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| A "Letter of Repentance" to the Jewish People. |
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Speaking of repentance, here is a "letter of repentance" to the Jewish people. There was an article in "Jewish Voice Today" ( a Messianic Jewish Ministry) - "Evangelical Christians from around the world have presented a "letter of repentance" to the Jewish people, expressing remorse for Christian persecution throughout history, during a ceremony at the Knesset (Israel`s parliament). It acknowledged crimes commited against the Jewish people throughout history in the name of Christianity. "We have sinned against God and against you." The letter continued, "May God grant you the ability to forgive us and may we be brothers and sisters again." The event was the first in a series of celebrations due to be held in the 40th anniversary of the return of Jerusalem to the Jewish people." As a Gentile believer and follower of Yeshua HaMashiach, I fully applaud that "letter of repentance" to the Jewish people. It`s long overdue! For me personally, I`ve always had a deep love for the Jewish people and the nation Israel. Israel is their homeland; given to them by God - Yahweh by covenant and promise. Blessings in Y`shua |
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Interesting! This actually brings some questions to my mind. 1) What about dead Christians who persecuted Jews. An apology can't really be issued on their behalf, can it? 2) What about Christians of the past who didn't persecute Jews, in fact who may have even fought against the persecutions? Are they automatically included with those issuing the apology? Can they somehow be recognized as not needing to be included in this apology? 3) What about Christians of today who don't persecute Jews, who never persecuted Jews, and who would never dream of persecuting Jews? Are "we" somehow included in this apology? Are we excused as not needing to apologize, and if so, how? 4) What happens if certain Christians continue to persecute Jews? Does this apology then appear to be fake? Who apologizes for Christians who continue to persecute? Will another apology be needed years from now? 5) If guilt is admitted, who pays for reparations? (A natural question that comes up whenever anybody apologizes for something in which material damages are involved.) It appears to me that this apology, and other such apologies (like Pres. Clinton's official apology for slavery) are actually fairly empty gestures upon further analysis. They don't accomplish anything of any real value, except alleviate guilt in those of us who never committed the crime and hate that it happened in the first place. Tom (your name, right?), I APPRECIATE your love for the Jewish people, you seem like a good guy! I just question "official apologies", they don't seem to deliver what is promised. Thanks for the post, bro. |
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Mike n Lau...
Your comments, I don`t know if you are trying to be cute or what. You need to take my post in the spirit in which it is written. That is, to try and bring healing to the relationships between Jews & Christians. But, I guess that obvious point was lost on you. Too bad, I feel sorry for you.
Jews have been hated, persecuted, reviled as "Christ Killers", murdered, etc., in the Name of Christ & Christianity for the last 1,800 yrs. But, knowing you, you probably don`t see anything wrong with that though! Perhaps, YOU need to do some soul searching of YOUR motives & attitudes before offering your "cutesie pie" comments. T |
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Lee |
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July 25, 2008 at 10:42am |
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I agree with Mike on this one. I don't think I (we) owe an apology to people to whom it was not done for something I (we) did not do. It has always shamed and angered me that Jews were denied common basic human rights in the past, just as it shamed and angered me that persecution of blacks continued long after slavery was "abolished." I did not, however, perpetrate the "crimes" and owe no one any apologies for them.
I think there are more productive ways to "bring healing to the relationships between Jews and Christians" than letters of apology. One way is to demonstrate our love and acceptance of them. |
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Tom, please accept my apologies if my comment did not come across the way I intended it. I wasn't trying to be cute or sarcastic, etc. but asking serious questions.
I agree, crimes have been committed against Jewish people. Same can be said for slavery in the US. Clinton officially "apologized" over 10 years ago. Are relations between blacks/whites any better as a result? I seriously doubt it. Certainly not if you listen to Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton. Not if you ask black folks in the deteriorating neighborhoods. Racism is alive and well in the US, they will tell you! Just try approaching them and saying, "but we apologized!" Do you see what I'm saying?
I am not arguing with you, I have no issue with you. I simply question the effectiveness of these official apologies, which sound nice, seem nice, even make me feel nice. But do they really do any good? I doubt it. God bless. |
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So what you are saying is, say nothing, do nothing, because it won`t do any good anyways?
The "letter of repentance" is just a start - long overdue at that. Not an end in itself. That letter should motivate all true Christians to take further action and show the love of Jesus Christ - The Jewish Messiah - to God`s Chosen People, the Jewish People. And unlike "dual covenant" theology [or worse yet, churches that subscribe to "replacement theology"], witness to them and to share our faith with them! They need Salvation just like the unbelieving, unsaved Gentiles! T |
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"They need Salvation just like the unbelieving, unsaved Gentiles!" Tom, I agree 1,000%. I'm not saying do nothing. I just believe that if we really live the way scripture tells us to, truly loving our neighbor (Jews, blacks, gays, lepers, Samaritans, etc.), gaps will be bridged, people will be accepted and cared for. I have many friends who are black, gay, and even Jewish (!), and this isn't b/c I have apologized for the way white straight Christians abused their anacestors. It's b/c I have treated them with great respect and consideration, as Jesus and his followers have admonished. I really hope you take nothing I've written as argumentative, I'm just advocating a better way, I believe. God bless you Tom. |
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