Tuesday, February 6, 2007
At least he meant well. No, seriously, read on.
Boston Globe: Anti-Semitism sermon title rankles Maine Jews
The title of the sermon, "The Only Way to Destroy the Jewish Race," appeared in an advertisement for the First Baptist in the church announcements section of Saturday's Portland Press Herald.
The advertisement included references to two books of the Bible but offered no explanation about the content of the sermon other than the title.
"It's offensive, it was done in poor taste," said Rose Wohl , president of Congregation Bet Ha'am, a reform synagogue in South Portland.
However, the sermon by the Rev. Philip C. Andrukaitis, pastor of the First Baptist Church, carried a pro-Jewish and pro-Israel theme, according to a copy of the sermon provided by the pastor.
Andrukaitis said he had hoped the title of the sermon would prompt people who oppose Jews and Israel to call him or stop by the service so he could offer them another viewpoint.
"I hoped to generate dialogue, but not dialogue of this nature," Andrukaitis said.
He apologized for upsetting the Jewish community and said he would write letters conveying his regrets to local papers and area synagogues.
Andrew Tarsy, regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, called the pastor a friend of the Jewish community.
"The ad was alarming and insensitive," Tarsy said, "but his intentions were to educate people about anti-Semitism."
The Pastor chose an unwise way to get attention for his sermon, but he's no enemy.
Update: The response the Pastor is sending to everyone who inquires is below in the extended entry, as is a small snip of the sermon:
Due to the increasing number of calls and emails regarding the sermon title in the Portland Press Herald, (January 3, 2007), I find myself unable to respond individually and personally to each person and therefore I offer this general statement for the public. If you desire further discussion after reading this statement and the attached sermon, I would welcome the opportunity.
Please know that my intentions with the provocative title were to highlight the sermon which is profoundly supportive of the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. Friends, I had no idea that my sermon title would unleash (according to one person) a “firestorm†in the public and media.
On Sunday afternoon, I spoke to Andrew Tarsy, Regional Director for the Anti-Defamation League, and he said …that given the history of anti-Semitism, the ad may have in fact pushed people beyond their capacity to comprehend where you are going, and it did turn out to alarm several people. Friends, my intentions were to provoke dialogue with the community and to stress the fact that behind God’s sovereign power to fulfill His promises to Israel is His heart of mercy. I did not intend to ignite a firestorm or call attention to myself or the church.
Some of you may ask, Well, what led you to title the sermon in this manner? The title was based on the OT book, the Book of Jeremiah, chapter 31, verses 35-37. In summary, God is declaring through His servant that...
if anyone can change the courses of the sun, moon, and stars, if anyone can cause the seas to overrun their boundaries, and if anyone can measure the foundations of heaven and earth,
only then will Israel cease to exist! The point that God is making, and that I am simply reiterating is, that there is no one equal to or greater than Almighty God Who created the heavens and the earth. If such a person, government, or terrorist organization were co-equal or greater than God, Israel’s existence would be threatened. The fact remains, there is no power or person on earth or under the earth or in heaven that will succeed in the destruction of Israel. Moreover, God Himself will not renege on His promises to the nation of Israel. Israel will forever remain His chosen people.
The sermon was also an overview of the NT book, the Book of Romans, chapters 9 through 11. It is important to understand that for the last two years, I have expounded on the first eight chapters of Romans. And now, beginning on February 18th, I will begin unfolding Romans chapter 9, answering the question that the apostle Paul anticipated, What are God’s plans for Israel?
Dear friends, please forgive me for causing alarm in your hearts. No doubt, several folks have already jumped to conclusions about me and this church. I ask you to follow Andy Tarsy’s example of patiently listening and carefully reading. Perhaps then, you will arrive at the same conclusion as he did, that I am a friend of the Jewish community – (Boston Globe, February 5, 2007).
Sincerely,
Rev. Phil Andrukaitis, Pastor
First Baptist Church of South Portland, Maine
Here's a little snip from the sermon:
A word of caution to all those who hate Israel: You cannot succeed against God. The Lord said that He would bless those who bless the Jews and curse those who curse the Jews (Genesis 12:1-3). And a word of caution to those who are indifferent towards Israel: They are and will always remain God’s chosen people. Do not turn your heart away from them.
Israel will be saved because God has declared it, has the power to perform it, and a heart of mercy for sinners. God’s conduct and conversation reveal His character. Moreover, Israel’s Savior, Jesus Christ, will sit on the Throne of David, in Jerusalem and govern this world for a thousand years.
As we prepare ourselves before the Lord’s Table for communion, think on the heart of mercy that is behind God’s faithfulness and power to fulfill His promises to both the Jews and the Gentiles – you and me. I believe that 2007 will be a year where we will better understand God’s faithfulness, power, and mercy towards those whom He has elected.
As you said, he did mean well. Also we all make mistakes - this one was a pretty public mistake and I think he apologized nicely.
It's difficult to use a provocative title out of context especially when most of the people reading the paper will not know who you are or what type of person you might be. Billy Graham might have gotten away with such a title because he was very well known, unfortunately, being a small fish in the big sea means one has to be far more careful in presentation.
I wouldn't be very critical of this guy. That he meant well really counts for a lot. And, frankly, I appreciate what he was trying to do. Let's not be too hard on our friends. We don't have too many of them.
Anyway, the problem wasn't simply that the sermon title was over the top: The title also was aimed at the wrong audience. The main threat against Israel isn't coming from the far-right racists these days, it's from the progressive left (I believe this even though I belong to that segment). Sure, the racists are there, and sometimes they're given a voice, like David Duke and the Holocaust deniers. But they don't have the prestige or acceptablity to influence society much beyond a fringe.
A more effective title would've been "Dismantling Israel: A Solution to Zionism" or words to that effect. Then he would've attraced the audience he was seeking.
But even then he wouldn't have achieved anything much. The minute his audience would have caught the drift of his sermon, they would've started heckling him or they would've left the church.
Anyway, I don't think many committed left-wing anti-Zionists will be convinced by hearing the usual pro-Zionist arguments. Such people have already heard those arguments and have already rejected them.
The only answer, I think, is to publish a mountain of articles and make lots of videos and films that make Israel's case. We need our own Michael Moores. And they should address not only Israel's current policies, but the foundations for the country's existence. This work has to be done by those with solid centrist or liberal credentials--so it won't be summarily dismissed by the target audience. Also, it will have to directly address the main argument of the anti-Zionist left: that the land had been inhabited overwhelmingly by Arabs who were displaced by mostly European Jews, the latter claiming roots there were either biblical (laughably irrelevant for non-religious people, i.e., most people) or ridiculously archaic. If we nail down that point, the tide will begin to turn.
Hell's bells, I want desperately to believe that Israel wasn't born in sin, but I've always found it hard to contest that argument.
The title was clearly a miscalculation.
I don't think he's trying to persuade the anti-Zionists by his argument. I imagine he is more intent on inoculating his hearers (who do accept his arguments) against being poached by the anti-Zionist fashion. There is a concerted attempt to drive a wedge between conservative Christians and Israel. In liberal circles this is accomplished by demonizing and caricaturing conservative Christians; among conservative Christians the attempt is to encourage "replacement theology" or other teachings of religious bigotry. Unfortunately incidents of this kind don't help.
We've all done things that appear right at the time but evoke regrettable consequences. Pastor Phil A. certainly redeemed himself and his audience through the content of his message, and the Jewish community has a real friend in him. He represents a growing community of Christian believers who thank God for Israel and sincerely want to honor God by "praying for the peace of Jerusalem." May the bond between these two communities grow stronger through these uncertain times.