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The British Messianic Jewish Alliance
Press
Release January 2007
It is worrying to hear
of anti-Jewish attitudes being expressed by any section of society but
it especially distressing when such attitudes surface within the
church. In response to such concerns, the British Messianic
Jewish Alliance (www.bmja.net) recently issued a press release,
the full text of which we carry below:
An Appeal to the
Leadership of the Churches from the British Messianic Jewish Alliance:
It is with great
concern that we witness the rapid growth of worldwide anti-Semitism,
all too often these days in the guise of anti-Zionism.
We wish to express our
concern that anti-Jewish sentiment is so frequently manifested in
British society. We call upon the church to oppose it.
As Jews who are part of
the church, we are distressed to hear anti-Jewish attitudes expressed
in the church and in the name of Christianity. We call upon our fellow
believers from many nations to acknowledge that Jesus was a Jew, and to
disavow all racism aimed at Jewish people both inside and outside the
State of Israel.
We call upon the church
to publicly affirm God's ongoing relationship with the Jewish people,
and his determination to continue to work with them since he has not
cast them away. Even more unthinkable [and insulting] would be the idea
that a Covenant God should ditch his first choice in favour of another.
When we hear people in
the churches suggesting that God's promises to us are null and void we
are concerned, not just for what that says about us, but also for what
it says about God, as if he were fickle. Our very existence on into the
21st century speaks for itself. We are part of a large, diverse and
vibrant Messianic Jewish movement that professes Yeshua [the name
'Jesus' in its Hebrew form] is Messiah, Saviour and LORD.
Strengthen us by
defending us as your brothers and sisters in the faith.
Affirm
us in the role we wish to play as Jews in the Body of Christ.
Recognise that it was
through the Jews that the gospel came to all nations.
Stand
by us, if you will, just as we stand by our fellow Jews today in the
teeth of serious prejudice and threats.
Recognise and reject
the politicisation of Christian theology regarding the Jewish people in
order to promote a radically based anti-Zionist agenda.
These
are the responses for which we look to you.
[for
a comment regarding the background to this statement read Whatever is Lovely]
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