Comment

Comment by Yehoshua Friedman on December 9, 2014 at 7:45pm

I agree, but I didn't base my judgment of the particular individual on that one event but from a long series of encounters carefully monitored and kept private. I am avoiding having anything to do with the "industry" and prefer to educate privately. Keep up the good work.

Comment by Jewish Israel on December 9, 2014 at 6:53pm

Yehoshua, first of all, from the testimony of former christian missionaries who became Gerei Tzedek and from Jews who were formerly missionaries who did teshuva, they all say that they would have lied through their teeth when answering your questions, in order to fully win your trust for bigger prizes another day.

It's all nice and dandy that there are truly christian individuals who are truly looking for the truth. And we should help then when we can, as long as that does not put other Jews at spiritual risk. But this has become a big financially profit-making industry and we Jews have simply opened the flood gates, thinking that we were born to tread water. Good intentions. Road to hell.

Comment by Yehoshua Friedman on December 9, 2014 at 6:26pm

I couldn't agree more when you are talking about the high-profile preachers with a track record as you correctly portray it. But with the rank and file and even some leaders who are not that locked into the movement and the agenda, the direction could be different. There are lower-level leaders, who have to be carefully examined, of course, who give a higher priority to the "roots" or "younger brother" aspect as opposed to the evangelizing of Jews for JC. I myself have connections with Christians, one of whom says, flat out, "evangelize me". I have heard many evangelical Christians who say they would not proselytize religiously committed Jews but would not hesitate to answer all questions at length about what they believe and even approach Jews who are unaffiliated and especially in a life crisis when they need help. So great was my surprise when a few years ago Pastor X sat with me and a rabbi with whom he had come on a trip from the US. I asked the pastor what he would say if a Jewish guy came to him saying that he was in trouble and needed spiritual help and his friend Tim told him to go to Pastor X who would tell him all about Jesus. He pointed to the rabbi and said that is where he would send him. I admit that so far those people are a small minority, but we still have to search for them and cultivate them without giving them an enthusiastic public "hechsher".