Compromising The Gospel So Not To Offend The Jews
(Part I)
(May 15, 2001; Revised February 2004)

        The “anti-Semitic” cries of the Jewish organizations representing the Jewish people are just a little too much these days, and I expect them to not only reach into our pulpits but into our homes.  Their skin is so thin that the minutest thing offends them, thus we get the constant screams of anti-Semitism!  Religious bigotry!  Racism!  It is just plan old sickening! This is an attempt to take away the freedom of speech that is already slowly eroding in this country, and free-speech-erosion is a type of holocaust via “firry tongues”  – in this case, spiritual genocide against us True Born Again Spirit-filled Uncompromising Christians (“TBASUC”).
        The Jewish people are "super-sensitive" because they are full of fear since they don’t walk with Messiah. They think that by screaming "anti-Semitism" with every other breath they take, they’re preventing another Holocaust.  Well, they’re not.  There may not be another Holocaust but it certainly is not because of how the Jewish organizations are going about trying to put a lid on everything spoken about Jews that is not “sugarcoated.” Their attempt to reach into our pulpits and hinder the Gospel of Jesus Christ from going forth as He spoke it is the “icing on the cake.”  Enough is enough!  The Jewish organizations are simply digging just one of many pits for the Jewish people to fall into – that is, to cause them all to eventually ache in their hearts to immigrate to Israel due to grave persecution against them throughout the earth.  That persecution will be brought on by “THEM” trying to prevent another Holocaust.
        The Jewish people probably don't believe that last statement because they think they’re invincible, most influential, and very much in control of things, when in reality, they are blinded to the fact that they are not really in control. They think they’re thwarting everything that sticks up it ugly head saying anything, true or not, regarding them by declaring it to be anti-Semitic.  Just because they don't like what someone says about Jews, true and untrue, they must stop making themselves look like the village idiot or some ignoramus by immediately crying out anti-Semitism! They are only making bad matters worse.  The world is looking at them in askance – seeing  them as paranoid and sickening, when what they need to do is get a hold of themselves as a people by grabbing hold of The Lord, and stop trying to tie-down everybody and every organization, worldwide just because of their fears.

Jews Must Learn To Differentiate Between Christians And “Ain’ts”

        What the Jewish people, and all non-Christians for that matter, need to know is that "all that says he's Christian, 'ain't' necessarily so."  They must learn to identify true Christians from those that are not, and know that "real" Christians (1) don’t compromise their faith the least bit; (2) are not anti-Semitic; (3) don’t kill Jews; and (4) don’t participate in Crusades, Inquisitions, or Pogroms. Those so-called Christians who casually stood by during the Holocaust were "ain'ts" - Catholics, Lutherans, etc. – those were not TBASUCs – “real” Christians.  
        Another example of so-called Christians that are "ain'ts" is modern-day World Council of Churches members (e.g., Lutherans, Catholics, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Methodist, et. al.) who support the Palestinian Cause.  You can bet, TBASUCs stand with Israel; are not anti-Semitic; and will be standing with all Jewish people when anti-Semitism is worldwide and at its most horrible. TBASUCs will be there for them because they love God and know that He's not finished with the Jewish people.

1st Attempt To Manipulate The Gospel: Paul Weyrich

        On April 13, 2001, Mr. Paul Weyrich (Catholic), a leading conservative and President of the Free Congress Foundation posted an article on his web site entitled “Indeed He Is Risen”!  An extract of what stirred up the Jewish organizations follows:

“The great news for Christians and non-Christians alike is that the gospel is true.  God created the world and man in it.  God created man to be in paradise with God, but man turned his back on God and chose evil instead.  Thus man brought upon himself isolation from God with all of its terrible consequences.  Our God could not bear to see mankind suffering, even if it was from the consequences of his own actions, so He sent his only Son to become man so that man could become like God.

“To accomplish that, Christ was crucified by the Jews who had wanted a temporal ruler to rescue them from the oppressive Roman authorities.  Instead God sent them a spiritual leader to rescue them from their sins and despite the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, performed incredible miracles, even raised people from the dead, He was not what the Jews had expected so they considered Him a threat.  Thus He was put to death” (Free Congress Foundation web site, “Indeed He Is Risen” by Paul Weyrich, April 13, 2001).

For that, “they” came after Mr. Weyrich.

        American Spectator’s Evan Gahr (Hudson Institute):  In Mr. Gahr’s article, “Who Killed Christ” that posted on April 20, 2001, in search of the names of those Jews responsible for Jesus’ death, he stated:

“Weyrich specifically said the Jews crucified Christ?  Which Jew put the nail through him”?

