Subject: Christian support for Jewish Causes
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 21:59:09 +0000
To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>

>
>REVEREND DONATES A MILLION
> Rev. John Hagee, pastor of the 16,000-member Cornerstone Church in San
> Antonio, Texas, will donate $1 million to the United Jewish Appeal to
>underwrite the cost of immigration from the former Soviet Union to Israel. JTA
>reports that The Evangelical Christian leader is scheduled to present the
>donation today to Eliyahu Ben-Elissar, Israel's ambassador to the United
>States, at the National Religious
>Broadcasters' conference in Washington.  Rev. Hagee and his family will be
>singing tonight in one of the conference events. 
>

From:          Kathleen Marion
To:            heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject:       Christians support of the Jewish people
 
The following is an excerpt from the newsletter by Maoz a Messianic Jewish
Ministry in Israel.  It tells a little more about what the funds that many
Christians donate are actually used for. 

90,000 CHRISTIANS ARE DONATING TO RABBI ECKSTEIN 

"Using extensive TV and radio spots throughout the US, particularly in 
Bible Belt communities, Eckstein's group has garnered some 90,000 
Christian supporters, a budget of $13-$14 million, and an office in 
Washington, where he regularly delivers opening prayers at sessions of 
Congress." (Ibid.) 

Eckstein's latest program, called Isaiah 58, is being run in conjunction 
with the Agency's Joint Distribution Committee which helps to feed 
elderly Jews who have decided to stay in the former Soviet Union. 
Eckstein raised over $600,000 in just six weeks. His organization's 
"Wings of Eagles" program has brought hundreds of Soviet Jews to Israel 
through contributions that pour in from churches and individuals. 

Rabbi Eckstein's organization is only one of many avenues by which 
Evangelicals give large gifts to the State of Israel. It is not uncommon 
to hear of contributions for hospitals, forests, and even Orthodox 
institutions. These gifts range from thousands, hundreds of thousands, 
to even a million dollars from a single church or Christian 
organization. 

I WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU 

Many of these Christians donate funds to Jewish causes because they are 
firm believers in Genesis 12:3, where God promises Abraham that He will 
bless those who bless the Jewish people. 

"They take that very seriously," Eckstein says. "Most of them feel 
called to be a blessing to Israel and the Jewish people, period. Some 
believe that the former Soviet Union is going to close down, and that 
there is a window of opportunity to get Jews out before antisemitism 
rises there." 

UJA Executive Director Bernie Moscovitz expresses gratitude for the 
massive financial support Christians are giving. "I know that the 
fundamentalist community cares enormously about Israel. They care about 
it from the standpoint of the prophecy they believe. Therefore--so I've 
been told by Christians to whom we've talked--they want to do everything 
they can to bring the Jews back to Israel." (Ibid.) 

However there are Jewish leaders who feel that "some Evangelicals' 
efforts to target Jews for proselytization taints all contributions by 
Evangelicals." In fact, the Jewish Agency has never even officially 
invited Eckstein to meet with their leadership, even though they receive 
vast sums from his organization. The problem is that the money is coming 
from devout Christians. 

A senior agency official said that Jewish Agency Chairman Avraham Burg, 
considered a liberal Orthodox Israeli, does not plan to deal with groups 
whose fundamentalist agenda contradicts his world view. "Some people," 
says Eckstein "will take the money, but since it's coming from goyim 
(Gentiles) they don't want it known." (Ibid.) 

TRYING TO CHANGE JEWISH PREJUDICES 

Eckstein says he is not out just to help Russian Jewish immigrants, but 
wants to provide Christians with a tangible way to demonstrate their 
commitment and solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people. He says, "A 
part of why I'm doing it is to have Jews change their stereotypes, their 
prejudices about Christians. To have them know that there are Christians 
doing these kinds of things without ulterior motives." 

Although Eckstein has been able to persuade Evangelicals to donate 
millions of dollars, he emphatically explains that he has dodged 
attempts to get him to work with pro-Israeli Christians who are involved 
in missionary activities. He says that his guide is "cooperate wherever 
possible, oppose wherever necessary, and teach and sensitize at all 
times." 

He claims "it's prejudice to try to say that all Christians, or all 
Evangelical Christians, are just out to convert us, that the only reason 
they are giving. . .is to bring Jesus in through the back door." (Ibid.) 


"A BELLY FULL OF TALMUD LETS YOU WORK WITH OTHERS" 

"I would say most of them probably believe that somehow God will unfold 
things, and that eventually all people will believe in Jesus." "But," 
stresses Eckstein, "I have made a distinction in my life and work 
between those who believe that will happen, and those who actively try 
to bring it about." He explains that the reason he can work comfortably 
with Evangelicals is because he is so secure in his Orthodox faith. 
"Once your belly is full of the Talmud, you can work with other faiths," 
he said. 

