Evangelical Group Says Jews Need Conversion

Deseret News ^ | Oct 12, 2002 | AP

[jstone78]

Evangelical Group Says Jews Need Conversion

WHEATON, Ill. (AP) — The World Evangelical Alliance is taking issue with an August report from U.S. Roman Catholic bishops that opposes efforts to target Jews for conversion.

The evangelical organization, an alliance of 120 national and regional church fellowships and 75 non-denominational ministries, has reaffirmed and reissued a declaration defending Jewish evangelism that was written in 1989 by 16 theologians from nine nations.

One of those theologians, the Rev. J.I. Packer, an Anglican teaching at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, endorsed the reaffirmation. "Sharing Jesus Christ with our Jewish friends is as important a task as ever it was," he said.

The 27-point statement decries anti-Semitism and confesses that Christian churches have "been much to blame for tolerating and encouraging it," but says this history doesn't remove the right to share Christianity with Jews.

The Catholic bishops said deepened appreciation of God's unbroken covenant with the Jewish people means "campaigns that target Jews for conversion to Christianity are no longer acceptable in the Catholic Church."

But the evangelical paper defends such targeted evangelism and denies that Israel's covenant relationship by itself brings salvation or that "any person can enjoy God's favor apart from the mediation of Jesus Christ."

"Faith in Jesus Christ is humanity's only way to come to know the Creator," the paper asserts.

[jstone78]

The group of American Catholic Bishops who made the claim that Jews are exempt from the message of the Gospel, went against the teachings of the Catholic Church, Catholic Catechism, and Catholic Canon Law. They made the statement in order to appear to be politically-correct. They do not speak either for the worldwide church, or for American Catholics on this issue.

The central message of Christianity over the last 2,000 years, about Jesus Christ being the one and ONLY path to salvation for ALL peoples, has not changed.

[ml/nj]

The central message of Christianity over the last 2,000 years, about Jesus Christ being the one and ONLY path to salvation for ALL peoples, has not changed.

I'm curious. What is your position on Moses? Is he rotting in Hell? Did he go to Heaven, or neither?

ML/NJ

[AmericaUnited]

I Corith. 23 .".but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."

Attn. Bishops! Read your bibles!

[AmericaUnited]

Gee, when was Moses alive during or after Christ's time?

[frnewsjunkie]

I won't tell you what I think... but will remind you what the Bible says.

In the Old Testament, God reckoned Abraham's belief and obedience, as Righteousness. One can assume God did the same for Moses and others who believed and obeyed God.

Though it was different in the Old Testament, there was a place for those who belived God and obeyed Him.... awaiting the fulfillment of God's promise, to send His Son.

After Jesus Christ went to the cross... the Bible says there is no other way but Jesus.

Read it for yourself. It's all there.

[Restorer]

A "no one comes to the Father except throught me" bump.

[AmericaUnited]

The Catholic bishops said deepened appreciation of God's unbroken covenant with the Jewish people means "campaigns that target Jews for conversion to Christianity are no longer acceptable in the Catholic Church."

The apostle Paul, the New Testament's foremost theologian (other than Jesus) went around preaching to Jews and Gentiles. Jesus himself appeared to Paul and commissioned him to preach salvation to both the Greek (gentile) and the Jew. These bishops could not unlatch Paul's sandal buckle and yet they dare contradict what he taught?! It's almost funny.

[elbucko]

This sort of "Log in the Eye" stuff always bothers me.

[elbucko]

"Sharing Jesus Christ with our Jewish friends is as important a task as ever it was," he said.

THAT'S the main reason my Jewish friends vote Democrat. To be left alone.

[Jack Black]

So God created millions of people and then damned them straight to hell because they did not have the opportunity to know anything about Jesus? That is what you are claiming.

This would include almost all of sub-sahara Africa prior to 1800, most all of Asia prior to 1800AD, all of the new world prior to 1500AD. Much of Europe prior to 1000 AD. Much of the moslem world to this day.

That doesn't seem "all loving" to me, it seems rather sadistic. However I don't think the all loving God would do that, so I choose to believe that there are other paths to God for other peoples in other times.

Not even all Jews knew of Jesus at the time of his death. The Jews had already been spread wide, there was no CNN. Despite the best efforts of Peter, Paul and the rest many probably never heard of Jesus for generations after he lived. So by following the laws that God had handed down to them for 1500 years, just as their fathers had, to the best of their ability, these Jews were also condemmened to hell?

This is what chosen by God means?

And this is the compassionate God?

[lews]

Your question isn't exactly clear. I'm guessing you are wondering if, and how, Moses could be saved if he lived and died long before Christ died.

If you would read the old testament you would find that shortly after the fall of man the sacrificial system was instituted. The sacrifice of the lamb foreshadowed (was symbolic of) the sacrifice of Christ.

The whole issue of the sacrificial system is quite interesting, you may want to look into it.

[joesnuffy]

In the begining was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God
Jesus has been from the begining..with Shadrak & friends in the fiery furnace and with Daniel in the lions den..

He appeared to, walked with, and ate with Abraham....

Mark 9: 2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was
transfigured before them,

3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them

. 4 And there appeared to
them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

5 Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three
dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

6 He did not know what to say, for they were terrified.

7 Then a cloud
overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!"

8 Suddenly when they looked around,
they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what
they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

[M. Thatcher]

Earth to AP: DUH. Look up the word "evangelical." Evangelicals say everyone needs conversion. It's what they believe. This is NOT NEWS.

What's next: "Jewish Group Says Seder Important to Them"?

[Jack Black]

"Sharing Jesus Christ with our Jewish friends is as important a task as ever it was," he said.

THAT'S the main reason my Jewish friends vote Democrat. To be left alone.

Well it's a myth that the Republicans are a part of the World Evangelical Association, but one the Dem's do a lot to perpetuate. D vs. R has a lot to do with political realities but almost nothing to do with whether Jews are bothered by evangelicals, Johovah's Witnesses, Mormons or anyone else. Even the Dems have not proposed making prostelitizing illegal. Though, given time, they may. Likewise the R's have not made it manditory, or easier. In other words, I think if Jews really are doing that they are being totally irrational and basing their political decisions on absurdities.

[Bella_Bru]

Gee, maybe they can re-open the pogroms.

[elbucko]

I think if Jews really are doing that they are being totally irrational and basing their political decisions on absurdities.

I wholeheartedly agree with you, but religion and politics are not necessarily rational to the human mind. The Fundamental side of ANY religion does not help the cause of the political idea it is associated with.

[agrace]

One can assume God did the same for Moses and others who believed and obeyed God

Hebrews 11 states very specifically that He did just that.

[The KG9 Kid]

I think that if there's anything America should have learned after 9/11 it should have been 'Keep your totalitarian religious beliefs to yourself'.

If God wants to reach each one of us in His own way, He won't send fanatic hijackers crashing into the WTC, Catholics to convert the Jews through Inquisition, or glassy-eyed idiots holding comic books to knock on our front doors .

In short, keep your religion out of my face and you won't get hurt.

[Bella_Bru]

glassy-eyed idiots holding comic books to knock on our front doors .

The JWs are the most annoying, aren't they?