True, the Jews may not have personally driven those nails into Jesus’ flesh, but before any judge, one is just as guilty for ordering someone’s death, as is the one who actually carries out the order, and it’s that same way with God Almighty. It was a Jew, Judas, that betrayed Jesus and it was Caiaphas the High Priest (a Jew), who represented the Jewish people, along with the Scribes, Elders and other Jews of the priesthood. They plotted Jesus’ arrest and delivered Him up to Pilate in the Hall of Judgment. There, Evan Gahr, you have a name – Caiaphas!
        Salon News’ Joe Conason:  Joe Conason’s Salon article, “Blinded By The Right,” dated April 24, 2001 had the lead phrase “Christ was crucified by the Jews” and continued on as follows:

“The image expressed by that phrase has incited innumerable atrocities and indescribable suffering for the Jewish people over the past 20 centuries.  It represents an ancient theological doctrine that has been invoked by bigots of all varieties to justify anti-Semitic outrages.  It is a notion disavowed by Christian leaders who take responsibility for ending the persecution of Jews that has disfigured their own faith, an inflammatory statement unlikely to be made by anyone who cares about tolerance and goodwill”

“An ancient theological doctrine”!  I hardly think so, Mr. Conason. Since The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, that which is Gospel is not ancient and therefore is not just some “theological doctrine.” Now Mr. Conason is a theologian. (The last sentence in the above quote will be addressed under the topic “Vatican II – Nostra Aetate.”)
        Mr. Conason even went so far as to refer to the Jewish responsibility of Jesus’ death as “alleged.”  Alleged? Questionably true?  It’s pretty obvious that Mr. Conason has the same anti-Christ spirit as his cohorts who are tooting the very same horn.
        American Jewish Congress Executive (AJC) Director Phil Baum: An excerpt from a press release Yahoo pulled from the AJC website dated April 20, 2001 reads:

“Weyrich’s effort to slander the Jews for the death of Jesus places him at odds not only with the Jews he has demonized, but with the whole of Christendom, which has now repudiated the effort to blame the Jews for Jesus’ death.  [This will be addressed under the topic “Vatican II – Nostra Aetate.”]. Over the centuries, that view, now resurrected by Weyrich, led to endless pogroms, crusades and inquisitions.

“What makes this retrograde message even more disquieting is the reality that Weyrich is not some fringe character, a zealot with little or no following.  Rather, he is a highly influential spokesman for conservative causes, who chairs a weekly luncheon meeting that draws some 70 other conservatives, as well as representatives from the Bush Administration.  Weyrich’s prominence lends credibility to the oft-heard charge that the Christian Right is indifferent to, and tolerant of bigotry.”

According to Mr. Baum, anytime Resurrection/Passover-related (Easter) sermons are preached, Christians are slandering Jews.  If that’s what he sincerely believes, too bad for him because the Gospel will not cease being preached for the reason that certain human beings are insulted – Jews or whomever else. As for the Resurrection/Passover-related sermons being “retrograde messages,” he may see them as moving backwards instead of being up-to-date in political correctness, but the Word of God changes not – especially not to please sinful man, and True Born Again Spirit-filled Uncompromising Christians do not compromise God’s Word.
        As if all of the above wasn’t enough, Pail Baum continued by making President Bush the head of The Church of Jesus Christ instead of Jesus Christ.  Mr. Baum should know that Christians follow Jesus and not President Bush.  He further stated that  “In sharp contrast to Weyrich's hateful message, President Bush in his Passover/Easter message, spoke eloquently of America as an inclusive society, where believers of all faiths and not only Christians, are welcome.”  What does that have to do with what Mr. Weyrich said? (1) George Bush's statement is very ecumenical; (2) George Bush is president of a nation of people and he tries to please all people, and (3) what do you expect from George Bush, a man who believes that everybody goes to Heaven.  "You know them by their fruit." 

Interjection:  Ecumenism is not the “in-thing” with God because it did not emanate from God.  Your modern-day “ain’ts” are ecumenist comprised of the liberal churches that make up the National and World Council of Churches, who easily and swiftly find room for compromising the Gospel of Jesus Christ so not to offend anyone and all can be “one big happy family.”

        Dear Saints, this man, Phil Baum has a genuine anti-Christ spirit in him because he refers to Scripture as hateful doctrine; he calls the Gospel of Jesus Christ hateful.  What he says follows:

“In the light of Weyrich’s recent comments, we call on conservatives to choose the path taken by the President and to repudiate the one chosen by Weyrich, making clear that they, too, regard America as an inclusive society with no room for these dated, repudiated and hateful doctrines [Scriptures] that Weyrich [us as well] thinks are good news [the Gospel].”

We forgive Mr. Baum because we know that he is void of His Messiah and can therefore very easily label the Gospel of Jesus Christ as being out of date and rejected by The Church because it is hateful teaching.  Woe unto him!
        FromPage Magazine’s editor, David Horowitz:  Most deceitful!  In Mr. Horowitz’s article, “A Slip Of The Tongue” dated April 25, 2001, he leads you to believe that he is in defense of poor Paul Weyrich by saying:

    “Paul Weyrich offended Jews with his recent column, but is it worth burying his career over a single statement in a 40-year public life?”
    “Paul Weyrich has been maliciously attacked as a “demented anti-Semite” in the pages of American Spectator by journalist Evan Gahr, who has been a sometime columnist for Front Page magazine, which I edit.  The assault has been compounded by an irresponsible report in the Washington Post by Thomas Edsall, which ran last weekend.
    “…But Edsall and everyone who knows Paul Weyrich, also knows that this is a preposterous lie.  Evan Gahr knows this as well, since he conceded in a subsequent e-mail to me: ‘I know full well that Weyrich has never advocated, suggested or implied that anybody should harm Jews.
    “For this reason, we have informed Gahr that his columns are no longer welcome in FrontPage magazine, and that he owes Weyrich an apology.”

