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Jews for Jesus is a Christian evangelical organization based in the United States whose goal is to convince Jews that Jesus is the Messiah and God. While Jews for Jesus describes itself as Jewish, Jewish organizations and denominations consider its beliefs incompatible with Judaism.
Beliefs
A summary of Jews for Jesus' beliefs, according to an article on Jews for Jesus by B. Robinson of Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance,
Their doctrinal statement is basically indistinguishable from Evangelical and other conservative Christian groups. It includes the following beliefs:
- in the divine inspiration and inerrancy of the Old and New Testaments, as originally written.
- God the creator exists as a Trinity, is perfect, all wise, all powerful and all loving.
- Jesus is the Messiah, the second person of the Trinity, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died for the sins of all humanity, rose again, and is co-equal with God. Jesus will return to earth in the near future.
- People are saved through a belief in Jesus as savior and an acknowledgment of their sins; not by their achievements.
- Heaven is a reward for those who are saved; Hell is a place of "everlasting conscious punishment" for the vast majority of humanity.
They differ from some Evangelical Christian groups in their belief that Israel continues to exist as a covenant people.
Incompatibility with Judaism
One of the most important Jewish principles of faith is the belief in one God and one God only with no partnership of any kind, and it is therefore impossible to profess Judaism and believe in Jesus at the same time. In his book A History of the Jews, Paul Johnson describes the schism between Jews and Christians caused by a divergence from this principle:
To the question, Was Jesus God or man?, the Christians therefore answered: both. After 70 AD, their answer was unanimous and increasingly emphatic. This made a complete breach with Judaism inevitable.
Christianity considers that the belief in the Trinity is not incompatible with Jewish Monotheism. It is a fundamental of mainstream Christianity, shared by Jews for Jesus, that there is only one God, even if manifested in three persons.
Leadership, funding and outreach
The organization was founded under the name Hineni Ministries in 1973 by Moishe Rosen, an ordained Baptist minister who was born Jewish but converted to Christianity at 17. Rosen remained its executive director until May of 1996 when he was replaced by David Brickner.
The group's financial support largely comes from a variety of Christian churches, "a number of Bible schools, and individual Christian donations..." It has "a full-time staff of 150 employees running branch offices in nine cities across the United States. There are also branch offices in Toronto, London, Paris, Buenos Aires, and Johannesburg."
According to Evangelical Council For Financial Accountability, the group's total income in FY2005 was $17,523,386.
Aims and organization
Jews for Jesus' official mission statement is "to make the Messiahship of Jesus an unavoidable issue to our Jewish people worldwide." They claim that belief in Jesus as Messiah is a fulfillment of the prophecies of Hebrew scripture. Rosen argues that Christianity is the fulfillment of scriptures. Through media advertisements, production and distribution of literature, producing music and organizing person-to-person evangelism, the organization asserts that "a specifically Jewish mission" is necessary, as "Jewish people tend to dismiss evangelistic methods and materials that are couched in Christian lingo, because they reinforce the assumption that Jesus is for 'them' not 'us.'"
According to its Executive Director, Jews for Jesus employs "only front-line missionaries who are Jewish or married to Jews". Stan Telchin, formerly associated with Jews for Jesus, wrote in A Loving Call to Unity that 80 percent of those who attend Messianic Synagogues are not Jewish. An official figure quoted to counter it pegged the number at 50 percent.
Methods of evangelizing
Large mailings and pamphleteering are the main methods used by Jews for Jesus. The organization uses colorful pamphlets and T-shirts to get their message across and is known for targeting vulnerable populations of Jews, such as immigrants, college students, senior citizens and interfaith couples. Evangelists are trained to recite phrases from the Hebrew Bible and to use Yiddish words in order to convince potential converts that Jews for Jesus maintain Jewish traditions.
Criticism
All mainstream Jewish groups (both secular and religious) strongly oppose Jews for Jesus; "here is virtual unanimity across all denominations that Jews for Jesus are not Jewish", and many see its proselytizing activities as a thinly-veiled attack on Judaism.
