5/13/2015

ConfrontingProvocativeMissionaries

23 Iyar 5769 May 17, 2009

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Confronting Provocative Missionaries

By HaRav Ariel Bar Tzadok. Copyright (C) 2009 by Ariel Bar Tzadok. All rights reserved.

On Friday, May 15th Israeli (English)

news reports reported that a group of
socalled "Messianic Jews" were
attacked by a group of religious (and
secular) Jews as they attempted to
distribute their missionary material.
As a personal policy I have long
condemned any types of provocation that promote violence. Yet, here in this instance and others like
them, blame must be placed squarely at the feet of these missionary socalled Jews. I can only wish
that they were not subject to violent attack, whereas at the same time I only wish they did not
participate in activities that understandably solicit such a response.
Yes, socalled Messianic Jews provoke violence and even solicit it with their offensive beliefs and their
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provocative behaviors of pushing their radical, fundamentalist views onto unsuspecting innocent
bystanders. These provocateurs rightly need to be exposed for who they truly are. I believe it is
important that we set the record straight on a number of issues.
First, the name "Messianic" Jews as applied to Jewish converts to Christians is a deceptive misnomer. It
is a principle of Torah faith to believe in the coming of the messiah, therefore, in a way, all Torah
faithful Jews are "messianic." However, when these socalled "Jews" use this term, they do so with the
specific and clear intent to hide their association and affiliation with Christian beliefs. Personally, I
feel that Christians should find this term more insulting than do we Jews. This term "Messianic Jews"
clearly distinguishes and separates this group from the greater Christian community. I would think that
Christians would view this term as divisive and seek the end of its usage.
The term "Messianic Jews" is the title that Jewish converts to Christianity have taken for themselves in
their attempt to psychologically convince themselves that they still maintain some semblance of
connection to Judaism and the greater Jewish community in spite of the fact that the theology they
have embraced makes such a connection impossible.
Second, Christian theology in its present form is rather absolute. It presents Christianity as the
replacement of Judaism and its superior. It replaces the requirement of observing Torah
commandments with the belief that Yeshu is the "son of god" and one's "personal savior." Needless to
say, Torah is based upon the necessity of observing the Law and one of those Laws is the repudiation of
belief in a triune deity and in believing that a human being is a god or should be worshipped as god.
There is no Christianity without belief in the divinity of Yeshu and there is no Judaism without belief in
the repudiation of idolatry. Therefore the two religions are mutually exclusive. In the theological
arena, there is no room for compromise; it is an "either/or" situation. I might add that regardless of
whatever religious disagreements the Torah community may have with the Reform and Conservative
Jewish communities, in this one area all seem to agree. Once a Jew embraces Christian theology, he
has removed himself from Judaism.
Good Jewish/Christian relations therefore are not built upon futile discussions about theology, but
rather upon addressing other issues of mutually important moral and social concerns. There are
millions and millions of good, Gd fearing, moral and righteous Christians in this world, many of whom
are sincere and true friends of the Jewish people. These sincere and good people stand firm in their
faith and encourage Jews to do the same. These sincere and good people are not the ones sending
missionaries into the heart of the Holy Land attempting to rip Jews away from their people, culture
and heritage. Then along comes the dangerous missionaries and create all kinds of havoc attempting to
wreck the otherwise good relationship existing between the two communities.
These socalled Messianics have created an identity for themselves where they are neither welcomed
nor embraced by either sincere Christians or by sincere Torah Jews. These groups have created an
identity for themselves which causes everyone great consternation. Messianic Jews are thus neither
Jews nor Christians but some rather strange cultlike bizarre group somewhere on the fringe.
Messianic Jews are an embarrassment to sincere Christians and they are a source of hostile emotion to
Jews. Their spewing of fire and brimstone, spiritual death and condemnation for all "nonbelievers"
should be investigated by the appropriate legal authorities to see if it is protected religious speech or if
it is nothing other than virulent hate speech directed at everyone who does not accept their views.
Messianic Jews are a group to be pitied. They are misguided and rejected, and mostly due to their own
faults. They want to be something that they are not and can never be. They want to be accepted as
fullfledged Christians when at the same time they embrace elements of Judaism unacceptable to
Christianity. They want to be accepted as fullfledged Jews when at the same time they embrace
elements of Christianity unacceptable to Judaism.
Rightly so do Jews find this group to be repugnant and offensive. Righty so do sincere and true
Christians share with Jews a rejection of this group. I believe that if more sincere Christians stood up
and were outspoken and said to these socalled Messianics that if they truly wish to be accepted as
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Christians then they have to go all the way and abandon their shallow and deceptive embrace of trying
to look Jewish. This would give these socalled Messianics moment to pause, to think and to choose
where they wished to truly belong.
If many socalled Messianics choose the Christian path in fullness and sincerity, then so be it. It would
not be the first time in Jewish history that we have lost many members to other faiths. I wish them
good riddance. I will not pursue them nor miss them. I do however feel sorry for the other faith that
they adopt. If they were lousy Jews, I do not expect them to all of a sudden upon converting to
become anything better within their new chosen path.
If there are those Messianics who cannot emotionally disconnect themselves from their Jewish origins
then maybe that tug on their hearts is something that they should explore. Maybe the Voice of Torah is
calling them home to their native people and natural path. Maybe if the Messianics would open their
minds and hearts to the proper study of the Bible they would find what they seek in the sacred and
ancients Halls of Torah.
Messianics may have to give up their theology about Yeshu, but in doing so they would find what they
call the Living Word of Gd that was with Gd in the beginning. This is the sacred Torah; the same
Torah that has been maligned and misunderstood for centuries. There is no place like home but one
cannot see home from the outside or from a distance.
Sincere Christians and Jews need to unite and jointly reject the Messianic Jewish cult phenomena
and call upon its members to stop being the continuing source of hateful provocation that they
are.
Today Messianics are attacked in Israel for being missionaries, tomorrow they will be attacked in
America for being Judaisers (this is a derogatory word used by Christians). We can all do without the
attacks. We can all do without the theological war. Sincere Jews and Christians have many more
pressing issues before us both in moral and social agendas to allow this pitiful cult of misguided
individuals to continue to sow dissention, mistrust and hatred.
It would be wise and well for all sincere peoples of religion to rise up and confront this Messianic cult
and make it clear to them that their missionary activity is most unwelcome by Jews and Christians
alike. Maybe if we raise our voices, some might listen.

Shalom, HaRav Ariel Bar Tzadok

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