My, my, my, my, my!  It surely looks like Mr. Horowitz is defending Paul Weyrich – but he isn’t.  Mr. Horowitz is actually trying to get the point across that those Scriptures about Jesus and the Jews having killed Him should cease.  He thinks he’s clever.  Horowitz goes on to say:

“I fully expect, moreover, that there will be attacks on FrontPage for defending Weyrich.”

Now he admits he’s [supposedly] defending Mr. Weyrich – how mighty nice of him!

“To say, even in passing, that ‘the Jews killed Christ’ (for in this case words to that effect) is regarded as politically offensive and, therefore, politically incorrect.  Not merely because the Romans performed the actual deed (although the Jews may have demanded it)….”

1.      He’s getting through to us that “the Jews killed Jesus” is politically incorrect.

2.      He’s getting through to us that the Romans really murdered Jesus but the Jews “may have” or “may not have” demanded them to do so.

“Popes have dissociated the Catholic Church from it out of guilt for the persecutions Catholics and other Christians have inflicted, and because – in the wake of the Holocaust – Jews demanded that they do so.”  

1.          He’s getting through to us that Vatican II repudiated such out of guilt by all Christians including Catholics.

2.          He’s getting through to us that the Jews are very influential and these influential Jews “demanded” it.  

You can now see that Mr. Horowitz really isn’t defending Paul Weyrich but is getting across to the reader how he feels about what Paul Weyrich said.

“But context means a lot – at least it ought to.  The difference between chanting ‘The Jews killed Christ’ in the streets, so that it is clear that living Jews are meant, and writing a pastoral letter about events that may or may not have taken place 2,000 years ago is enormous.  Knowing that the term was code for anti-Semitism, Weyrich should have tempered his account.”

1.          He’s getting through to us that the New Testament events surrounding Jesus’ death may not have actually happened 2,000 years ago.

2.          He’s getting through to us that we must not quote those Scriptures knowing that they are code for anti-Semitism – we should fudge them.          

"Weyrich unquestionably knew what he was doing and probably inserted the phrase as an in-your-face gesture toward the politically correct church, regardless of consequences….It would be better for friends (and enemies) to advise Weyrich to pick other battles and leave this hornets’ nest in peace.  A more careful formulation of the crucifixion story, avoiding terse and charged and probably misleading phrases like ‘crucified by the Jews,’ would be a charitable gesture, even Christian."

1.          He’s getting through to us that Paul Weyrich knew what he was doing and didn’t care about the consequences.  (“Right-on” Paul Weyrich!)

2.          He’s getting through to us that we must refrain from using so-called misleading phrases such as “the Jews crucified Jesus” and all other Scriptures related, for that would be the Christian thing to do. (Horowitz must stop using our Scriptures on us in the form of cheap psychology to get us to deny Christ and what happened to Him.  He knows nothing about Messiah.)

Mr. David Horowitz can best be described as “craftiest of craftiness.”  In his article in defense of a fellow conservative, he didn’t defend Weyrich, he told him (as well as us TBASUCs) off “good and proper.”  Least he though he did anyway.  All Mr. Horowitz did was to crucify the Jews in the eyes of the rest of the world by being a “whiny poo.”

2nd Attempt To Manipulate The Gospel: Charlie Ward

        Charlie Ward, a professional basketball player with the New York Knickerbockers, in a Bible Study which he lead, said some things that got published in the New York Times Magazine.  Present at the Bible Study was Eric Konigsberg, a journalist for the New York Times.  Konigsberg had previously participated according to his article.  Follows is an excerpt of what Mr. Konigsberg wrote that was published  thus sending “them” after Charlie Ward just like they went after Paul Weyrich:

“In the first class I attended, on the road in Washington in December, everyone asked me about my religious background.  They talked about the Old Testament and cultural identity, and they had a lot of questions about dietary laws.  Now, participating in the study-book exercises in Milwaukee, I thought I was doing fine [“poor him”]; the players seemed interested in Judaism.  They started calling me ‘E.’  I fancied that the seeds of an interfaith fellowship were being planted.

“Then Ward said, ‘Jews are stubborn, E.  But tell me, why did they persecute Jesus unless he knew something they didn’t want to accept?

"What?  ‘They had his blood on their hands.’

“Working quickly, Houston [Allan] indexed a passage on his Palm Pilot.  ‘Matthew 26, verse 67,’ he said.  ‘Then they spit in Jesus’s face and hit him with their fists.’

