Dennis Prager has written a piece explaining in a logical fashion why Jews (and liberals) should not be offended by Christians. The only problem with the article is that it does use logic which can be argued against by any illogical person. Most people like to come against logic with emotion which puts apples and oranges in the same basket and is then called fruit. (Something different from apples and oranges)
If there are any arguments against his hypothesis please start with where he errs in his logic and go from there. Rants about personal experiences will only show that all people are human, not that Dennis's article is wrong.
Some Highlights:
Evangelical Christians believe it is necessary for a person to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved.
- - -
(prying1 sez: I would add the word "most" to this statement as there are some Christians that leave a bit of leeway on who gets in. He does touch on this in the article.)
- - -
According to every liberal I know – Christian, Jew or other – Jews are supposed to find this theology offensive and frightening. According to liberals, the evangelicals' doctrine that no non-Christians can be saved is so awful that all other evangelical views must be held suspect – even their unique support for Jews and Israel.
I would therefore like to announce, as a practicing, believing Jew, that I am in no way offended, let alone frightened, by evangelical Christians who believe that it is necessary to have faith in Jesus in order to be saved.
Why should Jews not be offended by this evangelical Christian belief?
First, since all non-Christians are unsaved, this doctrine is in no way anti-Jewish. It is pro-salvation, not anti-anybody. The evangelical view of who is not saved is applicable, by definition, to all non-Christians. There is, therefore, no reason whatsoever for a Jew to be personally offended. It is no more applicable to Jews than to Hindus. When most evangelicals single out Jews, it is only to support them and Israel, and to reaffirm Jewish chosenness. It takes paranoia, ignorance and ingratitude for a Jew to join the anti-evangelical critics.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Third, all those who condemn evangelicals for their belief in the necessity of affirming Christ for salvation are doing exactly what they accuse these Christians of doing – judging and condemning people solely for their beliefs. Here is the liberals' rule: Christians may not judge others by their religious beliefs, but liberals may judge Christians by their religious beliefs.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Fourth, one of Judaism's core teachings is that God judges all people by their behavior rather than by their faith alone, and that we are to judge people in the same way. I apply this teaching to evangelicals. I judge them not by their theology but by their behavior. I find that behavior often exemplary, and I regard them as America's best hope to stem the country's cultural and moral decline.
|