An Exchange With a Missionary

Arutz Sheva/March 28, 2005
By Rabbi Aron Moss

Note: It is generally not advisable to engage in conversation with missionaries. Sometimes, it may be unavoidable...

"Jews for Jesus" Missionary: Rabbi, do you know that you will only be saved when you accept Jesus as the Messiah?

Rabbi Moss: Really? Do you really believe that I am doomed if I don't accept Jesus?

J4J: Of course. He died for our sins. If you don't accept him, your sins remain yours. And we all sin, don't we?

RM: Sure. So, let's say I never accept Jesus, what will happen to me?

J4J: You will be punished for your sins.

RM: You mean I'll go to Hell?

J4J: Well, yeah.

RM: But I assume you'll go to Heaven, because you have accepted Jesus, right?

J4J: Very good rabbi! And I'm still Jewish, too. My grandparents died in the Holocaust.

RM: Your grandparents were Jewish?

J4J: Yes.

RM: And they were killed by the Nazis?

J4J: Yes.

RM: You know, many of the Nazis were believing Christians.

J4J: Yeah, but not all Christians are...

RM: Of course, most Christians despise Nazism. But let me ask you: According to your beliefs, the Jewish victims of the Nazis - your grandparents, one million children, and millions of others - where are their souls now?

J4J: Well... they're...

RM: You can tell me, this is an open discussion.

J4J: They're in Hell.

RM: And the Nazis who murdered them, those who did believe in Jesus, where would they be now?

J4J: Well, they're in Heaven. Jesus would have forgiven them. Jesus is about love, not...

RM: Love?! Correct me if I'm wrong, but you represent an organisation that believes that vicious murderers are rewarded in Heaven and their innocent victims are punished in Hell. In your worldview, no matter how cruel and barbaric someone is in their lifetime, they'll be fine in the afterlife, as long as they say they accept Jesus. And you want to present this as a valid and respectable ideology, suitable for Jews to believe!? I think the morality is a bit twisted there.

J4J: I'll pray for you, rabbi. One day you'll see the truth. And you'll join us.

RM: I hope not. Hell doesn't sound so bad after all, if I'll be with your grandparents and all the other holy Jewish martyrs. And I'm not so sure I'd want to be in Heaven with guys who think like you!