“’It say anything about who wanted Jesus dead?’ Ward asked. ‘There are Christians getting persecuted by Jews everyday.  There’s been books written about this – people who are raised Jewish and find Christ, and then their parents stop talking to them’” (New York Times Magazine on the web, “The Knicks’ Dysfunctional Family” by Eric Konigsberg, April 22, 2001).

1. Saying that Jews are stubborn, is that anti-Semitic?  If it is, then God is anti-Semitic because He was forever reminding them of how stiff-necked they were.  So are we to skip over that when we read our Bibles?  When we preach?  Yea, I bet!  That's what they'd like, but it will not be done by TBASUCs because the stubbornness of the Jews has been a very good example to us of how not to be before God.
   
   

2. They spat in Jesus’ face and hit him – those were Jews and not Greeks or Romans because the Greeks and Romans didn’t know about the God of Abraham to be very angry with Jesus and accuse him of blasphemy. Are we Christians to simply discard that because it isn’t the politically correct thing to say during this day and time?  I don’t think so.

3. Persecution is discrimination.  To be discriminated against is to be rejected, and that is precisely what goes on in the life of most Jews that accept Jesus as their Messiah.  Their families cast them out and want nothing else to do with them.  Is that not persecution? Was Ward making that up?  I don’t think so.

How was what Charlie Ward said anti-Semitic?  Nowadays, truth is anti-Semitic – politically incorrect.
        National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner – David Stern:   On April 24, 2001, The New York Times on the web reported what David Stern said about  Charlie Ward’s comments.

        As for Commissioner David Stern, who is he to refer to Ward's statements as "uninformed and ill-founded"?  Uninformed?  Ill-founded?  How does a non-Christian, David Stern, come to conclude that Charlie Ward is Biblically uneducated and what he said was untrue? As a TBASUC, I resent that!  I find that offensive!  Yet, I will not cry out, "Religious Bigotry”! “Fire the Commissioner because he is spiritually ignorant and insensitive toward Christians”! That doesn't warrant my crying out against it, even though Commissioner David Stern was out of place in making the statements he did because he is New Testament ignorant.
        American Jewish Congress (AJC) Executive Director Phil Baum:  An excerpt from the April 21, 2001 press release on the AJC web site reads:  

“The comments by Charlie Ward of the New York Knickerbockers that the Jews had Jesus’ ‘blood on their hands,’ and the attempts to explain this statement by Ward and his Bible-thumping teammate Allan Houston, reflect extreme ignorance of Judaism and the Jewish people.  Ward and Houston should stick to basketball, and leave the theology to those who know at least something about it" [I suppose someone like the Pope].

        The AJC has the unmitigated nerve to refer to Allan Houston as a "Bible-thumping teammate"!   I find the label Bible-thumping quite derogatory.  When the AJC refer to him as such, they are saying the same of all of us TBASUCs.  For them to say "Ward and Houston should stick to basketball, and leave the theology to those who know at least something about it" shows them to be very, very New Testament ignorant about Christianity when yet they want all Christians to be “Judaic cognizant.”  Hey, but did they go learn about New Testament Christians to better their relationship with us?  They don’t require that of themselves and I suppose that’s because they’re afraid they might begin to truly see Jesus as their Messiah.  Yet, they want to send us all off to learn about Jews and Judaism.  Hey, AJC, for your information, ALL TBASUCs know their Bible, so nothing those two gentlemen said should be left up to those who "know something about theology."  Not just AJC, but all Jewish people  need to know something about Christians and I don’t mean the hatred that the Talmud promotes. 
        In the case of Charlie Ward, the AJC went so far as to contact Governor Jeb Bush of Florida, and Secretary of the State of Florida, Katherine Harris to remove Ward as spokesman for the state’s “Born to Read” program.

“A letter signed Monday by Paul D. Breitner and Jack Karako of the AJC’s southeast region office asked Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris to immediately remove all promotional posters featuring Ward.  ‘Failure to act promptly,’ they said, ‘would be considered to give credence to the comments made by Mr. Ward." (New York Times on the web.  “Charlie Ward Faulted For Comments” by the Associated Press, April 23, 2001.)

Notice the threat in the last sentence above – you, Katherine Harris, are anti-Semitic as well as Charlie Ward.  Sickening!  This is crazy!
        After Governor Bush and Secretary Harris did not bow to the AJC’s pressure, the AJC published the following on their web site on April 25, 2001:

     “…Phil Baum issued the following statement today, after both Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Secretary of State Katherine Harris defended the choice of Charlie Ward to be spokesman for the State’s ‘Born to Read’ program:
    “Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Secretary of State Katherine Harris have misread and confused the issue of Charlie Ward’s appointment as spokesman for the State’s ‘Born to Read’ literacy campaign.  Ward has the Constitutional right to say whatever he pleases, but along with people across the country, we are concerned the  baleful affects of hate speech.
    “It is inconceivable that anyone who has not repudiated the concept that ‘Jews persecute Christians every day’ should be described by Secretary of State Harris as ‘an extraordinary role model for children.’ It is regrettable that Governor Bush defends Ward, by shrugging off his comments with the response that perhaps they were not ‘politically correct.’ But bigoted speech is never correct in any fashion, politically or otherwise.” (ACJ Press Release, AJC web site, April 22, 2001.)

