Jews for Jesus
Jews for Jesus ( English Jews for Jesus ; JfJ ) is an American, evangelical missionary organization that wants to convert Jews to Christianity . It is added to religious syncretism because in it elements of Judaism and Christianity are mixed up and merged into a new worldview. Jews for Jesus see themselves as a Jewish organization, a claim that is rejected by all Jewish denominations.
history
The mission was founded in 1973 in Northern California by Moishe Rosen (1932–2010), originally Martin Meyer Rosen, when new religious movements were gaining popularity as part of the youthful counterculture . Born to Jewish parents in Kansas, Missouri , Rosen converted to Christianity and became a Baptist minister. He worked for the American Board of Missions to the Jews , but separated from this organization in 1973 and began missionary work independently.
Head of the plant, which is based in San Francisco , was succeeded by Rosen in 1996 by David Brickner. Republican Governor Sarah Palin took part in an event on August 17, 2008 with Brickner , who shortly thereafter ran for the office of US Vice President. In his speech, Brickner described terrorist attacks on Israel as a divine judgment against Jews who refused to accept Christianity. After a storm of indignation broke out over Palin's presence because she was viewed as hostile to Israel, the politician distanced herself from Brickner.
The German branch of the organization was founded in Essen in 1999/2000 and has been headed by Avi Snyder since 2003. There are friendly contacts between the German Evangelical Alliance and Jews for Jesus .
Methods of proselytizing
Jews for Jesus publish brochures with Hebrew translations of the New Testament , use folk songs and plays by the Messianic Jews , their own multilingual websites , quarterly letters, weekly phone calls and videos to evangelize Jews. The main target groups of their mission are new immigrants, older people, students and families with mixed religions. In Germany, quota refugees from Eastern Europe are specifically addressed, whose little knowledge of Judaism JfJ takes advantage of.
In 1999, following protests by Jewish organizations, the Internet provider Lycos decided not to renew an existing advertising contract with Jews for Jesus , in which an advertising image of the group appeared when the word "jewish" was entered into the search engine.
Opposing positions
Criticism of Jews for Jesus comes from both Christian and Jewish sides. For example, an umbrella organization of various Christian denominations in Washington, DC, accuses Jews for Jesus of contradicting interreligious respect and tolerance.
In a statement in the 1990s, exponents of the various Jewish religious communities in the USA stated that Judeo-Christian groups such as the Jews are not Jewish organizations for Jesus and that their members, who are Jews according to Jewish religious laws, do not become members of a Jewish community can and are not entitled to Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return .
The Berlin journalist and rabbi Andreas Nachama criticizes the mission work: “From the point of view of Judaism organized in Jewish structures, believing in Jesus and being a Jew is simply impossible” and speaks of “classic anti-Judaism ”. His colleague, Rabbi Chaim Z. Rozwaski, sees an attempt to destroy Judaism at its roots and branches: “'Messianic Judaism' is a malevolent movement because it distorts Judaism and Christianity in equal measure and twisted the truth about both religions. Christianity is at its core the negation of Judaism, just as Judaism is at its essence the negation of Christianity. To claim that it is possible to be a 'Jew for Jesus' damages conscience and religious thinking in both directions, and in that sense the movement is malicious ”.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Juliene G. Lipson: Jews for Jesus: An illustration of syncretism . In: Anthropological Quarterly . 53, No. 2, April 1980, ISSN 0003-5491 , pp. 101-110, p. 102.
- ↑ Anti-Defamation League ( Memento of the original from February 8, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English)
- ^ Yaakov Ariel: Counterculture and Mission: Jews for Jesus and the Vietnam Era Missionary Campaigns, 1970-1975 . In: Religion and American Culture . 9, No. 2, 1999, ISSN 1052-1151 , pp. 233-257, pp. 233f.
- ↑ Pia Röder: More religious than the party allows ( Memento of the original from September 12, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung of September 10, 2008
- ^ Johannes Boie: False Halo , page of the Central Council of Jews in Germany from September 30, 2005
- ↑ News from August 13, 1999 at religio.de
- ^ Jews for Jesus: Targeting Jews for Conversion with Subterfuge and Deception. Christian Response to Jews for Jesus. (No longer available online.) Anti-Defamation League, archived from the original on March 25, 2012 ; accessed on April 11, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Meeting the Challenge: Hebrew Christians and the Jewish Community. (No longer available online.) Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. Spiritual Deception Prevention Project, archived from the original on February 8, 2012 ; accessed on April 11, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Johannes Boie: On Missionsreise in Berlin In: Der Tagesspiegel of December 7, 2007
- ↑ Chaim Rozwaski: "Messianisches Judentum": Poison in the chocolate candy , haGalil , undated
