SBC prayer guide rankles Jews

Christian Century, Sept 22, 1999

Southern Baptists have been asked to pray that Jews accept Jesus as the Messiah during Judaism's High Holy Days, a move denounced by Jewish leaders as arrogant and offensive. On the eve of the Jewish High Holy Days, which began September 10, the Southern' Baptist Convention's International Mission Board published a new prayer booklet intended to guide church members "as they intercede with God on behalf of his chosen people," according to Baptist Press, the denomination's official news service.

The High Holy Days, a ten-day period during which traditional Jews believe God seals their fate for the coming year, is Judaism's holiest period. Randy Sprinkle, who directs the International Mission Board's prayer strategy office, said the period is an appropriate time for Christians to pray for Jews to accept Jesus as an act of love.

Don Kammerdiener, International Mission Board executive vice-president, said Southern Baptists are obligated to pray for Jews. "Jesus stated clearly that his followers were to begin their witness to him in Jerusalem, the heartland of the Jews.... Obedient Christians have no choice except to invite Jews and all other peoples to come to faith in Christ."

But what Southern Baptists view as love and obligation, Jews regard as disrespectful and inciteful. "We are shocked and deeply offended by the call ... to pray that Jews will convert to Christianity during the High Holy Days," said Abraham H. Foxman, Anti-Defamation League national director. "It is pure arrogance for any one religion to assume that they hold `the truth,' especially on the eve of the holiest days for the Jewish faith." In a letter to Paige Patterson, SBC president, Foxman said the prayer call "projects a message of spiritual narrowness that invites theological hatred."

Eric H. Yoffie, president of Reform Judaism's Union of American Hebrew Congregations, said that while "we respect the right of Southern Baptists to hold beliefs that are different from our own ... we do not welcome a campaign that singles out the Jewish people for conversionary activities." Yoffie went on to say, "We are particularly saddened that this campaign comes during the holiest time of the Jewish year, shortly after a number of violent, anti-Semitic acts have been committed in cities throughout America." Yoffie's reference was to the recent shooting at a Los Angeles Jewish community center, the burning of three synagogues in Sacramento, California, and other incidents.