Jews for Jesus

I'm not sure this will get any traction -- and honestly, I'm not sure that it should get any traction. I personally don't really care what goes down in peoples' churches, short of executions, discriminations and blatant war-/hate-mongering. 

I finally caught some context to these "Jews for Jesus" rumblings about Palin's church in Wasilla, a group that tries to convert Jewish people into evangelical Jesus-followers.  The controversy is that Palin was in attendance on August 17th (of this year) when a Jews for Jesus lead-minister, David Brickner, guest spoke at Palin's church (with her in attendance). Brickner and the Jews for Jesus very much take the you're-either-with-god-or-against-god stance and argue that god punishes the Jews for not accepting Jesus Christ as King, etc etc yatta yatta. Of course, their public purpose is to "save" the Jews by turning them on to Christ. I'm sure, as with all groups, many are well-intentioned and others are a bit more scary and extreme. I've heard these songs and dances before.  If it's not WWII, it's terrorism, etc etc yatta yatta.  Better love Jesus, or God's gonna cut you down, etc etc yatta yatta.  For example, Brickner said,

"Judgment is very real and we see it played out on the pages of the newspapers and on the television. It's very real. When [Brickner's son] was in Jerusalem he was there to witness some of that judgment, some of that conflict, when a Palestinian from East Jerusalem took a bulldozer and went plowing through a score of cars, killing numbers of people. Judgment — you can't miss it." [Source]

The Anti-Defamation League has tagged Jews for Jesus and monitors their (global) programs. Some may consider them to be a hate-group, but I'm on the fence with that judgment. I just don't have enough information about them to make that determination. And even if they were, hearing them speak doesn't necessarily mean you agree or support their platform.

I personally come from the camp that believes people are capable of thinking for themselves and are actually capable of listening to views of others without having to agree...  Thus, Reverend Wright with Obama never bugged me in the slightest and this "Jews for Jesus" issue doesn't make me think Palin has to be anti-semitic.  I'm more concerned with what Obama has actually said and what Palin has actually said. I'm more concerned with Biden's actual positions and McCain's own world views. You know?  The idea that people are guilty by association is an old trick in the United States and I personally like to think that we've left McCarthyism behind. I know we haven't truly gotten past that (the Reverend Wright obsession was proof of that), but I just don't want to play that game. It's shallow, lazy, and weak-minded.

Still, I suspect the media will get on this. And I suspect it will worry many people.  People will want to be informed, want to know, want to sort out and filter the fact from myth.  Just like with Wright.  But if this goes into frenzy mode, like the Reverend Wright nonsense, how long will it take to clear up?  Didn't we obsess over Wright for about two months before that finally cleared up?  Could this swell and dominate the Politik from now through Election day?  I hope not.  Not out of defense for Palin, her Wasilla church, or Jews for Jesus... but because I really just don't see this as being an issue.

I'm more concerned with what the candidates have said themselves.

Like when Palin told her church in Wasilla,

"I think God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that."

The idea that building the gas line has anything to do with God's will simply staggers my mind. And that's far more important (and worrisome) to me than what some guest lecturer said in her church, crazy, offensive, or whatever. In the same speech, Palin also says that the Iraqi invasion was also "God's Plan".  I've heard this rhetoric before, and I don't exactly value "God's Will" as justification for Foreign Policy.

I'd provide you with a link to the full video of Palin saying this on the Wasilla Assembly of God's website, but it seems they've taken down their sermon videos... or moved them somewhere I can't find.  Maybe they're just re-organizing. Or maybe I'm just confused.  Fortunately, the video's also available here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/...123205.html (scroll down a little and you'll see the video). You can also (very) easily find these videos on YouTube. Just search "Sarah Palin Wasilla Church" -- and don't believe every editorial piece you see, of course. There's a lot of misrepresenting going on here.

Here's the homesite for the Wasilla Assembly of God, if you want to read up on how they present themselves.