24-03-2003 04:19									#1
	Please Explain: "Jews for Jesus" (long) Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

For some reason I keep running into people who are part of the group "Jews for Jesus" at public gatherings in St. Louis Missouri.

No, not anti-war rallies, but outdoor art shows, celebrations, that type of thing. Despite its morbid provincialism, the city of St. Louis is really into putting together decent outdoor public gatherings.

Anyway, I go to a lot of this stuff around town, and I first noticed them a few years back, maybe in a groups of two or three, handing out their literature. (I like to keep my eye out for religious folks.)

Not altogether different from Evangelical Christians or Morman missionaries, they were there spreading the message, but one never got the sense they had a game plan beyond handing out whatever it is these people like to hand out and talking up the "Good News".

In the last year or so, I have seen a considerable upswing in their level of organization. I've taken to watching them work street corners when I see them. Not stalking, mind you , just people watching, which is half of why I go to these things.

They're probably the most organized group of message-spreaders working the streets of St. Louis right now. When the streets are closed off for these gatherings, they'll position pairs of people at all four sidework corners, with a central leader and an assistant working the center in the middle of the street.

The leader keeps his eyes on the four corners and provides reinforcement where necessary. They all wear identical "Jews for Jesus" T-shirts. After 15 or 20 minutes of handing out literature and approaching everyone who walks by, they rally up and resupply their literature stocks. Then they'll move off quickly to the next street intersection a block down and start all over again.

No other missionary group in St. Louis works like this (except for an anti-abortion group who holds absurd apparently spontaneous rallies at street intersections with heavy traffic miles from any abortion clinic).

I was wondering if anyone had any information or experiences with this group. Is it a cult? How influential are they?

	24-03-2003 04:21									#2
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

Slightly cultish. But not too bad.

I crashed one of their speaking engagements at school one time.

	24-03-2003 04:22									#3
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

That was about 6 years ago. Don't know if they've changed since then.

	24-03-2003 04:23									#4
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

quote: Originally posted by Frogger I crashed one of their speaking engagements at school one time.

Details, please! I'd love to hear them!

	24-03-2003 04:23									#5
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

Jews for Jesus are Jews who think Jesus is the Messiah but still follow Jewish dietary laws.

	24-03-2003 04:26									#6
	Suffering from ads?

I am a Christian and from a few cross-denominational meetings I have been involved in, They are also know as Messianic Jews, or Messiah Jews or another way to say that they are Jewish People whom believe in New Testament Teachings, which I also do, that Jesus is The Way, and No one comes to the Father (God) except through Profession of Faith In Jesus Christ as Ones Personal Lord and Savior.

Now, I do not know "for sure" that this is same group but down here in the Carolinas I have met some with same name and thats what they represented/stood for.

For the rcord, Jewish Teachings show Jesus Christ as a Rabbi-Rabboni (Teacher) or even a Prophet, NOT the Son of God, certainly not God made Flesh and dwelliing among men.

Peace, and I hope this helps


Grandpa Troll

	24-03-2003 04:27									#7
	Tired of ads?

quote: Originally posted by Static Universe Details, please! I'd love to hear them!

I went in with a Jewish friend and we had a fun time pretending to be interested in their message but instead slyly hinting that they were:

a) misrepresenting their belief system on advertisements for their talk (which they were)

b) Annoyingly conversion-minded

c) No longer Jews, as far as religion was concerned

	24-03-2003 05:00									#8
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

That reminds me of a time when a certain clean cut college kid tried to harrass me when I was passing out little Bibles in Salt Lake City. He said; "Excuse me but why did Jesus have to look like a hippie with long hair and all?" I said; Well, you wouldn't want him to look like you would you? He just growled and left.

Jews For Jesus as far as I know are real Jews who became Christians. That should not be unusual because Jesus himself said that he came to save the Jews. Therefore they can still be Jews and Christians.

