Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Helping Jewish Souls or Harming Jewish Bodies

JewishIsrael is upset with Laurie Cardoza-Moore.

LC-M has made an amazing pro-Yesha film (the trailer) and I was present at its screening which does not use any missionary or proselytizing themes.  She's making another, an anti-BDS documentary (and I was interviewed for it).  She has initiated successful moves in state legislatures to fight BDS.  But she is Christian and that really upsets the JI people.

So, why is JI now upset about these pro-Israel, pro-Zionist, pro-Yesha activities of hers even if she is Christian?

Laurie heads this group, PJTN, which seeks to

educates media professionals, Christian leaders and Christians around the world about the biblical responsibilities to act against the “new anti-Semitism.”
Some very good Jews have lent their support to it.  Isn't it good that Christians are being asked to join a pro-Israel group that campaigns against the new anti-Semitism?

Laurie is also UN Special Envoy for the World Council of Independent Christian Churches (WCICC) and she addressed special forum at the UN Headquarters in New York last month.

And what really bothers JI is that

The approach being taken by Cardoza-Moore is decidedly theological and biblical in nature, with the Nostra Aetate document of 1965 taking center stage. For the past several months Cardoza-Moore has been urging the Vatican to resurrect Nostra Aetate as a tool to influence world churches and to fight anti-Semitism.

I know, you are scratching your heads, asking yourselves, so what is really really upsetting JI.

Let's see how JI employs 'guilt-by-association':

It's important that Jewish leadership take note of the messianic Christian angle, too. The WCICC, a main sponsor of the UN forum, has the International Alliance of Independent Messianic Congregations and S... listed as their top "direct" ministry". An article on the PJTN site affirms that:

"The WCICC exists to unite independent Christian & Messianic Churches regarding their Biblical Inheritance and Responsibility, including a stand with our Jewish brethren and the State of Israel."

But that isn't enough.  Here is JI's main charge:

While every committed Jew can fully appreciate gentiles who take a moral stand with the State of Israel, Cardoza-Moore's own stand comes with some extra heavy "biblical" baggage:

"The Bible is clear from Genesis to Revelation that God will keep His Covenant with His people, all Israel. The Apostle Paul confirms that truth in the book of Romans, Chapters 9 -11. Christians are grafted into that Covenant through Jesus. The Apostle Paul said in Galatians 3:29, “If you are in Christ, you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise." The promise Paul was referring to is the same promise God made to Abraham in Genesis, and then repeated it to Isaac and Jacob. Paul further stated in Ephesians 2:11-13, that we, Gentiles in the flesh, were once outside of the commonwealth of Israel, but because of Jesus’ shed blood, we have been brought into the commonwealth of Israel."

It would appear that by laying joint claim to our covenant, Christians like Cardoza-Moore are indeed replacing the Jewish Covenant with their own Christian interpretation of it, thereby denying the Jewish people the uniqueness of Hashem’s eternal promise to them.

Are they, though, replacing ?  

JI assumes that this is replacement theology.  Even if it is, if, that is, what we have here is the recognition that Jesus was ... Jewish.  What has all this to do with support for Israel --- unless JI, besides its suspicions, has actual proof of Laurie engaged in, pardon my language, snatching Jewish souls?  How far a net can JI toss (and no, I am not referring to John 21 or Luke 5) to denigrate proffered assistance?  Is this truly a denial of God's unique covenantal promise to the Jews or a recognition of the same?

I do know that Laurie and friends have not tried to convert me to Christiamity and would ask that if anyone does know of a case or cases to inform me of same.  Until, then, I extend support and appreciation to Laurie for defending in an activist fashion the state of Israel and its Biblical inheritance - religious, spiritual, cultural, legal and geographical.

I would suggest to all of us to review the material, the 'proofs' and the perhaps untruths and weigh whether JI is helping Jewish souls - or not even that - or maybe harming Jewish bodies.

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