So I bought an Israeli Flag...

[Riot Riot Riot]

Before I realized "Hey, I still live with my parents. I have yet to figure out how they feel about me displaying the flag in their front lawn."

Woops.

Anyways, this thread is pretty pointless. I just thought of this. I also decided that if I ever have a kid, I would name it Israel (regardless of gender).

Yeah I know, I'm weird.

 

[Gabe7]

What do you find so admirable about Israel? My friend went there and got arrested for talking about Jesus and picketing the brothels there. He had a problem with how they supposedly had Eastern European women there against their will. He told me it was a bad scene, which surprised me because he's a pretty mellow guy.

 

[Touma]

I'm wearing my "End the Occupation" shirt today, which has a great big Palestinian flag on it. Do we cancel each other out?

 

[Riot Riot Riot]

There are plenty of scriptural reasons as to why, as believers, we are to support Israel.

Psalm 122:6-- Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure.

Genesis 12:1-3-- The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Also, man created all other countries, but GOD created Israel. It is the land of His people. Of course it has gone through it's bad times (idol worship and whatnot), but God always brought His wrath upon the nation as it deserved. But since it is the land of His people, He has always spared them.

It's just my decision to back up this country. Just a personal choice.

 

[Gabe7]

There are plenty of scriptural reasons as to why, as believers, we are to support Israel.

Psalm 122:6-- Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure.

Genesis 12:1-3-- The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Also, man created all other countries, but GOD created Israel. It is the land of His people. Of course it has gone through it's bad times (idol worship and whatnot), but God always brought His wrath upon the nation as it deserved. But since it is the land of His people, He has always spared them.

It's just my decision to back up this country. Just a personal choice.

Oh, you think the man made country of today is synonymous with the Israel of the Bible. That explains a lot.

 

[SneakerPimp53]

The Church is Israel, and that has nothing to do with a political state the UN created. Personally, I don't think any American should support a country that runs a racist apartheid state.

 

[Touma]

The Church is Israel, and that has nothing to do with a political state the UN created. Personally, I don't think any American should support a country that runs a racist apartheid state.

my hero! I was going to say this but, for some strange reason, the last three weeks I've done nothing but knock heads with people over Israel.

 

[Riot Riot Riot]

Well, as I said, it's MY CHOOSING to support Israel.

Whether you view it as the actual physical state, or otherwise.

And this is why I stopped coming around here. You can't make a casual statement without people getting their panties in a twist.

 

[Gabe7]

Well, as I said, it's MY CHOOSING to support Israel.

Whether you view it as the actual physical state, or otherwise.

And this is why I stopped coming around here. You can't make a casual statement without people getting their panties in a twist.

I personally fly the stars and bars right next to the hammer and sickle flags in my parents front yard. You go girl.

One of my friends was related to a politically active Palestinian. When I was in the Marines my friend introduced us. That man hated me like nobody else I have ever met and I could see the hate in his eyes. My friend told the other guy I was just doing a job. The other guy told me I should look into who I was working for and what they were doing to whom if I was going to support them with a rifle. At the time I sort of blew him off. Around 10 years later I learned a bit about why he felt the way he did. Be informed about who you choose to associate with or someone may hate you based on something you don't fully understand.

Learn about Israel so you can find out who your enemies are.

I personally am okay with Israel. I see their side of things and I see other people's side of things.

 

[MacFall]

There are plenty of scriptural reasons as to why, as believers, we are to support Israel.

The NATION of Israel and the STATE of Israel are two entirely different things. The nation of Israel consists of the whole Jewish people, without regard to political borders and tax jurisdictions. The state of Israel is a socialist hole that wouldn't last a year (economically, not just militarily) without billions of foreign aid dollars every year, and whose politicians are just as cynically secular as those of America.

I really don't understand why so many American Christians want to support a government that they would find detestable if it were opposed on them here.

 

[Riot Riot Riot]

The thing that bothers me is that every time the actual country of Israel is brought up, people get in some doctrinal debate about whether or not the scriptures are talking about the physical state, or "the church".

