(My Patreon page is growing. Consider joining our community and get a fresh perspective on Israel and Bible prophecy, which is proof that God exists. It is also the most hopeful message in an age of Hopelessness. Check out The God That Answers! The link is at the bottom.)
A Confused Church
As Israel grinds through month 2 in a war Hamas started, it’s disappointing but not surprising to see where the Church in America sits on this.
I know I write about this all the time, but few others do so I’m trying to keep you informed—a massive drop-off in support for Israel among American churches represents I believe another front in the wars against the Jews.
I read this week the results of a LifeWay poll, in which Christians were asked about Israel’s war with Hamas. The results weren’t surprising, but something jumped out at me that isn’t readily apparent. Nowhere did I read the context for the war, not really. Not a single detail about the demonic atrocities.
(I have not yet watched the infamous 47-minute video about the atrocities. I’ve read about two or three of them and they are so beyond the pale, it’s a struggle to process the evil.)
It was all presented as an effort to “subdue” Hamas. No real mention that more than 1,200 people were horrifically tortured and butchered. Men, women, children. The elderly. Pregnant mothers. Young women maimed in the most intimate ways possible.
A post on X this week is relevant:
“I just did something I was on the fence about. I watched the 47 minute video Nothing other than the complete elimination “by any means necessary” of hamas along with the “innocent civilians” in Gaza will prevent something this horrific from ever happening again. There were no innocent civilians in Gaza on October 7th”
Correct. Correct.
Correct.
I first saw the Lifeway poll in Christianity Today, which, in my view, is an anti-Israel publication. Language matters and words are key, and the Left (including CT) knows how to manipulate language. Hence the absence of real discussion about what actually happened on October 7. Gang rapes, murdered babies cut from their mothers, beheadings, maiming…this and more is what really happened.
I encourage you to read the results for yourself. Most of the results are horrifying, indicating either that American Christians by and large are almost totally ignorant of the conflict and/or they just don’t care. I will always stand by my contention that the percentage of authentic pro-Israel Christians in this country is shockingly low. I don’t include Christians that are primarily interested in “getting blessed” by supporting Israel, or Christians that see a moral equivalence between Israel and the Palestinians. These are not serious people.
By the way, I’ve come up with my own definition of “pro-Israel,” after lo these many years of advocating for them. It is the person that supports unconditionally the physical safety of the Jews, wherever they are. Unconditional is the key term here.
Of course, no one knows the actual numbers of authentically pro-Israel Christians in this country. My best guess is it’s some tens of thousands, perhaps up to a couple million. CUFI touts 10 million or so, but I see no evidence of this across the country. The Lifeway poll, though odious, is probably a fair pulse of the support out there.
One bit of nuance in the polling is this:
“Respondents were screened to include those who identified as Catholic/Roman Catholic, Protestant/non-denominational, or Orthodox Christians.”
Orthodox Christians are by and large anti-Israel. Catholics historically have not been pro-Jew, but there have also been important inroads made in dialogue between the two groups, since World War 2. These religious communities are known entities.
Where I think the problems come in is with evangelical communities. Most people in this group are squeamish about taking any kind of stand about anything.
Which brings us to another tough issue. What should be the outcome of the Hamas War?
I am probably in the minority, but I agree with the X poster above. I am more in the Ze’ev Jabotinsky camp, even Meir Kahane, who is a pariah in most circles.
But I ask this question: Why is even one Jewish murder tolerated?
Because that’s what our society has been doing. Yes, a couple presidents came to Israel’s aid in a moment of crisis. Yes, Jews were safer in our society than in others; emphasis on “were.” Yes, there are significant numbers of authentically pro-Israel Christians in this country.
But when is enough enough?
I share the view that there are very few if any good people in Gaza. The children are raised as psychopaths, sent to summer camps where they learn about death and murdering Jews. Arab women that do not know God are some of the most vicious people on the planet. Parents encourage their children to “become martyrs for Allah.”
So, then. My personal view is that, apart from the squishy, squeamish group polled by Lifeway, Gaza post-war should be uninhabited. No one lives there. Israel should control the area long-term. Years. Not a leaf blows without them knowing it. No more terrorists. No more citizens that support Hamas.
Empty.
This view is considered harsh and mean. Maybe even evil. We have to continue sending aid to the Palestinians, right? Show humanitarian support?
They hate our guts. They hate Israelis to the point of murdering them and torturing them. Worse, the glee they feel over the psychological damage done to Israelis is demonic.
They must be erased.
Israel won’t do this. They will attempt some middle-ground model, in which Gaza will be rebuilt, but the IDF controls the whole Strip. 1.5 million Jew-haters will still live there, seething, not at Hamas, but at the Jews. At America.
To wrap-up, maybe I was wrong about the title of this piece. Maybe the Church in America isn’t confused. Maybe they know all too well what they believe. They just don’t support Israel, generally.
And that will be a permanent stain on the history of the American Church.
www.patreon.com/TheGodThatAnswers