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What are your thoughts on "Jews for Jesus" groups?
"Jews for Jesus is a single Christian ministry which attempts to convert Jews to Christianity.
The term is often used generically for Jewish converts to Christianity who try to retain some cultural trappings of their Judaism.
Leaders of these groups are often ordained Christian ministers who are specifically trained in techniques for converting vulnerable Jews. Members of these groups deceptively use Jewish symbols (such as Stars of David) and language so as to appear Jewish, their goal is to take Jews away from Judaism and to bring them into the Christian Church.
Jews for Jesus actually considers itself an arm of the evangelical church. "
A number of Christian denominations have condemned the deceptive and aggressive nature of groups like "Jews for Jesus."
The Roman Catholic Church, liberal Protestant churches, interdenominational study groups and interfaith councils worldwide have taken a stand against this form of proselytizing which does a disservice to both faith systems.
Other Christian individuals and groups have been less sensitive to Jewish community concerns and continue to spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually to convert Jews to Christianity.
Most of the missionary and conversionary groups are affiliated with fundamentalist Protestant denominations.
Jewish understanding of "salvation" simply is different from that of Christianity and so the question of "evangelization" of Jews boils down to a question of whether or not Christians have the right to try to convince Jews that their version of "salvation" is preferable to the one Jews have already. Jews and Christians worship the same God -- the God who made covenant with Israel. Should Christians then try to convince Jews to worship God in the Christian way, with the Christian goal (salvation) in mind, instead of the Jewish way, with the Jewish goal (obedience) in mind? Many Christians think so; many do not. In each case the response hangs on a critical interpretation of Christian identity.
Those Christians who would "convert" Jews firmly believe it is the divinely mandated mission of the church to preach the Gospel to them -- as well as everyone else -- for the sake of Jews themselves, for their salvation. According to this view, Christians would be false to their faith if they failed to bring Jews into the Christian fellowship.
On the other hand, there are Christians who are just as firmly convinced that the attempt to convert Jews to Christianity is to betray the God whom they both worship. On their reasoning, Jews as individuals are, by definition, part of the Jewish people with whom God made covenant; they are already within the covenant and have no need to enter it in a different way. The attempt to convince them otherwise is an attempt to convince them to deny God's covenant with Israel. The proper stance for Christians, therefore, is to understand as best they can what it means for Jews to live as obedient members of the Jewish people before the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And, in the process, help Jews comprehend how it is that Christians -- gentiles for the most part -- can rightly worship that same God "through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Do you feel this "Jews for Jesus" group(s) is a deceptive form of proselytizing? That they use vague and misleading language along with deceptive tactics in its attempt to convert Jews to Christianity?
The Catholic Church regards the saving act of Christ as central to the process of human salvation for all, it also believes that Jews already dwell in a saving covenant with God. "... The distinctive Jewish witness must be sustained if Catholics and Jews are truly to be, as Pope John Paul II envisioned, “a blessing to one another.”
44 Answers
- Anonymous1 decade agoFavorite Answer
I like to call them "Baptists in Beanies"
Source(s): Remember, you heard it here first! - ?Lv 45 years ago
I don't know much about the specifics of the group. I know this is a hot topic for a lot of jews though who don't like the fact that they use the term "jews" in their title. Personally I don't see what the issue is. The groups are always very clear that they are messianic, which of course, makes them different from them saying they are just plain jews and then springing the Jesus thing. To me, "messianic jew" means a christian who keeps many of the tenants and traditions of the torah, whereas regular christians do not. So I think the jews who have the problem with the term "jews for jesus" or "messianic jew" are over reacting.
- 1 decade ago
The Jews should be left alone. Jews for Jesus may be made up of peopel who were formally Jewish, but they've converted to a distinct and separate religion and can no longer be considered Jewish, at least in a religious context.
Originally, Christianity wasn't a separate religion, just a branch of Judaism that began to accept Gentiles. Accepting Christ has now become an act of conversion to a religion that is not Jewish and I don't think even Jesus himself wanted to create a religion separate from Judaism.
- AmJLv 61 decade ago
First let me say, I've never heard of this, though recently I did hear about someone who is into Messianic Judaism I believe.. Its all new to me.
Second, agree with Huckster, do you really want to know what we think?
Is it a real question or a rant?
I agree with many others, it is wrong to lie. A Lie is a Lie is a Lie, no matter if they think they're doing it for a "good cause"
Someone was talking about the "Orthodox Jews" showing up at their relatives home talking to the 14 yr old.. That's terrible to trick people like that...
Anyway, this is very interesting. Do not agree with lies and tricks to get into peoples homes and heads and try to convert them that way.
Also, don't agree that religion should be a money making business, sad that it is.
Are they motivated by love or money?
So is this a real question?
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- 1 decade ago
After having read all of that, if what you say is true, then these Jews for Jesus groups are giving Christianity a bad name!
While we must always work to spread the Holy Gospel, we must NEVER use deceptive tactics to do so. It is one thing to relate to the person one is trying to bring into the fold, as Paul did. It is quite another to pretend to be a part of their cultural group. Nobody should be tricked into converting. True conversion must come from the heart.
That's why Catholics have RCIA for the converts, so that the converts know exactly what they're coming into, what's expected, and what we believe. We're up front about everything. No tricks.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Christianity is simply false. Jesus is not the Messiah and could not be the Messiah. Whether Judaism is true or not, Yeshua is demonstrably not the Messiah, and so converting from Judaism to Christianity is converting to provable error and falsehood. SO my thoughts are, without discussing the merits of Judaism or Theism generally, that any Jew with a smidge of education knows of a certainty that Yeshua was not the Messiah, and so they have no reason to convert to a lie.
- clusium1971Lv 71 decade ago
I'm kind of unbiased about such groups as Jews for Jesus, Messianic Jews, etc.
You see, in some parts of the world, a person CAN belong to more than one religion.
On the other hand, the very same Christians who founded such Jewish/Christian groups, also created such oxymoronic religions as "Former Catholics for Christ."
So, such groups are debatable.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Jews for Jesus are, as you point out -- Christian. Not Jews. This applies also to the Messianic Judaism movement, founded by Christian protestant ministers in the 19th/20th centuries, not as the movement claims, an ancient sect of judaism
To them their religion, to the Jews, theirs.
Any attempt to impinge on that is anti-semetic.
Simply put: Jews For Jesus & the Messianic Jews should be called for what they are -- Liars.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
I believe that Judaism makes more sense then Gentiles worshiping a dead Jew (Christianity).
It is sad, but true that some Evangelical Christians consider ANY means of converting a non-Christian acceptable.
Source(s): Non-Abrahamic Theist - Upasakha JasonLv 71 decade ago
The undestanding I get from Jews is that it is Christians pretending to be Jews in order to convert vulnerable Jews. I will go with the Jews on this one. I have encountered them recently, and find their play-acting at being Jews to be heinous.
I note one poster here said that he's all for it because apparently salvation through Jesus Christ is of paramount importance. This to me says that lying for Jesus is perfectly okay. Lying is not okay, and that's what J4J does. Knowing that someone is willing to lie and literally trick people into becoming Christian, I could not in good conscience accept Christianity as a valid faith.
EDIT--That being said, I would like to express my appreciation to those Christians who oppose this sort of behavior from this wing of evangelicals.
