesday, April 22, 2008

The Problem: Spiritual Terrorism


Shabbat morning services are packed. The chazzan leads the prayers with beautiful traditional Jewish melodies. The congregation, centered around the bimah, listens attentively as the rabbi delivers an enlightening d'var Torah. Everybody is invited for a congregational kiddush following servies in the social hall on the lower level. Sounds like a regular synagogue, eh? Well, this ain't your zaide's shul. No, here the object of adoration is Jesus of Nazareth, er... I mean Yeshua. You'll find no crosses or crucifixes on the walls, nor will you learn about the New Testament. But you will get treated to a lesson from the Brit Chadash, learn about the adventures of the Rav Shaul and the other Talmidim. You have found yourself in a "completed" synagogue.

Since the inception of Christianity, the conversion of Jews has essential. After 2000 years of failure with such techniques as Crusades, Inquisitions and pogroms, the Christian world has found a new method: Messianic "Judaism". Under this guise, hundreds of congregations have sprung up mixing Jewish and Christian rituals, holding 'Christ in the Passover' seders, 'High Holiday' services and pro-Israel events. Their language is deception. In their attempt to ensnare Jews, they call their leaders 'rabbis', although they often are ordained ministers, drop Hebrew or Yiddish phrases, dress up in Jewish clothes and ritual objects, and promise newcomers that they can be Jewish and believe in 'Yeshua' at the same time. They pretend to be Jewish, replace Christian terms with Hebrew ones, such as 'completed' insteand of 'converted', 'immersed in a mikveh' instead of 'baptised', 'moshiach' instead of 'Christ', while their core theology remains identical to Baptist and Fundamentalist Christian belief. Evangelical organization have donated a billion dollars in the last decade to these organizations.

A few weeks ago, the World Evangelical Congress took out a full page add in the New York Times affirming that "the most loving and Scriptural expression of our friendship toward Jewish people, and to anyone we call friend, is to forthrightly share the love of G-d in the person of Jesus Christ." Over the past 25 years, over 275 000 Jews worldwide have been converted by these deceptive missioniaries. Hundreds of Messianic congregations exist, and there are currently over 900 organizations dedicated to converting Jews in North America alone. Missionaries have founded Messianic 'Jewish' schools, with Messianic 'yeshivot' to train their own 'rabbis'. Christian support for Israel has also lead to missionizing in the Holy Land. Sadly, over a hundred Messianic congregations fill up their pews in Israel and hundreds of cults operate all over the country. Evangelical groups have consistently blocked anti-missionary legislation. Conversions and missionizing has reached endemic proportions with 15 000 Jewish souls in Israel now ensnared in these groups. Religious leaders have deemed this situation to be one of shmad, spiritual destruction of the worst sort. Preying on the weak and ignorant, Russian and Ethiopian immigrants, elderly Holocaust survivors and non-committed youth have fallen victim to their efforts.

These aggressive tactics and their tragic results have made this website necessary. It bears saying that I bear no hostility towards Christians and I respect American Christians for the amazing moral contributions that they have made to society. However, the incessant attacks and proselityzing cannot be ignored. In former times, whenever a rabbi or Jewish community would hear of a Jew leaving the faith of his ancestors, they would fast. In today's era of shmad, we can do no less. This is a new threat, a form of spiritual terrorism, dedicated to getting Jews to forsake Judaism. Whether it is through Inquisitions and Auschwitzes, or 'Christ in the Passover' seders and missionizing, the ultimate goal is the same- the eradication of the Jewish people through assimilation. This site is dedicated to combatting these spiritual terrorists, exposing these wolves in sheeps' clothing, clearing up the mountain of lies, mistranslations and out of context quotations that form their theology and, G-d willing, bringing back lost Jews to Judaism.

"It is time to act on HaShem's behalf, they have made void Your Torah" (Psalms 119:126)

15 comments:

Big Daddy Jew said...

B"H, the Israeli Supreme Court has recently ruled that Messianic Jews are indeed Jews and are allowed to make aliyah under the Right of Return and the Law of Citizenship! Don't you tire of fighting against G-d?

Big Daddy Jew said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Papa Frank said...

Congrats on the new blog! Although I obviously share a different view of Messianic Jews than you share here I look forward to hearing your opinions.

Avi said...

