Evangelicals and Jews Together - An Unlikely Alliance

It may sound strange, but it's true: Aside from Jews, the strongest American supporters of Israel are Evangelical Christians, many of whom fervently believe God has granted the Jewish people a divine right to rule over historic Palestine. At times like the present, when the Jewish state is largely friendless in a hostile world, the Israelis depends on the backing of this politically potent bloc of American voters to exhort Washington to look favorably upon its interests.

"I think it would be fair to say that Evangelical support for Israel and its legitimate security interests has been paramount to Israel's support in Congress and in many administrations, second only to the Jewish Committee itself," says Republican political consultant Ralph Reed. "The Jewish community has played a strong role in keeping the Democratic party strongly pro-Israel, and Evangelicals have played a similar role among Republicans."

In 1998, Benjamin Netanyahu, who was then prime minister of Israel, was not falsely flattering an Evangelical audience in Washington when he said to them: "We have no greater friends and allies than the people sitting in this room." Indeed, as Columbia University religion scholar Randall Balmer puts it: "Evangelicals have been very charitable, to say the least, toward Israel, because they believe the Jews are the Chosen People of God, even though they failed to recognize Jesus as Messiah. They believe that God's promises to Israel are still good, and that any nation that doesn't line up with Israel is against God."

The story of how this idea came to dominate the thinking of millions of Christians is one of the great tales of American popular religion, one that has more to do with the best-seller list than the writings of the ancient Church fathers.

It begins with a novel theory of the End Times developed by an Englishman, John Nelson Darby, who taught in the 1830s and 1840s that Christians would be taken instantaneously out of the world in the "Rapture" before Christ returns. Darby's views became known as dispensationalism," because he divided God's dealing with mankind in history into three consecutive "dispensations." The first dispensation was the Mosaic Law, through which God offered salvation to the Jews through the observance of His commandments. This age closed with the coming of Christ, who instituted the age of Grace, in which God became preoccupied with Christians. The third and final stage will begin with the return of Jesus, who will establish a literal thousand-year reign upon the earth.

"Dispensationalists see a clear distinction between God's program for Israel and God's program for the church," reads a statement issued by the Dallas Theological Seminary, a leading center of dispensationalist learning. "God is not finished with Israel. The church didn't take Israel's place. They have been set aside temporarily, but in the end times will be brought back to the promised land, cleansed, and given a new heart."

This is not what Christians prior to Darby had believed. The traditional Christian reading of Scripture, dating from the early Church fathers, held that the Jews' rejection of the Messiah abrogated, or at least reduced the significance of, God's covenant with them. As the Rev. Gregory Mathewes-Green, an Antiochian Orthodox priest explains, "The Church's classical understanding is that she herself is the 'Israel of God,' the authentic continuation of the People of God, both ethnic Jews who accepted Jesus as Messiah and Gentile converts who, to use St. Paul's language, were 'grafted on.'"

Dispensationalists, who scorn the traditional teaching as "Replacement Theology," go further. As indicated above, they proclaim that the Bible foretells that the final stage of history before the advent of the Antichrist and the Second Coming of Christ would see an ingathering of diaspora Jews from around the world to the Biblical land of Israel — a development that the 19th-century world could scarcely have foreseen. The beginnings of the Zionist movement in the latter part of that century energized American dispensationalists, who had grown in number thanks to the efforts of an extremely successful evangelist named D. L. Moody, who is chiefly responsible for introducing dispensationalism to America.

But it was the publication in 1909 of the Scofield Reference Bible, which has never gone out of print, that institutionalized what had been a radical new teaching. "The Scofield Bible provided a template for reading the Bible through dispensationalist eyes," says Ballmer. "It became enormously popular, and it really brought dispensationalism to the masses."

