ZGram - 8/26/2003 - "More uproar over Mel Gibson's 'Passion'"

[zgrams at zgrams.zundelsite.org]

ZGram - Where Truth is Destiny:  Now more than ever!

August 26, 2003

Good Morning from the Zundelsite:

It was an odd alliance to begin with - and now a serious disagreement 
is  flowering before our very eyes between what's called the 
"Christian Zionists" and those who desperately need their uncritical 
support. 

I predict there's more to come from where the following originated:

[START]

Mel Gibson 'Passion'
Film Causing Uproar
Rachel Zoll
8-26-03


The reasons evangelicals back Israel vary -

The uproar over Mel Gibson's upcoming film on Jesus' death is testing 
the unusual partnership between American Jews and evangelical 
Protestants, who have recently become among the staunchest supporters 
of Israel.

Many conservative Christians have called "The Passion" the most 
powerful depiction they've seen of Christ's final hours. But groups 
such as the Anti-Defamation League have argued that the portrayal of 
Jews in the events leading to the crucifixion will promote 
anti-Semitism.

The Rev. Ted Haggard, head of the National Association of 
Evangelicals, upset some Jewish leaders by mentioning support for 
Israel in a recent statement defending Gibson's movie, set for 
release next year.

"There is a great deal of pressure on Israel right now and Christians 
seem to be a major source of support for Israel," Haggard said, after 
a private viewing of the film for top evangelicals. "For the Jewish 
leaders to risk alienating 2 billion Christians over a movie seems 
shortsighted."

Haggard said in an interview that his comments were not meant as a 
threat, but as a "word of caution" that Jewish complaints "may come 
across to some average people as them being against a movie about 
Jesus."

Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, 
called Haggard's comments "sad and offensive."

"You don't achieve interfaith relationships by being tolerant of 
anti-Semitism," Foxman said. "My understanding has always been that 
evangelical support of Israel is out of goodwill, good faith and is 
not conditioned as a quid pro quo on any issue."

An ADL representative saw a screening of the film in Houston, after 
which the group complained that the film portrays Jewish authorities 
and a Jewish mob as the ones responsible for the decision to execute 
Jesus. Gibson has said the movie is not anti-Semitic.

Haggard insisted that disagreement over the film would not destroy 
the Jewish-Christian alliance on Israel. The National Association of 
Evangelicals says it represents 51 conservative denominations with 
43,000 congregations.

However, some leaders say the dispute is forcing both sides to 
confront the uncomfortable theological differences between them.

ranging from a sense of shared spiritual heritage to support for a 
Jewish homeland after the Holocaust.

The strongest pro-Israel sentiment comes from a subset of 
evangelicals known as Christian Zionists, who see the existence of 
modern Israel as a precondition for the second coming of Christ, 
which is to be preceded by a period of extreme violence and the death 
of millions, including Jews.

Many Jewish leaders have been uneasy about accepting this support. 
Even so, conservative Jews and evangelicals have been working 
together for Israel more closely than ever. Last year, American 
Christians donated $20 million to help Jews resettle in Israel, said 
Rabbi Yehiel Eckstein, president of the International Fellowship of 
Christians and Jews.

Eckstein, who has sought Christian support for Israel for 25 years, 
agreed that Haggard's remarks "would confirm for a lot of Jews their 
suspicion that there is a quid pro quo." But he argued the ties 
between Christians and Jews over Israel are so strong, "it's not even 
going to register on the radar screen. It's not even going tobe a 
blip."

Dave Blewett, president of the National Christian Leadership 
Conference for Israel, disagreed. He said that until the recent flap 
over the movie, Jews troubled by working with evangelicals had 
concluded they needed support for Israel so they would deal with 
religious disagreements later.

"Well, it's all coming up now," Blewett said.

The executive committee of his organization, which represents 
evangelicals, mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics, plans to 
discuss fallout from the movie at its meeting in October.

Foxman said he has already received calls from Jews who had opposed 
working with evangelicals. They are pointing to Haggard's remarks as 
evidence that the partnership is unworkable.

But Haggard said Jewish leaders are the ones making relations more 
difficult by focusing so intensely on Gibson's film.

"I don't think that Christian leaders are going to compromise on 
their support of Israel no matter what, certainly not over their like 
or dislike of a movie," he said. But, he added, "if the impression is 
that Jewish leaders are against the (crucifixion) story being told, 
then that's not helpful to us."

[END]

ON THE NET

National Association of Evangelicals: http://www.nae.net/

Anti-Defamation League: http://www.adl.org/adl.asp


(From The Associated Press, available online at: 
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/entertainment/6615048.htm)