Mishegas, Politics, Religion

BRI NEXT NY up to same old tricks

Who do they think they are, the Rubashkins or something? This story doesn’t end, because BRI NEXT NY’s funding is still intact. Unlike every other Birthright Next program in the world, the New York area’s BRI NEXT programming is under the exclusive control of The JEC, an ultra-Orthodox kiruv group. And while that would irk me and many of us simply because thats not honest or pluralistic, BRI NEXT NY seems to have an ongoing “wardrobe malfunction” that leaves an extreme right-wing political agenda periodically exposed.
First it was that pharmaceutical industry shill “educating” about the ‘dangers’ of health care reform. Now we have what, the Pastor Hagee Homophobic End-Times Dominionist Yid-Using Revival Choir?
Next month in New York, courtesy of The JEC and BRI NEXT NY:
Gordon Robertson, CEO of the Christian Broadcasting Network, at an event entitled: “Are Evangelical Christians More Fervent Zionists Than American Jews?”
Because folks who treat Jews like expendable characters in an irresponsible eschatalogical video game are really into the ideas of Jewish self-sovereignty and the flowering of an indepedent Jewish society.

4 thoughts on “BRI NEXT NY up to same old tricks

  1. My experiences with many people who work at CBN have been overwhelmingly positive, giving me the sense that they generally care about us (Jews, Israelis, what have you) and me in particular. Leaving their politics aside, maybe it’s not fair to paint them all with such a negative brush.

  2. arie,
    I’m sure many are very kind towards Jews, yet many are convinced that the more they help Jews continue to colonize the West Bank and establish a Jewish majority in the region, the quicker they will see a return of Jesus, along with any Jew who doesn’t covert to Christianity burned to death. Put simply, they have no hope for Israel to ever have a peaceful existence as a Jewish state. The mentality of such people is akin to the witch the story of Hansel and Gretel, as they have an unfriendly motive for being friendly. I recommend this article discussing the beginnings of that faction of the Zionist movement, which was arguably the practical beginnings of Zionism.

  3. kyle,
    very interesting article. I’m well aware that this particular brand of “Zionism” exists and it runs counter to what many believe are best for Jews and for Israel not only in theory (because they want us all to ultimately accept Jesus or die) but also in practice (by supporting continued Jewish settlement in the territories).
    That said, I stand by my statement that it is not fair to characterize all of this network as treating us as pawns in an eschatological game of chess. In fact, for many Christians (as my friend just pointed out as we’ve been discussing this post), support for Israel means supporting what they see as shared Judeo-Christian values. We don’t have to agree with those values, but we also don’t need to attack ad hominem those who have them.

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