The Spiritual Deception Prevention Project at the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York states:
On several occasions leaders of the four major Jewish movements have signed on to joint statements opposing Hebrew-Christian theology and tactics. In part they said: "Though Hebrew Christianity claims to be a form of Judaism, it is not ... It deceptively uses the sacred symbols of Jewish observance ... as a cover to convert Jews to Christianity, a belief system antithetical to Judaism ... Hebrew Christians are in radical conflict with the communal interests and the destiny of the Jewish people. They have crossed an unbridgeable chasm by accepting another religion. Despite this separation, they continue to attempt to convert their former co-religionists."
In his 1997 book The Vanishing American Jew: In Search of Jewish Identity for the Next Century Alan Dershowitz wrote: "In America, and in other nations that separate church from state, one's Jewishness is a matter of self-definition ..." but notes: "I do not mean to include former Jews who practice Christianity under the deliberately misleading name Jews for Jesus. A Jew for Jesus already has a name: a Christian."
Some Christian churches see Jewish religious practice as valid in and of itself and thus object to evangelizing Jews.
The Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, an umbrella organization that includes Muslims, Jews, and church groups from the Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran and Presbyterian churches, has condemned Jews for Jesus as promoting activities "harmful to the spirit of interreligious respect and tolerance." The conference is also opposed to religious proselytizing in general. The conference also denounces the group's "deceptive proselytizing efforts", stating that when practiced on "vulnerable populations" such as the young or the elderly, these efforts are "tantamount to coerced conversions." The Rev. Clark Lobenstine, a Presbyterian (PCUSA) minister and executive director of the Conference, has stated that his group condemns Jews for Jesus and other messianic Jewish groups by name because they "go beyond the bounds of appropriate and ethically based religious outreach." Rick Ross, a self-declared "cult expert", has been critical of the organization as well and has included them on his website.
The Board of Governors of The Long Island Council of Churches, a group that is opposed to proselytizing of Jews in general, voiced similar sentiments in a statement that "noted with alarm" the "subterfuge and dishonesty" inherent in the "mixing religious symbols in ways which distort their essential meaning", and named Jews for Jesus as one of the three groups about whom such behavior was alleged.
Roman Catholic leaders have also spoken out against singling out Jews for conversion. In August 2002, the U.S. Bishops Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious affairs declared that the distinctive Jewish witness must be sustained if Catholics and Jews are to truly be as Pope John Paul II envisioned, “a blessing to one another.”
Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with Jewry, stated in November 2002: “This does not mean that Jews in order to be saved have to become Christians; if they follow their own conscience and believe in God’s promises as they understand them in their religious tradition, they are in line with God’s plan, which for us came to its historical completion in Jesus Christ.”
Support
Jews for Jesus defends its actions against these charges, stating:
"If a person believes the Bible and believes that Jesus is the only way of salvation (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Romans 10:9,10) and then that person declines to tell a Jewish friend about Christ, it indicates one of two things. Either that person has decided that the Jews are not worthy of the gospel, in which case he would be a racist, an anti-Semite and a hater of people instead of the lover of people that God wants him to be. Or perhaps he has judged the gospel as being unworthy of the Jews in which case he has trivialized the passion of Calvary and the awesome significance of Christ's resurrection."
Jews for Jesus is a member of numerous evangelical Christian groups: The World Evangelical Alliance, Canadian Council for Christian Charities, Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association, Evangelical Alliance of Great Britain, Evangelical Council on Financial Accountability, Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism, National Association of Evangelicals, The Internet Evangelism Coalition, and the World Evangelical Fellowship.
Jews for Jesus also note the lack of consensus on many issues in Judaism.
Litigations
1987 - Jews for Jesus sues for freedom of speech
The United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of Jews for Jesus in a 1987 suit it filed against the municipal agency in charge of Los Angeles International Airport that had barred the group from distributing leaflets at the airport as part of a larger ban on what they described as "First Amendment activities." Jews for Jesus challenged the airport's right to institute such a sweeping ban.