Dear Saints, due to the Cross, the Jews are our biggest enemy, true, but we must not hold anything against them because of that. We must continue loving them and standing with them because they know not what they do.
        Anti-Defamation League (ADL) National Director Abraham Foxman:  On their web site, April 22, 2001, the press release commented that Charlie Ward’s statement constituted religious bigotry.  He further stated:

“We had thought these destructive historic myths, which have been a source of anti-Semitism for centuries, were a thing of the past.

“However, we see that there are many good people who still hold these beliefs.  In his attempt to clarify his comments, it is clear that Mr. Ward just doesn’t get it.  Sadly, he doesn’t understand the impact of his comments and that they constitute anti-Semitism and religious bigotry.  This incident underscores the need for much more work to be done in interfaith dialogue to achieve greater understanding, tolerance and respect.”

Dear Saints, the Gospel is truth and truth is no respecter of person.  Never forget that as we walk in the truth of The Lord, because we do not compromise that truth, we will always be perceived as (1) not understanding, (2) intolerant, and (3) having no respect for those in opposition.

3rd Attempt To Manipulate The Gospel: The Passion Play

        These very same Jewish organizations are doing all within their power to get Christians to stop quoting Scriptures from the Bible because it offends them, or rather puts fear in them that hate mongers might get stirred up and commit atrocities against them.  It’s heartrending to know that they are having a great deal of success. The American Jewish Committee along with the Anti-Defamation League, for years, have worked on removing so-called Jewish stereotypes from the widely acclaimed German Passion Play at Oberammergau and expect to do the same with local Church Passion Play. 
        Now missing from the Passion Play, as though the Gospel of Jesus Christ is in error, is the blood oath that cast collective guilt on the Jews for the death of their Messiah, Jesus.  When Pilate washed his hands on the whole matter he declared himself innocent of Jesus’ blood and he told THE JEWISH PEOPLE “so see to it.”  What does the Scripture say their response to that was?  “Then answered all the[Jews] people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children (Matthew 27:25).  This, the Word of God, is offensive to the Jews?  It was truthfully spoken from the mouths of the Jewish people.  They cursed themselves due to their sin of rejecting and then murdering their Messiah.  No one can take that curse away from the Jews - not even all the pressure in the world from every Jewish organization.  That curse cannot be removed except God removes due to their repentance.
        For TBASUCs to ignore or leave mention of such Scriptures out of sermons or when sharing God’s Word because it’s offensive to Jews or anyone else, is to deny Jesus. To deny or compromise the Word of God for the sake of establishing a good relationship with the Jews, or anyone, is abomination. We will always love the Jewish people and stand with them, but we (TBASUCs) must never deny the Gospel.
        It is the hope of the Jewish organizations that Passion plays everywhere else throughout this earth will be influenced by what the Catholics at Oberammergau have done – that was, to compromise The Word of God for the sake of establishing a good relationship with the Jews who are without their Messiah.   Can you imagine

  1.      “The phrase from Matthew 27:25, ‘the blood be upon us,’ has been taken out.”

2.      “The crowd before Pilate is now divided between those who are for and against Jesus.”

3.      “Judas has been de-demonized; he comes across more humanly now, rather than as a stereotyped figure who, in Christian history, has too often been easily identified in a negative manner with Judaism.  The very similarity of the names, Judas and Judaism, unfortunately lends itself to this deleterious identification.”

4.      “The term ‘Pharisee’ has been eliminated from the text whenever the opponents of Jesus came to the fore.  This, too, is an important change.  For the term ‘Paharisee’ has, over the centuries, been unwarrantedly loaded with opprobrium and, at the same time, often closely identified with Jews and Judaism in a negative manner.”  

Do you believe that!  The above are just a few of the changes that were made to the year 2000 Passion Play at Oberammergau that the ADL proudly displays on its website.
        As said above, there is a distinct difference between True Born Again Spirit-filled Uncompromising Christians and other so-called Christians. The difference is like night and day. The day we TBASUCs stop quoting Scriptures so not to offend the Jews, know that we have fallen away from True Christianity, or Messiah has returned and there will be no need to quote Scriptures. True Born Again Christians who are not caught up into ecumenism, must never ever compromise the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We should rather die than deny our Lord and His Word! We are to be willing to die for what we believe in.  The Jews don’t dare speak against all the anti-Semitism in the Glorious Koran?  They most certainly don't.  Do we Christians shed a bundle of tears over the Talmud and its numerous ungodly teachings about how Jews are permitted to deal with non-Jews in conniving ways?  I say ungodly because they go against the Ten Commandments of God. Did Christians cry out against the Jewish anti-Christian film on anti-Semitism” showing at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. that’s funded with our tax dollars?  Did Christians boycott the Museum because of that film?  We should have because it’s most offensive being that it’s a lie – Christians are not responsible for the Holocaust.  Hitler, the Lutherans, Catholics and all other non-TBASUCs are responsible because they did not speak out. No, no, no, we don't whine about those accusations, and nor do we accuse them of being anti-Christian and demand that they cease quoting the Talmud.  We don’t because we know our God and our trust is in Him to look after us, defend us, and to roll back the shame from the lies spoken against us.