There are some Jewish organizations which oppose conservative Christians 
giving to Jewish causes under any circumstance. In an article titled "A 
Holy or Unholy Alliance?", the Jerusalem Post quotes Abraham Foxman, 
National Director of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai Brith, saying 
that it is a gimmick of the Christians to be able to say, "Look, we have 
Jews who like us." In 1994 the ADL issued a highly critical report 
calling the Christian right "exclusionist" and a threat to American 
democracy." (Ibid.) 

EVANGELICALS, MESSIANIC JEWS AND OTHER JEWS 

Most worrying to non-Messianic Jews are the Messianic Jews. They cannot 
tolerate the thought that Jews who believe in Yeshua are still Jewish. 
And when they see Evangelicals and Messianic Jews working together in 
any form (such as with Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and 
Justice), there is a knee-jerk reaction. 

It must be remembered that part of the reaction stems from the fact that 
in countries where there was fierce persecution of the Jews (for 
example, during the Spanish Inquisition), Jews who had converted to 
Catholicism or other historic churches were among the strongest 
antagonists of the Jewish people. Today, a Jewish person who does not 
have a personal relationship with God finds it hard to differentiate 
between born-again Christians and pious Christians who may be very 
sincerely religious, but have not had their natures changed by the 
miracle of the new birth. 

The Jewish people have suffered horribly under the direct attack of the 
historic church in western countries for nineteen centuries, and they 
are unable to see how this could permanently change. Therefore there is 
always a deep fear of Christians and Christianity that resurfaces at the 
slightest sign of united Christian activity--especially if it relates to 
the Jewish people. 

This in no way justifies the prejudice of Jewish people, but it does 
make some of the spiritual blindness understandable. In fact the Jewish 
people have been so wounded by fanatical religious Christians that they 
are rarely able to discern who their true friends are. They have trusted 
in some of the liberal strains of Christianity that are now dropping 
their support. (Ibid.) At the same time they are suspicious of 
Evangelicals who are, in our estimation, the closest friends that Israel 
and the Jewish people have today. 

SOME CHRISTIANS DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM MESSIANIC JEWS 

Wanting to prove their friendship to their Jewish friends, and knowing 
of the aversion that most Jews have to Messianic Jews, some Christians 
choose to distance themselves from any kind of association or financial 
backing of Jewish ministry in Israel or elsewhere. Most of the 100 or so 
fellowships in Israel are dirt-poor, to put it mildly. 

A Jewish evangelist visited us not long ago. After seeing our 
congregation and the potential here, he exclaimed, "Man! What an influx 
of funds would do to the Messianic landscape in Israel!" Potential is 
everywhere, but the funds are not. 

It is good to bless Israel by giving to various worthy projects. But our 
Jewish people must be given the opportunity to hear the proclamation to 
turn back from their sins, and see what the Bible says concerning 
reconciliation with God. When the work of God is stymied by a lack of 
funds because some Christians are afraid that in supporting Messianic 
Jews they will anger Jewish religious leaders, who will bring them 
salvation? How will Israel have a chance? 

How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? 

And how shall they hear without a preacher? 

And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 

"How BEAUTIFUL are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, 

Who bring glad tidings of good things!" Rom. 10:14-15, Isa. 52:7 

WHERE ARE CHRISTIAN FUNDS GOING? 

Furthermore, most Christians are not aware that a very high percentage 
of the funds they donate to Israeli causes (not, of course, including 
the Messianic Jews) goes to the Orthodox sector of Israel. About 20-25% 
of Israel's 4.7 million Jews consider themselves ultra-Orthodox. (The 
number is increasing.) This section of the population receives far more 
government aid and benefits than any other sector of Israeli society. We 
have never seen a media article attempt to spell out just exactly what 
the Orthodox do receive because it is literally impossible to compute. 

The Orthodox are politically very powerful because they have made an art 
of selling themselves to the political party that will give them the 
most. And usually the Orthodox political parties, though relatively 
small, have enough votes to make or break a ruling coalition in Israel. 
Therefore, they receive funds from virtually every government agency in 
power on both the national and municipal levels. 

Consider this: 60% of Ultra-Orthodox Israeli men do not work. 40% work 
full time or part time. 51% of the average Orthodox family's income 
comes from public support. Where does this money come from? (Ibid., Jan. 
8, 1998) 

Essentially three places: 

1. Taxes paid by the rest of Israel's non-Orthodox citizens; 
2. Foreign aid by the US and other western countries earmarked for Israel; 
3. Donations by western Jews and now from a growing number of       
    Christians. 

It seems senseless to me to send millions of letters to Israel protesting the
passage of anti-missionary bill, and then financial support to those who seek
to pass the bill, and restrict the religious rights of Messianic Jews in
Israel.

Shalom, 

KAM

**************************************************************************