1992 - Jews for Jesus sues for civil rights violations
In 1992 New York Supreme Court ruled against Jews for Jesus in a suit the organization brought against the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC), an umbrella group representing 60 Jewish agencies in the metropolitan New York area. The case addressed the JCRC's 1985 warning to Long Island rabbis that Jews for Jesus was seeking a venue to conduct a Passover seder. Jews for Jesus sued the JCRC for violating its civil rights; the decision upheld a lower court ruling that the JCRC communication did not "go beyond the proposal stage" and that there was no evidence that any of the Long Island rabbis had actually contacted establishments for the purpose of discriminating against Jews for Jesus.
In a 1992 lawsuit brought by Jews for Jesus against the JCRC of New York, a United States Court of Appeals ruled that the efforts of the JCRC urging Jewish organizations not to patronize a New York country club because it allowed Jews for Jesus to hold its annual convention on its premises were not protected as an exercise of the JCRC's First Amendment rights.
1993 - Israel disallows citizenship to couple affiliated with Jews for Jesus
In 1993 the Supreme Court of Israel, in a case involving a couple affiliated with Jews for Jesus, ruled that Jews who adhere to the Christian beliefs are regarded by Israeli law as "members of a different faith," and are not eligible for the automatic citizenship that Israel grants Jews. In its summary of the ruling, the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the belief that Jesus is the Messiah "cannot be reconciled with Judaism" and "marks the clear separation between Judaism and Christianity."
1998 and 2005 - Misuse of Jews for Jesus name online
Jews for Jesus has been involved in litigation regarding Internet use of its name. In 1998 they sued Steven Brodsky for cybersquatting for registering the domain name jewsforjesus.org to use for a site criticizing the organization; the domain now belongs to Jews for Jesus and is used for their main site.
In 2005 Jews for Jesus sued Google for allowing a Blogspot user to put up a site at the third-level subdomain jewsforjesus.blogspot.com. That lawsuit appears to have settled, as the blog now is operated by Jews for Jesus.
2006 - Jewish comedian sues Jews for Jesus
In 2006, comedian and actor Jackie Mason filed a lawsuit against Jews for Jesus, alleging that they unlawfully distributed a pamphlet which used his name and likeness in a way that suggested he was a member of the group. In fact, Mason is a member of the Jewish faith and not associated with Jews for Jesus. Jews for Jesus has issued a detailed response to the allegation on their website.
References
- ^ Robinson, B. Messianic Judaism. Jews for Jesus, Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, October 29, 2001.
- Is Jews for Jesus a Christian organization, or is it a Jewish organization? (exjewsforjesus.org)
- ^ Jews for Jesus. Financial information for FY2003-2005 (Evangelical Council For Financial Accountability)
- Who are the Jews for Jesus? (exjewsforjesus.org)
- "For most American Jews, it is acceptable to blend some degree of foreign spiritual elements with Judaism. The one exception is Christianity, which is perceived to be incompatible with any form of Jewishness. Jews for Jesus and other Messianic Jewish groups are thus seen as antithetical to Judaism and are completely rejected by the majority of Jews". (Kaplan, Dana Evan. The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism, Cambridge University Press, Aug 15, 2005, p. 9).
- ^ This July, Hebrew-Christian groups such as Jews for Jesus will work to convert Jews to another religion. The Jewish Response to Missionaries (NY Board of Rabbis)
- ^ Judaism and Jesus Don't Mix (foundationstone.com)
- ^ Jews believe that "Jews for Jesus," "Messianic Jews," and "Hebrew Christians" are no longer Jews, even if they were once Jews (whatjewsbelieve.org)
- http://www.jewsforjesus.org/about/statementoffaith (Jews for Jesus) written January 1, 2005
- Johnson, Paul (1987). A History of the Jews. pp. p.144.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help) - ^ Jews for Jesus: Targeting Jews for Conversion with Subterfuge and Deception. Methods (Anti-Defamation League)
- What We Do (Jews for Jesus)
- What We Stand For (Jews for Jesus)
- Book Claiming Messianic Judaism Is Not Christianity Stirs Controversy By Nancy Justice (February 2005 Issue of Charisma Magazine)
- Jews for Jesus by Stephanie Persin (Jewish Virtual Library)
- Kaplan, Dana Evan. The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism, Cambridge University Press, Aug 15, 2005, pp. 139-140.