Vatican II – Nostra Aetate

        Jewish-Catholic understanding is not Jewish-Christian understanding.  For some strange reason or another, these very vocal Jewish leaders and writers believe that when the Catholic Church speaks, she speaks for all of Christendom. The Jews and the rest of the world see the Roman Catholic Church as the representative of the whole of Christianity.  The Catholic Church believes herself to be such, but that just is not the case.  The Catholic Church is the representative of Roman Catholics and those who have joined hands with her in ecumenism and follow her dictates, but does not include all Christians, in particular True Born Again Spirit-filled Uncompromising Christians – TBASUCs. 

Joe Conason	He expressed anger against conservatives not speaking out against Paul Weyrich’s writing on Christ having been crucified by the Jews as “…hostile theology has been repudiated by the Catholic hierarch.”
ADL	In referring to Charlie Ward’s statement, the ADL made a similar statement which is published on their web site: “In blaming the death of Jesus on the Jews and accusing Jews of persecuting Christians, they have revived the historic myths which have been the source of anti-Semitism for centuries, and which have been rejected by Christian leadership and scholars over the last 50 years.”
Abraham Foxman, ADL	Catholic News Service, April 30, 2001, quoted Mr. Foxman as saying how much the Jewish community appreciates the Pope and what he’s done the last 20 years to change… “What 2,000 years of pain and anguish have created [forced conversions and anti-Semitism]”
Marc Stern, Assistant Executive Director of AJC	Was quoted in Evan Gahr’s article, “Who Killed Christ” as having said the very same disturbing untruth about the subject New Testament Scriptures spoken by Charlie Ward and Paul Weyrich.  “Weyrich’s remarks are reprehensible, but certainly do not reflect the views of most conservatives or other Christians.  It’s a theological [statement] that has been repudiated….The repudiation…was the ‘centerpiece of Vatican II.  Every Christian group has rejected’ blaming Jews theologically for the death of Christ.  ‘The fact that Weyrich has resurrected that primitive theology is profoundly disturbing.”
Eugene Fisher, director of Catholic-Jewish Relations	Mr. Fisher of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops said: “Weyrich’s statement ‘is exactly the type of collective guilt on the Jewish people that the Second Vatican Council specifically condemned in the declaration Nostra Aetate, October 28, 1965.” (Washington Post.com. “Weyrich Assailed For Citing Jews In Christ’s Death” by Thomas B. Edsall, April 21, 2001.)

Dear Saints and Jewish people, when the Pope is apologizing and/or repudiating things, he’s right to because the Catholic Church is foremost behind it all, right through the centuries.  This includes the early Church that was dominated by the Church at Rome – Roman Catholic Church.  In Israel, a year ago Pope John Paul II said that the Catholic Church was “saddened by the hatred, acts of persecution, and displays of anti-Semitism directed against the Jews.” The Pope was on target.  THE CATHOLIC CHURCH did it all, and that does not include TBASUCs – real Christians.

        Here’s what Vatican II has to say:

Declaration on the Relationship
of the Church to Non-Christian Religions

(Nostra Aetate)

    “True, authorities of the Jews and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ; still, what happened in His passion cannot be blamed upon all the Jews then living, without distinction, nor upon the Jews of today.  Although the Church is the new people of God, the Jews should not be presented as repudiated or cursed by God, as if such views followed from the holy Scriptures.  All should take pains, then, lest in catechetical instruction and in the preaching of God’s Word they teach anything out of harmony with the truth of the gospel and the spirit of Christ.
    “The Church repudiates all persecutions against any man.  Moreover, mindful of her common patrimony with the Jews, and motivated by the gospel’s spiritual love and by no political considerations, she deplores the hatred, persecutions, and displays of anti-Semitism directed against the Jews at any time and from any source.” (The Documents of Vatican II.  Walter M. Abbott, S.J., General Editor; Very Rev. Msgr. Joseph Gallagher, Translation Editor.  Association Press, pp 665-667, 1966.)

There you have it.  The Jewish organizations think that all Christians must follow the dictates of the Roman Catholic Church, but oh, how wrong they are.  I thought they were smarter than that!         

The Apologetic Stage

        On April 23, 2001, Charlie Ward apologized, but why I can’t figure.  You don’t apologize for speaking the truth even though the truth is offensive to those who don’t walk in that truth.  

“I want to truly apologize to everybody who was offended,’ Ward said, ‘I will say again that I would never condemn or criticize any group or religion.  That is not who I am.’

“I also want to apologize to my teammates, the Knicks organization, the fans and the NBA for the distraction this has caused.” (New York Times on the web.  “Ward Is Contrite After Stern’s Rebuke” by Chris Broussard, April 24, 2001.)