Theologian Martin Marty tells NRO that the advent of Pentecostalism and the clash of fundamentalism with modernism in the 1920s caused a fusion of Evangelicals, Pentecostals, and Fundamentalists, who, despite some doctrinal differences, banded together under the dispensationalist banner. As Baptist church historian Timothy Weber notes in an informative Christianity Today article, "By the Twenties, many fundamentalists considered dispensationalism a nonnegotiable part of Christian orthodoxy. Since then, the system has been nurtured through an elaborate network of schools, publishing houses, mission agencies, radio and television programming, and the like. Channel surfers on cable TV know that dispensationalists are master communicators."

There's no greater example of that than the chart-busting success of Hal Lindsey's The Late Great Planet Earth, the apocalyptic tome that became the top-selling book of the 1970s. Lindsey claimed that the founding of Israel in 1948 was God's sign that the Last Days — the Rapture, the Antichrist, Armageddon — are upon us. Though Lindsey's crystal ball proved unreliable in ensuing decades, the mega-selling Left Behind novels pick up today where Lindsey left off. Dispensationalists ideas have so informed the popular culture that it isn't odd to find Catholic fans of Left Behind shocked to learn that their Church doesn't believe in the Rapture.

But tens of millions of Protestant Christians (though not all Evangelicals) do, and they tend to back Israel with an uncritical fervor that exceeds that of even some American Jews. The Israeli government tapped this deep, unlikely vein of support in the 1970s, and has assiduously courted these Christians for a generation — especially because many self-described "Christian Zionists" back Israeli settlements in the occupied territories as part of God's prophetic plan. One of the leading Christian Zionist organizations is the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, a nondenominational Protestant group (without diplomatic standing) which established a presence in the Israeli capital in 1980.

"We're trying daily to encourage the Israeli people," says Susan Michael, director of ICEJ's Washington office. "The Israelis are very depressed. We want to let them know that they have friends who understand the battle they're in."

Esther Levens is a Jew and a Kansas Republican who founded an ecumenical group called National Unity Coalition for Israel, a network of over 200 Jewish and Christian congregations who pray for, donate to and lobby on behalf of the Jewish state. She chides American Jews for being "a little short-sighted" in not properly valuing the efforts Christian conservatives make for Israel.

Aside from dissenting from Christian conservatives on many domestic issues, some Jewish leaders look upon organizations like ICEJ warily, fearing these Christians support Israel only as a prelude to evangelizing Jews. (ICEJ explicitly renounces proselytizing Jews, which has earned it criticism from Jews for Jesus and other evangelical groups.)

"If that's the reason they support Israel, that would be of great concern to me," Levens responds. "But I find so many truly dedicated Christians who are involved because of a growing awareness of their Jewish roots, and who feel they owe a real debt of gratitude, historically, to the Jews."

Others in the Jewish community are grateful for Christian political and financial backing, but resent the notion that Israel is worth supporting because it fits into an apocalyptic endgame scenario not shared by Jews — particularly because the dispensationalist script predicts the Jews will convert en masse to Christianity at the end of time.

Palestinian Christians resent it, period. They overwhelmingly belong to either the Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholic churches, neither of which accepts dispensationalist theology (a small number belong to mainline Protestant confessions, which also reject that creed). Since the 1948 war, the once-sizable Christian population has dwindled to a mere two percent of the three million Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem. Most of them have emigrated to the West.

Suzan Sahori lives in the Christian village of Beit Sahour, east of Bethlehem. NRO reached her yesterday as her town was literally being taken over by Israeli troops. Speaking frantically over her cell phone, Sahori said, "The situation is very bad. We feel abandoned in this moment. I don't care whether you're Protestant, Latin, Orthodox, whatever you are. We're human beings!"

Palestinian Christians felt abandoned by Christians in America long before the recent wave of violence. They are perhaps more estranged than ever these days, with a recent poll revealing that Americans back Israel in this conflict five-to-one. There aren't enough dispensationalists in the United States to explain why so many American Christians feel a strong obligation to support Israel. The Islamic suicide bombers — whom Sahori supports — surely have a lot to do with it, as does America's feeling about Arab terrorism since September 11 (the image of dancing in the streets of Ramallah when the Twin Towers fell is not easily forgotten). "Now you know how we feel," an Israeli said to an American then.

