Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Jumpin' Jehosophat Hopping Mad
In a twist that you don’t see everyday, some Jews have been committing hate crimes against followers of Jesus.
Jews for Jesus, a group of messianic Jews who have been trying to convert some of Melbourne’s Jewish community into accepting that Jesus was the messiah, have had their windows smashed, graffiti painted on their building, stickers plastered on doors and black silicone syringed into locks.
The group who has been concentrating its efforts among the high Jewish population of St. Kilda and Caulfield, claims that they are not just targeting Jews, but are making the Gospel known, but this has not gone down at all well in these close knit suburbs, with claims that it's “trying to undermine Judaism”.
Parliamentary Member for Melbourne Ports, Michael Danby, sometimes accused of being “The member for Israel”, is according to reports in the local press, said to have been highly derogatory and labeled this group a cult. This has been viewed as mighty offensive by the group’s leader Bob Mendelson.
Reports today that the group have been passing their ‘leads’ onto the local Anglican Church have raised accusations that it is being used as front for proselytizing Christianity. The local vicar Rev. Mark Durie is somewhat embarrassed by the whole kerfuffle and would rather just get back to tending to his declining flock.
Chairman of Jewish group the Anti-Defamation Commission, Paul Gardiner, has got stuck into both the local Anglican Church, St, Mary’s and also the Jews for Jesus group, who he claims indulge in “intellectual dishonesty that people could be both Jewish and Christian”.
This last fact must surely come as a surprise to Roman Catholic, Cardinal Lustiger. A candidate for the recently decided job of Pope.
Cardinal Lustiger of Paris, was born to a family of Polish Jews and his mother was murdered in Auschwitz. Cardinal Lustiger claims that although he converted to Cathlolicism, he was born a Jew and he continues to be a Jew. He is a”fulfilled Jew”. He says: "I feel Jewish. I refuse to renounce my roots, my Jewishness. How could I betray my mother's memory? It would be cowardly and humiliating."
There is a blurring of the lines here between Judaism and Christianity, and if Jews for Jesus want to push their barrow then they’ve got just as much right in this free land as the Pentecostalists or any other religious group, and Jewish leaders, if they’re confident in their faith and their people should have no concerns. There is no excuse for violence.
Also Jews like Michael Danby should be wary about labeling these things a cult just to satisfy the voters in his electorate, otherwise he might be asked to explain why the Roman Catholic Church, and Christianity as a whole is not also a cult. Exploring that path has not been pretty in the past, and remains today, a subject best left alone.
Note: 3000 character limit on comments Jews for Jesus, a group of messianic Jews who have been trying to convert some of Melbourne’s Jewish community into accepting that Jesus was the messiah, have had their windows smashed, graffiti painted on their building, stickers plastered on doors and black silicone syringed into locks.
The group who has been concentrating its efforts among the high Jewish population of St. Kilda and Caulfield, claims that they are not just targeting Jews, but are making the Gospel known, but this has not gone down at all well in these close knit suburbs, with claims that it's “trying to undermine Judaism”.
Parliamentary Member for Melbourne Ports, Michael Danby, sometimes accused of being “The member for Israel”, is according to reports in the local press, said to have been highly derogatory and labeled this group a cult. This has been viewed as mighty offensive by the group’s leader Bob Mendelson.
Reports today that the group have been passing their ‘leads’ onto the local Anglican Church have raised accusations that it is being used as front for proselytizing Christianity. The local vicar Rev. Mark Durie is somewhat embarrassed by the whole kerfuffle and would rather just get back to tending to his declining flock.
Chairman of Jewish group the Anti-Defamation Commission, Paul Gardiner, has got stuck into both the local Anglican Church, St, Mary’s and also the Jews for Jesus group, who he claims indulge in “intellectual dishonesty that people could be both Jewish and Christian”.
This last fact must surely come as a surprise to Roman Catholic, Cardinal Lustiger. A candidate for the recently decided job of Pope.
Cardinal Lustiger of Paris, was born to a family of Polish Jews and his mother was murdered in Auschwitz. Cardinal Lustiger claims that although he converted to Cathlolicism, he was born a Jew and he continues to be a Jew. He is a”fulfilled Jew”. He says: "I feel Jewish. I refuse to renounce my roots, my Jewishness. How could I betray my mother's memory? It would be cowardly and humiliating."
There is a blurring of the lines here between Judaism and Christianity, and if Jews for Jesus want to push their barrow then they’ve got just as much right in this free land as the Pentecostalists or any other religious group, and Jewish leaders, if they’re confident in their faith and their people should have no concerns. There is no excuse for violence.
Also Jews like Michael Danby should be wary about labeling these things a cult just to satisfy the voters in his electorate, otherwise he might be asked to explain why the Roman Catholic Church, and Christianity as a whole is not also a cult. Exploring that path has not been pretty in the past, and remains today, a subject best left alone.
|
