WorthyNews: Mennonite Church USA votes to divest in protest of Israeli policies

[brakelite]

It just occurred to me. A question. If I should with-hold my tithe on the basis of some policy in my church that I conscientiously objected to, would that displease God? Yes! Because it reveals a lack of faith in God...my tithe isn't given to the church, I am returning it  to God...it belongs to Him. What the church does with it is His business. Any other offerings however is at my discretion, and I can give or hold back according to what wisdom or discernment I choose to use with regards the nature of the recipient, and the poilicies it purports to follow. God is NOT going to judge me  on such matters. God however will judge the Mennonite Church on how it chooses to use tithe money which is returned to God and ought to be used for the benefit of His spiritual kingdom...that is the furtherance of the gospel. Taking investment money away from businesses helping a secular nation extend its earthly/carnal territories  I would boldly suggest is a godly action.

[Guest shiloh357]

On 7/10/2017 at 9:40 AM, brakelite said:

I guess then that makes me an enemy of God. Although I am surprised that the God I have known and been intimate friends with for over 40 years would a. take so long to tell me, and b. use you to do the telling.

If you knew God you would not support anti-Semitism.    One cannot hate the Jews, but claim to love the King of the Jews.

[brakelite]

Just now, shiloh357 said:

If you knew God you would not support anti-Semitism.    One cannot hate the Jews, but claim to love the King of the Jews.

Please quote any suggestion I have made whereby you could glean any inference to any hatred I have for Jewish people, or anti-semitic leanings? I dont support the US Democrat party...that does not make me a hater of the American people. Nor do I support or agree with American foreign policy toward some Middle Eastern states, that doesn't make me a hater of the American people either. 

[Guest shiloh357]

46 minutes ago, brakelite said:

Please quote any suggestion I have made whereby you could glean any inference to any hatred I have for Jewish people, or anti-semitic leanings? I dont support the US Democrat party...that does not make me a hater of the American people. Nor do I support or agree with American foreign policy toward some Middle Eastern states, that doesn't make me a hater of the American people either. 

No other people on earth are singled out for their unbelief like the Jewish people are.   Support for Israel isn't support for the Jewish religion.  We support Israel against the blind hatred of Islam and the hypocritical double-standards erected by the international community that denies Israel's very right to exist. To single Israel out for special condemnation is anti-Semitic.

Furthermore, the modern nation of Israel is a direct fulfillment of Bible prophecy.  Israel's return to the Land in a state of unbelief was prophesied and is coming to pass in our day.   To reject Israel is to reject the plan of God that is unfolding in our day.   God is not obligated to some artificial standard that Israel cannot be supported simply because they are  not believers.   It is because of that very attitude that Jews resist belief in Jesus.  Christians have, historically, been the biggest roadblock to Jewish salvation.

[brakelite]

1 hour ago, shiloh357 said:

No other people on earth are singled out for their unbelief like the Jewish people are.   Support for Israel isn't support for the Jewish religion.  We support Israel against the blind hatred of Islam and the hypocritical double-standards erected by the international community that denies Israel's very right to exist. To single Israel out for special condemnation is anti-Semitic.

Furthermore, the modern nation of Israel is a direct fulfillment of Bible prophecy.  Israel's return to the Land in a state of unbelief was prophesied and is coming to pass in our day.   To reject Israel is to reject the plan of God that is unfolding in our day.   God is not obligated to some artificial standard that Israel cannot be supported simply because they are  not believers.   It is because of that very attitude that Jews resist belief in Jesus.  Christians have, historically, been the biggest roadblock to Jewish salvation.

I think the trinity is the biggest roadblock to Jewish salvation, but that's another conversation. 

The problem I find with the pro-Israel stance with many is the underlying suggestion that it ought to be compulsory within Christendom, even a salvational issue as expressed in one of your earlier posts. It isn't.

[Guest shiloh357]

3 hours ago, brakelite said:

I think the trinity is the biggest roadblock to Jewish salvation, but that's another conversation. 

 

No, the biggest roadblock to Jewish salvation is the historical persecution of the Jewish people by the Church.   Church history is chock full of hatred of Jewish people, blood libels, massacres, pogroms and even Christian moral indifference to the Holocaust.

And now we have lies about Israel being spread in he media and in the international community leading to ignorant Christians who don't understand the dynamics of the current conflict to make mistakes and side with the terrorists against Israel.

[brakelite]

8 hours ago, shiloh357 said:

No, the biggest roadblock to Jewish salvation is the historical persecution of the Jewish people by the Church.   Church history is chock full of hatred of Jewish people, blood libels, massacres, pogroms and even Christian moral indifference to the Holocaust.

And now we have lies about Israel being spread in he media and in the international community leading to ignorant Christians who don't understand the dynamics of the current conflict to make mistakes and side with the terrorists against Israel.

The first paragraph...yes,that certainly hasn't helped. But there are doctrines within Christianity such as the trinity, natural immortality of the soul, eternal torment, that many Jews have great difficulty with, as they can only be substantiated by circumstantial NT texts, some of which were never in the original canon of scripture, and most certainly cannot find any support in the OT.

As for your second paragraph, I do have an issue with those, not necessarily you personally,  who instantly presume any reticence to actively support the nation of Israel equates to support fro terrorism, and/or Islam. Nor do I have any sympathy with the idea that support, or a lack thereof,is a salvational issue. I have very good reasons for the way I  think. They are not affected by the media, nor by any influence from a political perspective. My reasons for expressing a certain reserve toward the goings on in the Middle East and around Israel are eschatological. I come from a completely different perspective from you as far as prophecy is concerned, and like to keep the nation of Israel and the politics of that sphere at a respectable distance,not allowing them to distract nor deviate attention away from where I am Biblically convinced is the true focal point of prophecy. But again, that is another conversation which I know you would disagree with. But no hard feelings...I am not bigoted against Jews nor against their hopes of a national identity...I am fully aware that even within Judaism there is opposition to a nation state. Taking sides on that issue quite frankly is way beyond my pay grade.

Back to the Mennonites however. Perhaps you know more about this than is revealed in the article above. From my reading of it however, I see no support for  terrorism nor Islam in their move to withdraw funds from private companies in Israel; if my church chose to invest funds derived from tithe in private companies I would object vociferously...if it were from freewill offerings I would be suspect...as far as I am concerned in these last hours of human history as we know it, the urgency is for the gospel to be preached. Not making money for it to sit in the bank and collect interest. All money should go direct to getting the message of the gospel to all the world. Nothing else matters.