The Rosh Pina Project is a fantastic blog run by a two Messianic guys who, among other things, document anti-missionary abuses of Messianic Jews and Christians.
And I’m discouraged and stressed out when I read the nastiness that goes on in the Rosh Pina Project comments.
The comments on the Rosh Pina Project is an internet war zone of the worst kind:
Many unbelieving Jews, most of whom are anti-missionaries, battle it out with Messianics and Christians in a perpetually-burning theological slam down.
And while some of the “professional”, official anti-missionaries (e.g. Moshe Shulman) are usually civil, most of the ilk there are the amateur, unscholarly, I-hate-all-things-Jesus kind of folk, and their battles are the bare-knuckled, gloves off kind that the internet is famous for.
I can’t even call it debate; I love debate and reasoning, but most of what goes on is mockery; real hatred manifesting itself.
It gets nasty.
Examples:
Mocking Christianity as a pro-human sacrifice religion:
“Of course the irrationality of Xstians is forcefully strong if one stopped to consider that the religion is pro human sacrifice as per the pagan religions it is based on. I do think J was a virgin – maybe it was a virgin human sacrifice?”
Mocking Jesus as a fake godman, also ridiculing Messianic organization UMJC and Messianic leader Stuart Dauermann:
Stuart Dauermann’s attempts, and thus the UMJC”s attempts to misdirect and make issues out of who or what constitutes supercessionism really is inconsequential to the fact that at the end of the day, SD and his crew at the UMJC are still misdirected Jews who cling to the idea of JC/Yoshke as godman.
Ridiculing the idea that a Jew can follow Yeshua, coupled with a plea to “come home” (read: abandon Yeshua and convert to Judaism):
You actually can peer into the constant identity problem that Jews have with this messianic movement. Don’t you see how a “raw nerve” is touched in your very Neshama [soul] by this ridiculous attempt at trying to reconcile being a Jew and following jesus? Come home already.
Assertions that Jews who follow Yeshua are no longer Jews. Mentions various Messianic leaders by name.
Though of Semitic descent you may be, taking that step into JC’s territory takes you out of Judaism’s territory. Period. Yes people can blow steam out their ears and pontificate and rehash yet again every tired old saw that we have been subjected to again and again on not just this site but so many others (Boaz, Derek et al.).
Almost zero debate, virtually all comments degrade into little personal vendetta fights:
You sad sorry little person. Does your brain hurt from trying to balance that many contradictions at the same time? You know absolutely nothing about me, you pathetic little git. Is it so hard to fathom inside that “spirit filled” little intellect of yours that aside from the great bogey-men “anti-missionaries” that …believe it or not, most Jews really dislike you.
And that’s just a few samples from a single recent thread; the Rosh Pina folks regularly encounter far worse.
I feel bad for the Joe Weissman and Gev, the folks who run that site, who have to put up with that level of hate and insults. They mostly rise above the fray. Can’t say the same for everyone who comments there, Messianic or Jewish.
One good that comes out of Rosh Pina is this: I am reminded that Messianics must band together. On my own blog, I’m held back from posting critiques about the latest Messianic theology being pushed by the big Messianic organizations. I don’t care so much about smaller theological problems on the inside when there are outsiders who are openly hostile to the whole group. Why nit-pick brothers on the inside when those who hate you are tearing down all of us from the outside?
Messianic musician Ted Pearce mentioned that he loves anti-missionaries:
I LOVE Anti-missionaries! Rav Shaul (Paul) was anti-missionary.
I'm pretty libertarian about secular discussion groups or public social networks. If we want to be free to speak to people about why Yeshua IS the Messiah, then those who might say He isn't should have the freedom to express their position in an intellectual way also.
Either Yeshua was raised from the grave or we are the most miserable of men. Every person really should be 100% convinced before putting their trust in Him. As long they aren't violent, we have nothing to fear from those guys.
I have a hard time really loving anti-missionaries. How can you love people who are so openly hostile, mean-spirited, angry, demonizing you and your family, your whole faith in God, and trying to make you abandon your hope?
Man.
I’m distressed seeing the hostility.