CHRISTIAN ZIONISM
Reader comment on item: The Bible's Role in American Support for Israel
in response to reader comment: Christian Zionists

Submitted by Bart Willruth (United States), Sep 5, 2006 at 10:14

I see that my comments provoked numerous responses, many of which made my point better than I could have. While being associated with the devil's legions or with antichrist, I will maintain that two points are incontrovertable and have been confirmed by reader's responses.

1. Christian Zionism is faith based which is another way of saying it is irrational. Since faith is by definition not based on evidence, its object is amorphous and subject to change on the whims of its adherants. Note the widely divergent comments by Christian Zionists who responded to my letter. They are all across the board, each claiming to be in harmony with god's word which must be quite unclear since so may believers come to such different conclusions. Faith, and its interpretation, is a dangerous ally.

2. For those Christians who believe the modern nation of Israel is part of god's salvific plan, their goal for the Israelites is to ultimately convert them to Christianity. After all the attempts in the previous centuries to Chriatianize the Jews, most of the time by intimidation and force, obscuring the goal to do so once again under the banner of friendship to Israel is suspect. Jews could be excused for casting a jaded eye upon this Christian eschatology which teaches that Israel came into existence according to prophecy with the ultimate goal of accepting Jesus. How will these Evangelicals respond to "Jewish stiff necked resistence to conversion?"

Israel deserves our support. But the basis for that support should not be faith based. It should be based upon the enlightenment principles of the rights of man. Governments which safeguard individual rights deserve our support wherever they are located. Dictatorships, tyrannies, and theocracies deserve our condemnation whatever their brand.

Bart Willruth

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