Volumne 16 Number 1
September/October 1999
Elul/Tishrei/Cheshvan 5759/5760

“Christian” Hate Groups And The Jewish Community.

By Messianic Rabbi Barney Kasdan

It’s happened again. Our heads are spinning as we try to fathom another seemingly senseless act of violence.

This time it was a racist with a history of mental health problems who allegedly shot and killed a Filipino American postal worker. Just previous to this outburst, Buford Furrow confessed that he walked into the North Valley Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles and opened fire wounding five including some day camp children, their teenage worker and a grandmother who is a receptionist. Our hearts and prayers go out to those personally affected by this recent madness. I don’t know about you, but a big part of this grief for me is the fact that many of these recent rampages have been carried out by so-called “Christian” hate groups. Talk about something that should be the ultimate oxymoron. You would think that these two words (Christian and hate) should not even appear on the same page.

Just for the record, Jesus taught and modeled love, even for one’s enemies [Matthew 5:43-44]. But the sad reality is that such hate groups are growing in our society. It might shock some born again Christians to hear that some of this hatred is coming from groups called by such names as the Christian Identity Movement, the World Church of the Creator (Illinois) and the Church of Jesus Christ Christian (Idaho). One could try to psychoanalyze the phenomena. Are some of these new recruits hurting people looking for meaning, power seekers or just plain old racists who admire Adolf Hitler? There may certainly be other factors as well. As shocking as these groups may sound to a bible believing Christian, try to imagine how these things must look to my people in the Jewish community. Many Jewish people are already alienated enough from Yeshua/Jesus because of the tragic history between the church and the synagogue. If you are not quite sure what I am talking about, I encourage you to pick up almost any book which deals with Jewish history over the last 2000 years. But now these recent events in LA. As a Messianic Jew, I am fearful that many in the Jewish community will be further confused and alienated from the One who is in fact the hope of Israel and all the nations.

What can we do? At the risk of sounding like a cliche, true believers in Yeshua must walk their talk. As the Messiah, he evidently knew that there would be many throughout history who would claim his name but not really know him. When all is said and done, what is Yeshua’s test of an authentic disciple? “Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them. Not everyone that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven” [Matthew 7:20-21]. In practical terms, that means standing against those things which are clearly not the will of the Father; namely hate and racism. What our society needs, especially the Jewish community, is a fresh dose of love coming from those who claim the name of Jesus. What do people see in your life?

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Last Modified August 31, 1999