- A Special Place in Hell. Why 'Jews for Jesus' is evil By Bradley Burston (Haaretz)
- When converting a Jew to Christ By Bradley Burston (Haaretz) May 31, 2006
- Jews for Jesus offend Jews and Christians By Ethan Frenchman and Seth Mayer (Chicago Maroon, University of Chicago) October 3, 2005
- ^ Jews for Jesus: Targeting Jews for Conversion with Subterfuge and Deception. Christian Response to Jews for Jesus (ADL)
- Can a Jew believe in Jesus? By Aron Moss (Chabad. Judaism 101)
- Presbyterians target Jews by Eric J. Greenberg (New York Jewish Week) October 24, 2003
- Outreach Judaism Responds to Jews for Jesus
- Frequently Asked Questions About Hebrew-Christian Missionaries & "Jews for Jesus" Template:PDFlink Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. Spiritual Deception Prevention Project
- Dershowitz, Alan (1997). The Vanishing American Jew: In Search of Jewish Identity for the Next Century. Little, Brown; 1st ed. pp. p.324. ISBN 0316181331.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help) - Should Christians Attempt to Evangelize Jews? Israel's Covenant with God Remains Valid by Allan R. Brockway
- Policies of mainline and liberal Christians towards proselytizing Jews (religioustolerance.org)
- What about Christian Jews or Jewish Christians? by Fritz Voll (International Council of Christians and Jews)
- Ecumenical Considerations on Jewish-Christian Dialogue (World Council of Churches)
- Conversion Outreach Plan Stirs Outrage. Jews for Jesus Trains 600 for Street Work By David Cho (Washington Post) August 17, 2004
- Jews For Jesus (rickross.com)
- [http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/relations-jews-docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_20051027_rabbi-rosen_en.html “Nostra Aetate”, Forty Years After Vatican II. Present & Future Perspectives] Conference of the Holy See Commission for Religious Relations with Jewry, Rome, October 27, 2005
- Why emphasize witnessing to Jews? (Jews for Jesus)
- Judaism Teaches …or Does It? by Moishe Rosen (Jews for Jesus) March 1, 1997
- ^ Legal Cases Involving Jews for Jesus (ADL)
- Google Sued for Trademark Infringement Based on Third-Level Subdomain by Eric Goldman (CircleID) December 30, 2005
- Comic sues Jews for Jesus
- Press Release: Jews for Jesus and Jackie Mason (Jews for Jesus) August 25, 2006
See also
- Who is a Jew?
- Jews for Judaism
- Messianic Judaism
- Jewish Messiah
- Jewish view of Jesus
- Christian-Jewish reconciliation
- Comparing and contrasting Judaism and Christianity
- Cognitive dissonance
- Anti-Judaism
- Supersessionism
- Dispensationalism
- History of Christianity
- Jewish history
- History of anti-Semitism
External links
- Jews for Jesus Official website
- Ex-Jews for Jesus website of former members of Jews for Jesus
- Jews for Judaism Jews for Judaism website, an answer to Jews for Jesus
- Jews for Jesus: Targeting Jews for Conversion with Subterfuge and Deception - the view of the Anti-Defamation League
- Why Jews Don't Believe In Jesus
- Who is financing "Jews for Jesus"? (faqs.org)
- Complaint in lawsuit against Google over Blogspot subdomain Template:PDFlink
- Why don't Jews accept Jesus as the Messiah? by Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner (about.com)