I have blogged about this before. But why do Christian Zionists spend so much time attacking the Christian Church? I can understand a desire to seek peace and security for the State of Israel, who doesn't want that? But Zionism goes further. It must justify Israel's existence spiritually, and this to the detriment of the Christian Church. So Zionist' Christians will travel about taking conferences, go on TV, and attack what they characterise as Replacement Theology.
Now Replacement Theology does exist, and some Reformers have made anti-Semitic comments, and this needs identifying and challenging, but what is attacked in essence is a strawman position. Zionist' Christians then suggest that those who hold to Covenantal Theology are somehow on the edge of anti-Semitism. And this is on popular Christian TV. I have for instance recently watched a video by Ron Matsen, linked with Koinonia House, on GOD TV. http://www.god.tv/playlist/israel.
However, Reformed Covenantal theology is much more nuanced that Zionists would have us believe. So what is set-up and challenged is a misrepresentation of the truth. Christian TV in the UK generally supports Christian Zionism and gives little time to alternatives, although Revelation TV had a good debate with Stephen Sizer and Calvin L.Smith a while ago. But let us have a wider debate about the impact that certain teaching has on the health of the Church. Should we not be building up the Church instead of tearing it down?
I am in the process of releasing a new book Understanding Israel that looks at the question of identity in relation to Israel. More news on that soon.
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