Why does it matter? I know the country has it's faults, but so does America! Israel has had multiple accounts of falling away from God's plan, but it doesn't mean He has abandoned it. It is still the land of God's people, whether you believe that or not.

 

[Touma]

Well, as I said, it's MY CHOOSING to support Israel.

Whether you view it as the actual physical state, or otherwise.

And this is why I stopped coming around here. You can't make a casual statement without people getting their panties in a twist.

Honest question, what type of response did you think you would get by saying that? It is a very controversial topic in the worldwide Christian community. Plus you stated in your OP

Anyways, this thread is pretty pointless

There isn't any reason to start a thread that has no valid discussion. It clogs the tubes that interwebs shoots through. So, while you made a casual statement showing your preference of a certain country, others have exercised their right to come in your thread and change it from a pointless one to forming a debate.

PS, as a generally good tip, if you want to make a post but think it will lead to a pointless thread, try posting in the "IJWTS" or "What's on your mind threads" You could have easily said the same thing there, and avoided a debate thread being formed.

 

[Perhaps Today]

Oh, you think the man made country of today is synonymous with the Israel of the Bible. That explains a lot.

Bad things happen to those who mess with God's chosen nation. God foretold the modern state of Israel we have today in Amos 9:14-15. It was God's will that they became a nation again.

14And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

15And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

 

[Riot Riot Riot]

I used to make threads like these all the time, and even though people didn't always agree with me, they'd either ignore the thread, or find something semi-related, or not related at all, and we'd just have casual banter back and forth.

Now, everyone is super serious about everything and feel the need to give their 2 cents on things even when not asked.

 

[Touma]

The thing that bothers me is that every time the actual country of Israel is brought up, people get in some doctrinal debate about whether or not the scriptures are talking about the physical state, or "the church".

Why does it matter? I know the country has it's faults, but so does America! Israel has had multiple accounts of falling away from God's plan, but it doesn't mean He has abandoned it. It is still the land of God's people, whether you believe that or not.

It does matter when one of your fellow posters on here (not saying names, but you can probably guess) had their country ravaged by Israel in 2006, with over 1000 of her fellow countrymen being killed (just civillians alone). The mistakes of Israel, as you put it, translates into reality as the disproportionate and wholesale killing of innocents in Palestinian territories and countries surrounding Israel. As a Christian, I find it hard to support a country that 1) Rejects Christ Jesus outright, 2) brings suffering to people especially when 3) a portion of those people are my brothers and sisters in Christ. My allegiance is to God's Kingdom which is everlasting, which is in the hearts of my brothers and sisters. It is never to a man made nation, which will perish one day.

 

[MacFall]

Why does it matter? I know the country has it's faults, but so does America! Israel has had multiple accounts of falling away from God's plan, but it doesn't mean He has abandoned it. It is still the land of God's people, whether you believe that or not.

The land of Israel is also distinct from the state.

The nation state is a modern collectivist fantasy. It has nothing to do with the Biblical concepts of nationhood and hereditary land. If you support the people of Israel, you ought to oppose its corrupt and oppressive state.

 

[Perhaps Today]

The Church is Israel, and that has nothing to do with a political state the UN created. Personally, I don't think any American should support a country that runs a racist apartheid state.

The Church is not Israel, they're two separate entities altogether. Supporting Israel today is no different than it would have to support them during the reigns of David or Solomon.

 

[Revived]

I'm willing to share. Anyone??

 

[MacFall]

Bad things happen to those who mess with God's chosen nation. God foretold the modern state of Israel we have today in Amos 9:14-15. It was God's will that they became a nation again.

14And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

15And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

Are you unaware that one of the keystones of Christian doctrine - the one underpinning the fact that Christ is the Messiah - depends upon the understanding of those verses as referring to the Christian Church?

 

[Riot Riot Riot]

I can choose to support whomever I want.

My allegiance is to GOD, not a country, but that doesn't mean I can't support them.