The ADL accepted Ward’s apology saying that the episode “shows the need for continuing education,” and that they  “…hoped Charlie Ward would consider meeting with mainstream Christian leaders [Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, Catholics and the likes], along with Jewish leaders [Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein], who can explain why his beliefs are part of historic myths that have been used to fuel anti-Semitism for centuries.”
        Phil Baum of the AJC did not outright accept Charlie Ward’s apology, but rather had this to say:  “He has offered a kind of apology reiterating his desire not to offend – but he has not disavowed his hurtful comments; they remain in place.…We are pleased that Ward is looking to learn about Judaism from a rabbi [Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein] who is experienced in bringing about Christian-Jewish understanding….We look forward to a time when we can all join in admiration for Charlie Ward, not only as an athlete but as a person as well.”  (American Jewish Congress website, April 25, 2001.)  Mr. Baum won’t be happy until Charlie Ward and the rest of us TBASUCs deny Christ.  As it stands, he has no admiration for Ward as a person because of what he said.
        I’m very happy to report that Mr. Paul Weyrich, a Catholic, did not apologize in any form or fashion, and he was right not to.  On Mr. Weyrich’s web site, Free Congress Foundation, April 24, 2001, he had the following to say:  

    “I defy anyone to hear those Gospels read and to conclude anything other than that Jesus Christ was handed over to the Roman soldiers to be hung on the cross at the insistence of the local Jewish authorities.  In fact, Pontius Pilate, representing Rome, was convinced Jesus was innocent.  He wanted to set Him free.  There was a notorious robber named Barabbas and Pilate figured by offering to free either Christ or Barabbas, the people would choose Christ, since Pilate could find no wrong in Christ.
    “But the people, egged on by their leaders, Jewish leaders, the chief priests and scribes, rallied the crowd to choose Barabbas over Christ and demanded that Pilate release Barabbas instead and Jesus was given over to the soldiers to be tortured and hung on the cross until death.
    “This is historical fact.  Are we not to be forbidden to mention historical fact? 
    “I write a defense yet I feel I need no defense.  In saying what I said I was merely quoting Scripture.  Scripture is truth.  And the truth shall set you free.”

        Dear Saints, these Jewish organizations and those they represent want us to deny the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  They want us to forgo the truth.  As ambassadors of Christ, we go forth in truth because He is “Truth” and He spoke only the truth regardless of who felt offended by it.  Christ did not go forth to bring peace (Matthew 10:34) because He didn’t come for that reason, but to bring forth a sword.  That sword, dear Saints, being the Word (truth) of God.  Jesus, Himself, said that “…the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).  God’s truth liberates and it sanctifies, so why would Christians not want this for the dear Jewish people.  As Christians, we are obligated to stand in the gap for the salvation of the Jewish people through God’s Word.  No, dear Saints, we are not to compromise the Word – the truth, nor alter it in any way just to establish a relationship with the Jews.  Love them, yes, but don’t alter God’s Word so not to offend them.  Where there is truth, peace and justice stem forth, and where there is peace and justice, you have a relationship.

Interjection:  Please don’t take to heart what Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, ecumenical officer of the United Methodist Council of Bishops advised:  “If we are messengers of Christ, we become ambassadors of justice and peace [truth comes before those].  And that means sometimes not saying to another religion or to another people, ‘your perspective has no relevance at all.’” (“Bishop Says, ‘Stop Focusing On Conversions.’” Charisma News Service, May 2, 2001.)

The Truth That We Must Walk In Until “He” Comes In Glory

        The Jewish organizations have very recently slandered people such as Charlie Ward, Allan Houston, Kurt Thomas, Paul Weyrich, and others, all because of their fears. They have falsely accused so many people of being anti-Semitic simply because they spoke the truth in which they believe.  The Truth hurts, and it is the truth in spite of the many ways you attempt to disagree with it.  These organizations representing the Jewish people need to rethink the way they’re doing things because they are making the fiery furnace 50-times hotter for all the Jewish people, and for sure they won't be able to bear it.
        When we TBASUCs wash our hands on the Gospel account that the Jews cried out for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and they spat on Him as well, that’s the day we die as Christians. No one can change the Gospel – not the Pope, ADL, AJC, not you, nor I.  Besides, TBASUCs’ spokesman is Jesus Christ alone, not the Pope, and Jesus never told us to discard the Scriptures about who was responsible for His death.
        Nowadays there is a price to be paid for quoting the Gospel or speaking the truth.  

1.      Joe Conason says, quoting Scriptures will damage your good name.

2.      Phil Baum calls you a “Bible-Thumper” for quoting Scriptures.

3.      Phil Baum says you will not be regarded as an American who sees  America as an “inclusive society” if you don’t repudiate Scriptures about the Jews having put Jesus up for death.