Along these lines, Fr. Mathewes-Green suggests a possible answer, in the form of a question — a moral query thoughtful Christians should ask themselves: "Does the Christian have a responsibility to a small nation, populated in part by survivors or descendants of a genocide, in a hostile environment? I believe this very important question should be separated from the faulty assumptions of the dispensationalists."

I only wish it were a two way street. The National Council of Jewish Women just sued the state of Louisiana because the new "Choose Life" license plates there advances "Christian fundamentalism."¹

The Jewish ADL is opposing the teaching of "intelligent design" in classrooms.²

I just don't get it. For a pluralistic society to work, there must be give and take. Christians are not out trying to drive Jews out of the public square, aren't taking them to court every other day. A Republican introduced the bill funding the Holocaust Museum in DC (where religious ceremonies are held). Jews could reciprocate. Or at least call off the dogs. Denounce the hate speech by people such as Randi Rhodes and these people.

I have to give credit to evangelicals. Anyone messed with me the way they are messed with and I would not support anything they did.

"The article is wrong on one thing: it was not Darby's dispensationalist interpretation which triggered an understanding of Israel's continuing role in Bible Prophecy and history. It's plain for anyone reading the book of Romans."

Exactly -- Thank you. Why do these people write things like this before becoming familiar with true Biblical Christianity?

For example, how does he draw the conclusion that Christians and Jews are an "unlikely alliance"? Not only is this guy seemingly unfamiliar with Scripture and overly-concerned about the "traditions" of what some of the denominations "believe," but he forgot to complete his history homework, as well. Christianity was borne of Judaism.

NEWSFLASH, Mr. Dreher: The first Christians were Jews!

I only wish it were a two way street. The National Council of Jewish Women just sued the state of Louisiana because the new "Choose Life" license plates there advances "Christian fundamentalism."

IMO it should be a two way street. I’m OK with a Choose Live license plate, though I think if it’s offered a Choose Death plate should be offered too. That council means nothing to me. A Choose Life plate also advances my religion, you know that. And I bet that council isn’t the only one in opposition.

The Jewish ADL is opposing the teaching of "intelligent design" in classrooms.2

We’ve discussed that. I advocate it to my children. None of the ADL’s business.

I listened to RR on the web a few months ago on your advice. She’s an idiot, so what. Not the only one. We have a few in Chicago as bad or worse, though they're not Jewish. I don’t know who introduced the Holocaust Museum bill, I believe you when you say it’s a R (but I bet there were scores of other sponsers). That’s great. I’m a conservative R, but I won’t “reciprocate”. Those noahide guys are nuts, but I think the Noahides are very important

I have to give credit to evangelicals. Anyone messed with me the way they are messed with and I would not support anything they did.Lots of evangelicals may not think they’ve been messed with as much as you, some may think more, but that's not the issue they should follow their faith, none of this is about payback.

Evangelicals I know just glide along unconcerned who likes them or not. I was surprised to find out many of them don't even vote. Took me 3 years to convince one to register. Didn't know Randi Rhodes is on the net now. She is very popular in South Florida. Amazing because all she does now is bash the war. Today's rant was about how we hurt the Afghan people and they'll hate us forever. She is a Noam Chomsky in drag with a voice which makes Lynn Samuel sound like a nightengale.

Evangelicals I know just glide along unconcerned who likes them or not. I was surprised to find out many of them don't even vote. Took me 3 years to convince one to register.

That's worthwhile.

Didn't know Randi Rhodes is on the net now. She is very popular in South Florida. Amazing because all she does now is bash the war. Today's rant was about how we hurt the Afghan people and they'll hate us forever. She is a Noam Chomsky in drag with a voice which makes Lynn Samuel sound like a nightengale.

