Dallas, Texas – Former president George W. Bush is slated to give the keynote speech at next week’s Messianic Jewish Bible Institute (MJBI) fundraiser, where he will, according to advance information, “share his passion for setting people free.”
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MOTHER JONES (http://bit.ly/195jNPz) reports that Bush will speak at the Irving Convention Center on November 14, and follows last year’s guest speaker Glenn Beck who drew a massive crowd at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
According to MJBI officials, Bush is anchoring a campaign aimed at raising funds for its proselytizing operations—more specifically for recruiting and training new Messianic rabbis and pastors—and that Bush’s commitment extends beyond simply delivering they keynote, as he will also host a private VIP reception and meet-and-greet, with tickets fetching as much as $100K.
Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, said of Bush’s appearance, “It’s disappointing that he would give his stamp of approval to a group whose program is an express effort to convert Jews and not to accept the validity of the Jewish covenant.”
Rabbi David Wolpe of Los Angeles’ Sinai Temple tweeted, “This is infuriating,” upon hearing the news of Bush’s participation in the event.
Must be a mistake.
Strange how a reform rabbi is complaining about Bush speaking against the jewish covenant….excuse me sir, what have you and all the reformers throughout history done differently. you and your ilk are no better then the messianics.
Its a shame you dont actually hear your own words!
And if it was a left wing nut would these “holy rabbis” care so much? How about the secular war on Judaism these idiots are waging? The efforts of these messianic fellows isn’t nearly as dangerous to us as a nation as secularism.
Not at all surprising as the goal of his religion is for the Yiddin to accept Yoshka so that he’ll return to rule. All you adsmirers of Bush and Glen Beck should understand this is an important part of their religion.
I’m quite sure that Dubya doesn’t know what he’s in for or who he’s speaking for. His PR people would have set this up. Bottom line: It’s a big speaker fee, which ex-prez types like to do. That said, this won’t be good for anyone – except the new spin that the “messy-antics” are putting on their quest for self-legitimization. They are a bastardized cholent of Christianity overlain with a Jewish veneer. The Jewish community has done little to counter this aberration other than to spout sputtering jeremiads of protest. While most of the members of messianic Judaism are non-Jews, more Jews by birth are being pulled into its attractive current. The antidote for this distortion is authentic, joyful Judaism that informs the mind, inspires the heart and motivates the will to love Hashem and the briyos.
Way to go, Bushie! Now the world can see how well you understand the politics and expressions of Jewish life. We who have a Torah duty are ready to see you dance with the misfit pagans who want a life without Torah; just don’t do it in your pajamas that you wear to the track.
No jesus for Israel. Good luck Bush. No fraud for a Jew.
Yidden are naive. This is the goal of all Christians – to accept Yeshu and the New Testament as the true Bible. It doesn’t shock me that Bush will speak there. If he is ia a true Christian – he is obligated to spread the Gospel. It is hypocritical of Reform rabbis to condemn President Bush because they make little distinction between Judaism and other religions.
What are people getting hysterical about? The nature of Xstianity is to be evangelical and if he is a ‘frum’ one then that’s his belief. The main point is that all through his political life – especially when President – he made sure that this did not play a role.
More important is for us Jews to take a leaf out of this story and to understand how important it is for us to reach out to other Jews in a caring, meaningful and spiritual manner so that they will see the beauty and fullness of Torah and Judaism and not a rigid do-as-I-say system that appears as dark, black, dank and unhappy.
If we do that there will be nothing to fear from the missionaries because warmth and caring is how they try to market their wares.
“Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, said of Bush’s appearance, “It’s disappointing that he would give his stamp of approval to a group whose program is an express effort to convert Jews and not to accept the validity of the Jewish covenant.”
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black..
I wonder how many of Rabbi Saperstein’s congregants accept the validity AND DIVINITY of the Jewish covenant.
While President Bush’s choice of speaking venue is curious, he nevertheless does so out of his belief in the second coming. Rabbi Saperstein and his reform coreligionists, believe neither in the Bible nor the first coming.
Reform Judaism is not a belief and God and observance of HIS commandments, rather a Liberal mix of: ‘equality’, ‘Tikun Olam’ (environmentalism) and ‘social justice’ -all liberal/progressive dogma. Can’t help but suspect that Saperstein’s indignation and attack of Bush, has less to do with the choice of venue, and more the fact Bush is a God fearing Christian conservative.
more…
Good Shabbos.
The reform rabbi was asked for his comment on what Bush is doing. That shouldn’t be a distraction from the actual story, which is that Bush is doing a fundraiser for a missionary organization trying to convert Jews (here and in Eretz Yisroel).
That’s pretty bad if you ask me, whatever patheitc excuses and diversions his fans posting here might try to come up with. Good Shabbos
Same Bush, new twinkle in his eye. Sewing lives back to debt Bush. Stanza poor Bush. Wrestling with trust Bush. Lets just call him Worthrunt Bush.
If that is his belief, why is anybody upset ? He is entitled to it, as ,ong as it doesn’t correspond to forcing anybody or discriminating.
When a Jew is attracted to a Messianic congregation, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
The are twomissues:
1) We should be educating our children to recognize the untruths that they espouse. Our children do not learn Tanach and therefore when a missionary poses their questions we are not able to answer.
2) If our young people understand the true beauty of Yiddishkeit, they will have no reason to look elsewhere for spirituality.
A Mr. Cantor , messianic Jew is very busy converting Jews to Christianity in Tel-
Aviv and is a cousin to the majority leader
According to the FAQ for the event, cameras and recording devices are banned. Presumably, Mr. Bush doesn’t want people to have any proof he was there. As for those who are more concerned about secularism than missionaries, may I remind you that Chazal has taught us that converting to Christianity is equivalent to committing avodah zara. Christians spend millions of dollars to teach missionaries to use deception to achieve their goals — privately they justify this by citing NT scripture that tells them that they can pretend to be “a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law.” I Corin. 9:20. As long as their god is worshiped, it matters not whether they use “pretense” or “truth.” Phil. 1:18. As a convert to Judaism, some 33 years ago, I have a bit of insight into their tactics and false proofs. The missionary business is huge and a grave threat to our brethern, especially the Reform and Conservative Jews. Leave no Jew behind because, like Amalek, they will attack our weakest.
We have Iran rushing towards nuclear arms with Israel in the crosshairs, 40,000 Hezbollah rockets aimed at the heart of Israel, a Secretary of State who is ready to sign a deal which would assure Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Israel hate fests erupting on campuses across the nation, and some people are worried about an ex-president, who is devoted to Israel, speaking to messianic Evangelicals. Isn’t your concern rather like mowing the lawn when the house is on fire?
Most Evangelicals don’t want to convert Jews. To those who do, all we need to say is “no thanks.” To those who want to convert us in the next life, we say, “I’ll talk about it when the time comes.” If you have read the PEW report, the danger we face is not conversion to Christianity but conversion to a secular nothingness.
To alienate Christian supporters of Israel weakens us. By the last count, I noticed we had enough enemies. Friends, on the other hand, are too few. So when Christians offer a hand in friendship, we are foolish to put it under a magnifying glass.
What unites Christians and Jews is more important than what divides us.