Israeli courts have permitted the sale of chometz on Pesach, Gay Pride Parades down the streets of Jerusalem, abortion, etc. Since when is a secular court devoid of Torah divine? And no, I never tire of fighting FOR G-d.

Avi said...

Thanks for the encouragement Jason. Here, as opposed to at For Zion's Sake, will be the place to discuss cults and missionaries.

WomanHonorThyself said...

Yasher kochachu!!

Smooth said...

I also very much object to Jews who denounce their Judaism and convert to Islam.

Papa Frank said...

What about those who denounce christianity and seek to become Jewish? What's your opinion of these people?

Papa Frank said...

Also, given your view of Christianity and Islam, wouldn't you consider it a step up for someone to denounce christianity and become a muslim?

Avi said...

Jason, I hope you know that the Torah isn't egalitaritarian. It can't be expected that the Torah views being Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu or Christian equally. Non-Jews have no obligation to become Jews and in fact should not, necerssarily. We are obligated to discourage them. If however, they still want to do so, we must support them. They bring honour to the Torah. Non-Jews' obligations are to the 7 Universal Noahide Laws.

Regarding Christianity vs. Islam, this is a very difficult question. (I can't give you my opinion as I may be wrong. I will give you the opinion of the Sages.) Most rabbis agree that Chrisitianity is idolatry, or at least idolatrous in nature. Islam, however, is pure monotheism. (As a sidenote, it is permissible to teach CHRISTIANS Torah because they believe it to be divine, but not Muslims.) Here is what the Rambam has to say about Islam:

"The Ishmaelites are not at all idolaters; [idolatry] has long been severed from their mouths and hearts; and they attribute to God a proper unity, a unity concerning which there is no doubt. And because they lie about us, and falsely attribute to us the statement that God has a son, is no reason for us to lie about them and say that they are idolaters . . . And should anyone say that the house that they honor [the Kaaba] is a house of idolatry and an idol is hidden within it, which their ancestors used to worship, then what of it? The hearts of those who bow down toward it today are [directed] only toward Heaven . . . [Regarding] the Ishmaelites today - idolatry has been severed from the mouths of all of them [including] women and children. Their error and foolishness is in other things which cannot be put into writing because of the renegades and wicked among Israel [i.e., apostates]. But as regards the unity of God they have no error at all."

The issue of anti-semitism which is often found in conversion to Islam today poses another problem. Maybe G-d prefers an idolater who loved Israel to an anti-semitic monotheist. You will have to ask your local Orthodox rabbi for that. I only pray that all people come to accept the 7 laws of Noach.

Papa Frank said...

The problem then lies in what you consider following the 7 laws. Christianity serves but one God and not three as you would suppose. As a Christian I pray to God and never pray to gods. I do not have any graven image in my house and do not have pictures or idols or any representations of God as you might find in say a catholic church for instance. I teach my children to pray to God and they see God as the Creator and giver of life. They pray for God to bring the sun and the rain for our garden to grow and they thank Him for their food and pray that the food will make them strong and healthy. I teach them about God's people the Jews and what He has accomplished through them. They know of the dividing of the Red Sea and of the plagues in Egypt. Where is the idolatry that attribute to Christianity? I believe in one God that is so loving that He has guided me in three ways. He has given me the Old Testament, He gave Jesus as an example of what the Torah teaches, and He speaks to my spirit to help me discern right and wrong. These are NOT three people or three gods this is one God. There is not any separate entities that they might strive against eachother there is only one unified being. The other noahide laws we would both agree that I attempt to follow as you would describe them.

Papa Frank said...

I have complete faith that I indeed follow the 7 noahide laws even though I have never attempted to specifically follow them. Who is there but God alone to judge whether I have or have not? I do not live my life to please any man but only to please God alone. Therefore, who is there that could declare that I have or have not and what good would their word be against God's word?

Luqqitaz said...

Hello!
I'm from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I am evangelical
I like your web site!
Felicitation!!
My e-mail is: luqqitaz.-@hotmail.com

God bless you!

Goodbye... see you later!

Luqqitaz said...

Hello!
I'm from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I am evangelical
I like your web site!
Felicitation!!
My e-mail is: luqqitaz.-@hotmail.com

God bless you!

Goodbye... see you later!

Anonymous said...

DID YOU HEAR YOUR VOICE? eradicate you say, pray that your flight be not in the winter or on the shabbot.... Yeshuas words. Us converted gentiles got the wool pulled over our eyes with constatine