I only knew about her from you. Her opinions *uck, but she has a brain. I'll return the favor. Check these guys out Sunday pm, brainless. (http://www.wls890am.com/showdj.asp?DJID=1667).

Nancy Skinner and Ski Anderson. Bigger market, longer range, Chomsky who? They just learned to say Aaar-a-FAT. They look smart, don't they. Pablum for those whose opinions are already fixed. Like your RR. Don't let them get under your skin.

There is no other topic on FR where people read more into what posters say than these threads. I am not "upset" about anything. I merely am pointing out that evangelicals get kicked in the teeth for supporting Israel. That is a fact. There is little gratitude whatsoever. The Jewish left is on a Jihad against Christian evangelicals. I point it out because those engaged in driving Christians out of the public square, those who claim Christians only support Israel because they want to convert all Jews should be ashamed of what they do.

The Jewish left is on a Jihad against Christian evangelicals

The Jewish left is on a Jihad against religion, including Judaism, because they see traditional religious values as a threat to their socialist agenda. OTOH, liberals prefer to view Islam as a "religion" adaptable to socialist goals, while ignoring the violent fundamentalism that is a threat to the religions they despise.

Unfortunately, the Jewish left has been so outspoken and visible, they are the "Jews" most Christians notice the most, and so many take them to represent American Jews in general.

Evangelicals don't support Israel because we hope to get praise from Jews, we support Israel because it is the right thing to do.

Maybe I'm reading more into your posts than what is said, but I don't think so. Almost every time I see you on an Israel thread, you don't even comment on the topic posted, instead you post something about Jewish Communists or Jewish leftists.

If you want to start a thread about Jewish Communists or about how leftist Jews in America are go ahead, it is obviously the issue that you find to be the most important, but don't interject that topic into other issues. I'll give you a hint: "Saudi Newspaper claims that Jews use non-Jewish baby blood to make Matzoh balls" has nothing to do with Jewish communists.

The political opinions of those discussed in a thread are revelent. This is a political forum after all.

But lets say I agree with you. We will leave political inclinations out of the discussion. Let's have threads about black Americans and not mention Gore got 91% of their vote. Let's have threads about the NAACP and not mention its socialist history. Let's talk about Barbara Lee (D-Ca) and not bring up her ties to the CPUSA. We should not point out that Southerners tend to be pro-state's rights. We can have threads on feminism too and ignore Friedan was a card carry member of the CPUSA. When we talk about lawyers, we can ignore the history of the Lawyer Guild and what the agenda of the Trial Lawyers is. When we discuss Catholics, let us not say anything about the Church's history of opposing socialism.

Free Republic will be sure a better place if no one is allowed to point out or comment on the obvious. We can play pretend.

Of course I know evangelicals don't expect anything back for supporting Israel. That doesn't mean those watching from the sidelines should not point out the ingratitude.

Whenever any of my fellow Catholics trot out the "Darby" shiboleth regarding "end times," my eyes glaze over and all possibility of serious consideration ceases. We don't seem to understand that the Evangelicals have put ALOT more effort into researching this subject. Their studies so dwarf the Catholic effort it seems like the elementary math student trying to critique a professor. We have adequate and satisfying arguments for just about any other Catholic/Protestant disagreement; this one is the glaring exception.

If you look back at the history of my posts, I have many times noted that the majority of Jews in America are liberal. Although, I would probably call these people liberals and not Jews. However, I do so when appropriate, you seem to have an obsession with it and point it out in every single thread.

You also seem to have a dislike for Jews in general. If someone says that Jews are generally non-violent, you quickly respond with something about Communists. If someone were to say that Christians were non-violent and a Jewish person were to say that they were and that the Nazis were an example of this you would accuse this person of being anti-Christian; and you would be right, the Nazis were in no way Christians.

