Orthodox Jewish youths burn New Testaments in Israel

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Last update - 18:04 20/05/2008

Orthodox Jewish youths burn New Testaments in Or Yehuda

By The Associated Press

Orthodox Jews set fire to hundreds of copies of the New Testament in the latest act of violence against Christian missionaries in the Holy Land.

Or Yehuda Deputy Mayor Uzi Aharon said missionaries recently entered a neighborhood in the predominantly religious town of 34,000 in central Israel, distributing hundreds of New Testaments and missionary material.

After receiving complaints, Aharon said, he got into a loudspeaker car last Thursday and drove through the neighborhood, urging people to turn over the material to Jewish religious students who went door to door to collect it.

"The books were dumped into a pile and set afire in a lot near a synagogue," he said.

The newspaper Maariv reported Tuesday that hundreds of yeshiva students took part in the book-burning. But Aharon told The Associated Press that only a few students were present, and that he was not there when the books were torched.

"Not all of the New Testaments that were collected were burned, but hundreds were," he said.

He said he regretted the burning of the books, but called it a commandment to burn materials that urge Jews to convert.

"I certainly don't denounce the burning of the booklets, he said. I denounce those who distributed the booklets."

Jews worship from the Old Testament, including the Five Books of Moses and the writings of the ancient prophets. Christians revere the Old Testament as well as the New Testament, which contains the ministry of Jesus.

Calev Myers, an attorney who represents Messianic Jews, or Jews who accept Jesus as their savior, demanded in an interview with Army Radio that all those involved be put on trial. He estimated there were 10,000 Messianic Jews, who are also known as Jews for Jesus, in Israel.

Police had no immediate comment.

Israeli authorities and Orthodox Jews frown on missionary activity aimed at Jews, though in most cases it is not illegal. Still, the concept of a Jew burning books is abhorrent to many in Israel because of the association with Nazis torching piles of Jewish books during the Holocaust of World War II.

Earlier this year, the teenage son of a prominent Christian missionary was seriously wounded when a package bomb delivered to the family's West Bank home went off in his hands.

Last year, arsonists burst into a Jerusalem church used by Messianic Jews and set the building on fire, raising suspicions that Jewish extremists were behind the attack. No one claimed responsibility, but the same church was burned down 25 years ago by ultra-Orthodox Jewish extremists.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/985362.html

[almaty 19]

what?/ i doubt they were Jews..probably Muslims in

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

what?/ i doubt they were Jews..probably Muslims in

Probably. Or else blame it on that leftie Hamas-loving Haaretz newspaper.

[mawilson 2,133]

what?/ i doubt they were Jews..probably Muslims in

Probably. Or else blame it on that leftie Hamas-loving Haaretz newspaper.

"Ha-Aretz" = The land

Might as well call it "Their land"

[almaty 19]

what?/ i doubt they were Jews..probably Muslims in

Probably. Or else blame it on that leftie Hamas-loving Haaretz newspaper.

lol..you are right sister

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

"Ha-Aretz" = The land

Might as well call it "Their land"

I knew the meaning -- Mahmoud speaks fluent Hebrew and can always translate for me.

[almaty 19]

and i am certain their radical views inspired the misguided youths to rage

[Nagishkaw 510]

So what's the big deal about burning the NT?

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

So what's the big deal about burning the NT?

Yup. It's just a book.

[SaadBell 0]

Another example of my God is better than your God, like a scene out of a Childs playground, where one kid will tell another kid my daddy will beat your daddy up. Just a different level, got to love brainwashing, works like a charm.

[Peikko 1,575]

Well, it is just a book - but is book burning evolved?

[PlatyPius 5]

Glad to hear it. Nothing worse than missionaries going to places and trying to sell their snake oil. It's insulting to the locals who are just fine with their own religion(s) and beliefs.

Missionaries = chopf##ks

[Ggreen 12]

shooting the quran,burning the new testaments...i guess torah is next.

[Heracles 417]

Glad to hear it. Nothing worse than missionaries going to places and trying to sell their snake oil. It's insulting to the locals who are just fine with their own religion(s) and beliefs.

Missionaries = chopf##ks

Yes unlike the civilized non-white trash approach of, I don't agree with someone so they must be a dumb ### selling snake oil right; or was it white trash.

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Edited May 23, 2008 by Boo-Yah!

[Imua 0]

Glad to hear it. Nothing worse than missionaries going to places and trying to sell their snake oil. It's insulting to the locals who are just fine with their own religion(s) and beliefs.

Missionaries = chopf##ks

Ever since Nepal went 'secular' 2 years ago the missionaries have been licking their chops - It makes my blood boil. Until then if you were caught proselytizing you could be deported or even sent to jail. You were able to choose to practice whatever religion you like just not try to convert people. Now you see practices like missionaries bribing poor Nepalis with money or food, even visa assistance to developed countries(this last happened to my ex, who refused to convert). In some parts of rural India they have set up so called 'Jesus Wells' where only church members can get water - other villagers have to walk long distances to get water.

A good website: http://www.crusadewatch.org

Edited May 23, 2008 by Pattu Rani