        Speaking to the people at the Beautiful Gate, the Apostle Peter in Acts 3:13 said,  "the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye [Jews] delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go." Again, Peter speaking in Acts 5:30, "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye [Jews] slew and hanged on a tree."  If the Jews didn’t kill Jesus, who did? The Romans carried out the execution at the demand of the Jewish people. Who’s speaking the truth, the Bible or the American Jewish Congress, Anti-Defamation League, American Spectator, New York Times, Salon News, FrontPage Magazine, or the Roman Catholic Pope?  If they didn’t kill Jesus, then God The Father owes them an apology for, at the hands of the Romans, having permitted the destruction of the Temple, brought about the Diaspora in 60 A.D., and worldwide anti-Semitism since that time. This is an outright attempt by  Satan, through our Jewish friends, to water-down the Word of God, and to put the Church in error by sucking-up that lie.  

In Closing

        Poor Charlie Ward, he had no need to apologize for what he believes to be true as it is written in the Bible.  If what is written in the Bible offends someone, then that someone has a problem, and Christians must never, ever apologize.  By Ward apologizing, he bent under pressure out of fear of what he might lose.  Charlie Ward, in this way with Christ Jesus, we must be willing to give up people and things, lose people and things, and even die for what we believe in, but never compromise our beliefs just to remain in good graces with the Jews, the New York Knicks, the NBA Commissioner, the fans, and to continue playing basketball.  Charlie Ward's apologizing for what he supposedly believes in was somewhat denying Christ.  Ward's consenting to open a dialogue with Rabbi Yechiel Z. Eckstein in an effort to "heal wounds," is another form of denying Christ and what His Word has taught him. (Of all people, Rabbi Eckstein! Rabbi Eckstein's primary goal in life is to hinder Born Again Christians from witnessing to Jews while at the same time taking money from them for his foundation that supports Jews.  He is very clever.  He makes Born Again Christians believe they're fulfilling the Great Commission of Christ when they make donations to his organization while at the same time not speaking the name Jesus to the Jews.  Rabbi Eckstein is super-shrewd and is not to be trusted so why is Charlie consulting him? The truth about Rabbi Eckstein, go to http://scarlet-to-snow.com/aa4.htm.)
        There is a witness in my spirit that us TBASUCs have no reason to recant what we quote from the Gospel because we have the right to say all Scriptures being that we are of Christ Jesus.  That is not anti-Semitism.  On the other hand, Someone like Adolph Hitler or more recently Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his statement made during the Pope’s recent visit to Syria, can justifiably be called racist and anti-Semitic because he and the majority of Syrians are not  TBASUCs are out of order when they quote Scripture to promote their hatred for Israel.  Assad said:  

“The contemporary Zionists are the same as those Jews who were fought by Jesus Christ who in turn uncovered their hypocrisy and crimes.” (BBC on line, “Pope Visits Golan Heights,” May 7, 2001.)  

        True Born Again Spirit-filled Uncompromising Christians, the day we stop quoting the following Scriptures so not to offend the Jews, know that we have fallen away from True Christianity or Messiah has returned and there will be no need to quote Scriptures:  

"Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He [Jesus] hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He [Jesus] is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his [Jesus] face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee (Matthew 26:65-68)?"

 "Then answered all the people [Jews], and said, His blood be on us, and on our children (Matthew 27:25)." 

 ". . . the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye [Jews] delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go (Acts 3:13)."

 "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye [Jews] slew and hanged on a tree (Acts 5:30)."

        We will not compromise! We will die rather than deny our Lord and His Word! We will die for what we believe in as True Born Again Spirit-filled Uncompromising Christians. Again, I ask, do the Jews dare speak against all the anti-Semitism in the Glorious Koran?  They most certainly don't.  Do we Christians shed many tears over the Talmud and its numerous ungodly teachings about how Jews are permitted to deal with non-Jews in conniving ways? (I say ungodly because they go against the Ten Commandments of God.)  No, no, no,  we don't whine about that, and we don't because we know our God and know that He does not have evil in Him, and He is with us.
        All the pressure in the world from every Jewish person, Jewish organizations, liberal media, nor all the money from the entire world Jewry can persuade us TBASUCs to button our lips when it comes to our faith because it offends them or jeopardizes our relationship with them.  Let them go ahead and slander us, but we answer to The Lord – not the Jews, and not the press. We are to love the Jewish people and stand beside them without compromising the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   It's all about TRUTH and nothing else.  It’s no to “political correctness” and it’s no to what is just because truth triumphs.

Father God, in Jesus’ mighty name, I pray for the exact same mind to be in each TBASUC that was also in Christ Jesus. I pray that as Christ didn’t hold back the truth from the Jewish people for fear of offending them, we will do the same. I pray that as Christ didn’t compromise your Word dear Father just so that He’d have a better relationship with the Jewish people, we will do the same. I pray that as Christ told it like it was – the truth, we will do the same. Amen, amen, and amen!

During all of this, I don’t recall hearing nor reading where Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Billy Graham, Benny Hinn, et. al. spoke out against the Jewish attempt to clamp down on New Testament Scriptures.  Do you suppose they didn’t hear about the war of words?  Oh, well.