The difference between you and me, is that I don't blame Judaism for the Jewish liberals, I blame liberalism. There is nothing in the Jewish holy book that would make someone be pro-abortion, I know I have read their holy book. The liberals in the United States are not liberal because of Christianity or Judaism (and there are many more liberals in this country who claim to be Christian than Jewish), rather they are liberal in spite of Judaism and Christianity.

I agree with you 100% that we are not taught enough about the tens of millions of people killed by the Communists. But the Communists certainly weren't Jews. Did the Communists qoute the Old Testament when they massacred, did the Nazis qoute the New Testament when they massacred?- of course not. The evil forces in this sense were Naziism and Communism, not Judaism or Christianity.

In the same vein I do blame Osama Bin Laden and his ilk on Islam. Islam is what inspired the hijackers, and it is what inspires the Palestinians, and all the other radical Muslims in the world. Islam is an evil force just like Naziism and Communism.

To blame the tens of millions of deaths under Communism on Judaism is not only wrong, but can only be achieved through a selective reading of history of someone with an agenda.

I blame liberalism too. If you look at my posts, I bring up what I do when others are attacked. Don't feel like sitting back and hearing about how IBM and the Catholic Church aided and abetted the Holocaust without mentioning what the other side did. There is a thread right now that is typical. Our loyal ally Turkey is being trashed for what happened to Armenians 80 odd years ago. The reason for the trashing? One Turkish politician made one stupid comment about Israel. Rather than ignore the comment, Israel and many on FR are making a big deal of it. An incredibly stupid move as Turkey has been friendly to Israel and is the voice of separating church and state in the region.

I'm not sure I even know where to begin...

1) Salvation, according to the Christian tradition, rests soley with one's acceptance of Jesus as your Lord and Savior. One's political opinion regarding the current middle east crisis is not relevant.

2) I have many many Jewish friends and family members...their political opinions are about as liberal as you can get. They oppose virtually every item of the conservative political agenda.

3) Most Jewish friends and family members with whom I am close have a very very low opinion of evangelical christians....they think that they are a bunch of ignorant rednecks, mostly

"Reform jewry in america is dying...primarily as a result of interfaith marriage"

I'm a member of a reform synagogue, and the christian in an interfaith marriage. There are a lot of mixed marriages in the temple, and we are doing just fine, numerically speaking.

I get annoyed when I hear folks talk about jewish-christian marriages like its some sort of communicable disease. We are not destroying judaism...but we are changing it. Given the large number of christians in our temple, the community has had to alter its views on things...politically and culturally. I think its a healthy process that brings in more points of view, as opposed to a narrow, ethnocentric viewpoint that has dominated judaism for some time.

Well I agree with a lot of what you say, but my opinion of you changed when on a different thread an elderly Jewish Freeper said that when he was younger he suffered because of anti-Semitism, you replied that he suffered nothing compared to the Christians under Kaganovitch (I think that is the name you used). Apparently Kaganovitch was a "Jewish" Communist.

The absurdity of such a comment was not lost on me. If someone were to say that Christians are discriminated against in the United States (and many Freepers, including myself, say this every day) and a Jewish person were to say that they suffered nothing compared to the Jews under Hitler. You and I would both call that person anti-Christian.

Everyone has a right to their opinion, and we certainly have anti-Evangelicals, anti-Catholics, and anti-Semites on FR. As long as people are honest with their opinions I usually tend to ignore them, I'm responding to you only because you claim to be pro-Israel.

Unlike some (not you) on these threads I'm pro-American first. I think Israel has every moral right to hit back at those trying to destroy her. The sooner and harder the better. When our interests coincide, we should be allies. But Americans should have no illusions about Israel. They are not in the class of the British when it comes to being friends. As official policy, they have damaged America in the past and probably will in the future (the Brits did too but because of traitors in their midst). Israel is a nationalistic theocratic socialist state. There is nothing we should borrow from Israel and we should prevent Israel, as far as possible, from messing in our internal affairs.

My attitude isn't unique toward Israel. I believe the same about most countries. Israel comes up only because, right now, their actions have a great effect on our security.

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