	24-03-2003 05:00									#9
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

I have to say that their literature is curiously strange. For example, one flyer they hand out out asks "What do these 10 people have in common" and has a list of names, including Jesus's. On the back, it reveals that the people on the list have all changed their names and are actually Jewish.

For example, "Bob Dylan" is revealed to be "Bob Zimmerman" and "Jesus" is revealed to be "Yeshua".

My problem with this is how appropriate is it to advertise a list of Jews who Anglicized their names to hide their Jewish origins when trying to convert people to "Jews for Jesus"?

	24-03-2003 05:12									#10
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

Lincoln's story reminds me of the last time I had Mormons ring my doorbell.

I had a real urge to answer the door with my half-empty bottle of JD in my hand. As it was, I tried to maintain a straight face while they asked me if I wanted to discuss Jesus.

Also, why the hell do all the conversion sorts have a Southern US accent? They bus them up here or something?

	24-03-2003 05:20									#11
	Full PM-box? Change here!

They probably had a western US accent. There aren't many Mormans in the South - fundamentalist and charismatic Christians do not approve of them (to put it mildly).

	24-03-2003 05:27									#12
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

They call the South the Bible belt. But very few here are Mormons, like Ann said.

	24-03-2003 05:33									#13
	Put an end to popups!

quote: Originally posted by AnnC They probably had a western US accent. There aren't many Mormans in the South - fundamentalist and charismatic Christians do not approve of them (to put it mildly).

Plus Mormons dont believe whatmost Christians believe, Mormons swear by, IIRC, John Smith or Joseph Smith, whom states Jesus Came unto him.

They say you have a Book of Mormon which professes this.

They also say its a sin to drink Sweet Tea, because the tea leaves are used to tan Leather??..Hmm...well..thats a Stretch of Keeping your Body a Holy Temple..I guess, but Jesus also says that its not what goes in but what comes out that is a sin.


I believe in Jesus, I dont think its appropriate to mock God, Jesus Christ or The Holy Spirit.

Peace


Grandpa Troll

	24-03-2003 05:34									#14
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by Lincoln They call the South the Bible belt. But very few here are Mormons, like Ann said.

I find Utahan to be much closer to Southern than I do to what I consider Western.

In my mind, Texan ais a southern accent and Utahan resembles Texan.

	24-03-2003 05:43									#15
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Oh dear, Canadian provincialism strikes again... Utah is definitely not southern.

And for sure, Mormons are not Christians. They teach that there's a God the father and God the mother (my terminology) who created planet Earth and continue to populate it with their spiritual children. That's why good Mormons have lots of kids, it's their duty to provide bodies for these spiritual children so they can come and live on Earth.

And if you're "spiritual" enough yourself and you follow all the rules, you'll eventually attain the seventh heaven (or whatever they call it) and then you can create your own planet and populate it with the spiritual children that you and your for-time-and-eternity spouse produce.

To orthodox (note the small 'o') Christians, Mormon theology is nothing more than a variation on the serpent's lie: "you can be like God".

	24-03-2003 05:46									#16
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

I know Utah is most definitely "Western" geographically...

But their accent resembles more closely what I've heard from Texans than what I heard in, say, New Mexico or some of the Midwestern states (Nebraska et al)

	24-03-2003 05:50									#17
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

I lived in Utah for 25 years. Some do have a twinge of a southern accent for some reason. Their heaven is divided into three kingdoms with good Mormons who are married in the temple on the top level. All of us peasants get to serve them for eternity. Oh what fun...

	24-03-2003 06:01									#18
	Put an end to popups!

quote: Originally posted by Lincoln I lived in Utah for 25 years. Some do have a twinge of a southern accent for some reason. Their heaven is divided into three kingdoms with good Mormons who are married in the temple on the top level. All of us peasants get to serve them for eternity. Oh what fun...

Don't forget that Mormons spent a lot of time in Missouri and picked up a lot of converts there (here to me!) before they were driven out. It's very likely they would have taken many with southern accents with them.