{Originally posted to the Inspiration from Zion website}
This is an open letter to Ward Simpson CEO of God TV in regard to the launching of “Shelanu” a Hebrew language missionary channel dedicated to converting Jews to Christianity.
I wrote this in response to this specific TV station but my words are a relevant representation of my thoughts regarding all attempts to convert Jews.
Dear Ward Simpson,
You say you love Israel and the mandate of God TV is to bless Israel.
That’s wonderful.
Some of Israel’s best friends are Christian, sometimes, sadly, even more so than some Jews living in the diaspora. We in Israel appreciate those who stand by us, particularly in difficult times.
The thing is that friendship is based on mutual respect – not subversion of our identity.
The moment you bend your efforts to converting Jews you become our enemy. It doesn’t matter how many other positive projects you have done; proselytizing Jews takes puts you in the category of those who are cursing Israel.
You are cursing us out of our existence.
Christian frustration at Jews refusing to accept Jesus as Messiah has been the impetus for Jew hate from the beginning of your religion. Jews have been abused, exiled from just about every European country, tortured, raped and slaughtered as a result.
Muslims were taught conspiracy theories and blood libel against Jews from Christians. To this day the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and other similar “gems” of European “wisdom” are sold in Islamic book stores, adding flames to the fire of their jihad…
For our people, stealing our souls isn’t that different from stealing our lives (it might actually be worse). The Nation of Israel is small enough as it is, trying to pull the weakest of our members out of our circle, particularly in the guise of friendship, is utterly unacceptable and actually rather repulsive.
It’s certainly not what a “friend” does.
I respect my Christian friends. I don’t try to change their faith or attempt to reform them in my image. My Christian friends, those who are actual friends, provide the same respect for me.
There is room for both of us in the world – the Jewish People have a God-given task to fulfill. Are you really so arrogant to believe that you can change that? That you can decide that Jews should no longer be Jews? That you should mislead God-fearing Christians into believing that it is a blessing to commit an act of evil in trying to steal Jewish identity?!
And no, no matter how nicely you say it, “Messianic Jews” aren’t Jews, they are people who have chosen Christianity, although they might have been born Jewish.
Those who bless Israel will be blessed. Those who curse Israel will be cursed.
Attempting to convert Jews is an attack on our identity, an attack on our souls and can be interpreted only as a curse.
Those who participate and collaborate with this are our enemy.
We much prefer friends but friendship has to be mutual.
For more information on God TV’s missionary channel read this informative article by Varda Meyers Epstein: Now You See it, Now You Don’t: GOD TV Hides Video After Media Exposé (Judean Rose) and/or Jesus, GOD TV’s CEO Takes us For Fools by Israellycool’s David Lange.