Tag: Evangelism

Member Post

 

I am a protestant Christian and have been a missionary 15 years. I have read in my time as a Christian 25+ books by Atheists or their fellow travelers attacking the Christianity or sometimes just disproving it with a sad sigh and asking us all to become more rational. I thought of it as my […]

Join Ricochet!

This is a members-only post on Ricochet's Member Feed. Want to read it? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Get your first month free.

Member Post

 

It’s generally accepted among Christians I know that Judaism is today a faith not limited to bloodlines. But in the Torah (Old Testament) Jews seem to be clearly described as descendants of Abraham competing with various other tribal peoples. Even at the time of Jesus, enmity between Jews and Samaritans — who were circumcised and adhered […]

Join Ricochet!

This is a members-only post on Ricochet's Member Feed. Want to read it? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Get your first month free.

Member Post

 

Luke, Chapter 5:  While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him […]

Join Ricochet!

This is a members-only post on Ricochet's Member Feed. Want to read it? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Get your first month free.

Promoted from the Ricochet Member Feed by Editors Created with Sketch. Jews & Christians: Where We Part Ways

 

shutterstock_156235796After reading Jon Gabriel’s piece on Michele Bachmann’s comments regarding converting Jews to Christianity, I thought I’d offer a Jewish response. I get that Evangelicals evangelize, but I wonder how sensitive Christians would be if Joe Lieberman talked about how important it was to get Christians to stop believing in Jesus.

Christian attempts at conversion are a core, visceral issue for many Jews and for reasons unique to Jews. In the West, we who are Jews today are so because our ancestors resisted efforts to convert them, often at great cost to themselves and their loved ones. And our ancestors were the lucky ones, because many didn’t survive these efforts. Their sacrifices will not be in vain. Even though today’s Evangelicals limit themselves to non-coercive persuasion, it reminds us of the darker times in our joint history when significantly harsher tactics were used.

So laugh, scoff, whatever. Tell me I’m making a big deal out of nothing. Or, as Breitbart’s John Nolte tweeted, maybe I should just realize that it’s a “Complimentary act of love, morons.” Hey, I was content to ask Christians to keep their complimentary love to themselves, but Nolte won me over when he called us morons.

Promoted from the Ricochet Member Feed by Editors Created with Sketch. It’s Your Fault

 

shutterstock_98209994American Christians do a lot of hand-wringing about the state of American culture. I’m here to tell you that – as an American Christian — it’s our fault. Let me explain.

I’ll start with an analogy about evangelism. Let’s say I’ve got a car, and the tires are pretty worn. I mean, they aren’t that bad, but I know they need to be replaced. I really don’t have the money to get new tires, and my parents won’t loan me another dime. One day, I’m driving home and I go past the tire place. There’s a big sign: “4 New Tires – $50.” I know it’s too good to be true, but I stop in anyway. The guy explains, “We have these tires, brand new, but they made too many of them, and they are trying to get rid of the stock. So, lucky you, you get them at a bargain.”

“Yeah,” I say “but they are probably some cheap knock-off brand, right? Or you are going to charge me an arm and a leg for mounting and balancing? Or for disposal of the old ones? I mean, that’s too good to be true!”