Posted on 07/12/2014 4:31:39 AM PDT by rhema
Conservative Christians have generally been known for their enthusiastic support for the Jewish state. But a new movement of young activists is seeking to change that.
In 2010, a film was released that perfectly encapsulated the erosion of Evangelical Christian support for Israel. The film, With God on Our Side, featured a young man learning about the Palestinian struggle and coming to see Israel not as evidence of God’s faithfulness, but as a mean and heartless nation enabled by American Evangelicals who have embraced Zionist ideology.
The film’s narrative of peace-loving Palestinians mistreated by heartless Israelis and their Christian Zionist supporters has been repackaged and promoted again and again by anti-Israel activists in some of the most influential Evangelical institutions in the United States. These activists, often in high positions, have found eager disciples in places like the megachurch campus of Willow Creek and the academic halls of Wheaton College, one of America’s preeminent Evangelical institutions. And they have been able to exploit the resources of popular Evangelical development organizations like World Vision.
Exposing these activists and their strategy is key to thwarting their efforts to undermine Evangelical support for Israel.
(Excerpt) Read more at thetower.org ...
10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.
But concerning Israel he says: “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
This is a very "touchy" subject with many US Christians. Thanks to the Scofield Bible "study notes" first appearing in 1908, updated in 1967 and still vastly popular today.
Many advocate that the aim of the "study notes" to the New Testament (Covenant) was to establish a base of US evangelicals who believe Israel comes first; believe God’s Old Testament covenant with Abraham gives Jews today unconditional blessing from God and unconditional ownership of Palestine. AND, God's wrath threatens Israel's critics.
This is all from the well-executed Scofield notes to the New Testament; not from the scripture of the New Testament itself.
All-in-all I'd have to admit that Scofield, et al quite successfully reached their goal.
I would hope the time has come for American Christians to put away the Scofield version of Christianity. Maybe then we can begin a conversation that allows words like: "occupation", "justice", "negotiation", "peace" when the State of Israel is talked about.
Maybe :-)
Perhaps you'd care to enlighten us with the identities of a few of these "many?"
Your point?
Just replying to the statement you made in your reply to me (#17).
Romans 10 IS in the Bible ... and “Add day long .... etc” is from it.
Hope this helps.
Thanks!
I think you can do the research yourself. Here's where "Google" is your friend. :-)
If that's all you take away from those two chapters I suspect you should get along quite well with the other poster.
I can think of much easier ways to google "palestinian shlll" than going by way of the Scofield Study Bible....
That answer is ridiculous.
I encourage you to research the Scofield Bible Study background and content.
You appear to be someone who would benefit from turning down the knee-jerk rhetoric and this research would be a good place to start.
I sincerely wish you good luck.
Shalom.
Until you mentioned it, I’ve never heard of a “Scofield Bible”. I was raised upon the King James version. Thanks to the internet I can access other versions of it.
Indeed this is a very touchy subject I see. That’s why I tried to avoid side issues that other the poster seems bent on bring in but refused to fully discuss the only topic I had inquiries .
Most of my life I heard the importance of Israel in prophecy, specifically Revelations which always drew my attention I fear.
I was interested to hear from others on this subject but it hits too many controversial topics.
Too bad...
Far from it.
Your attempt to deconstruct the evangelical consensus by way of the Scofield Study Bible is about as parochial as feminists attributing abortion opposition to the oppression of women. (i.e. preaching to the converted)
That you can ignore the whole tone of love and longing in Romans 10 and 11 to cherry-pick the OT quote descriptive of Israel's obstinance, to say nothing of Ezekiel's Dry Bones vision, Isaiah's Regathering, or Daniel's Seventy Weeks, speaks of a mystical obstinacy in its own right.
Furthermore, if there were no biblical leanings regarding the legitimacy of modern Israel at all, one would still blanche at the effrontery of any attempt to contemn the Israeli people when considering the sheer depravity of those arrayed against them, both near and far.
Pray tell, how does one critically "discuss" the Law of Identity? A=A, or it does not.
Your "question" carries the same epistemological baggage as that of the Jehovah's Witness questioning the divinity of Christ, or the Trinity.
If you're looking for a nice simple verse, you're not going to find it, just as you won't find one for the Trinity, nor the Incarnation; that does not invalidate these foundational doctrines.
Indeed, understanding the validity and historicity of such doctrines is an education in and of itself, and is no more appropriate a question for a short form discussion board than asking for a brief synopsis of Western Civilization.
Thanks for sharing, Sweetie.
Now please go away.
Thanks for the feedback...I appreciate it. I stumbled onto “Zionism and Scofield Bible” about a year ago. And methinks you’re right... a discussion seems to hit a LOT of buttons all at once.
Thanks again :-)
Ah, the duplicity of those who campaign camouflaged as "discussion."
If you can't stand the heat....
You'll note by my sign-up date...I ain't going anywhere ;)
We’re going to agree to disagree...so let’s not drag it out.
And if possible, please leave it here.
Thanks.
The oppression of Christian evangelism in Israel doesn’t help.
Please look for the credentials and background of the "fruits and nuts," as well as the conspiracy theorists a simple google search of “Zionism and Scofield Bible” (without the quotes) brings to your attention.
Again, it's an education in and of itself....
I did.
Then my "knee-jerk rhetoric" is not only appropriate: it's rather measured.
Perhaps now you'd like to share some of your favorite Holocaust Denial links?
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