Keffiyehs are worn by Arab Christians.

Tom, do you say the same of the Kippah (yarmulke)? The treatment of the Palestinians at the hands of Israel is nothing short of ethnic cleansing. It is apartheid. What would you say, then, if someone in your ecclesial body wore one of them, even if it was nothing more than a fashion trend?

btw- Good to see you again. :)

All scripture is god-breathed and good for reproof, etc...

I applaud your response. Christ's yoke -is- easy, and his burden is light.

"The treatment of the Palestinians at the hands of Israel is nothing short of ethnic cleansing. It is apartheid."

This type of statement needs proof.

"Good to see you again."

Likewise.

Tom,

Why can't I ever be with you when you have these encounters?

BTW, I found out that the air pollution levels in Toronto were high yesterday. That's why I was tired and had a headache by the end of the day.

"That's why I was tired and had a headache by the end of the day."

Nah.

@tskerritt - 

I don't understand...

@tskerritt - 

There is an excellent book written by Jewish journalists, writers, and activists called "The Other Israel." It is as gripping as it is horrifying.

A quick look online should provide plenty of articles and pictures. I presume entire websites are dedicated to the issue. Most of them would be human rights and refugee assistance groups.

Maybe I'll do some posts pertaining to the book in the near future. Maybe...

@Paleocrat_etc - 

Any book that contradicts Tom's beliefs about the holy state of Israel is not a credible source. You have to trust him on this. When the UN infallibly declared Israel to be a perfect and peaceful state, that declaration was not only ex cathedra, but it refuted any and all evidence to the contrary before and after the declaration. You see, theft is only bad if non-jews do it. Murder is only wrong when the goyim do it. Any insinuation of the opposite is anti-Semitism and has no place in the judeo-Christian religion. I am disappointed in you, Jeremiah. You need to read some John Hagee and some balanced journalism by Abraham Foxeman and the Southern Poverty Law Center truly to understand Israel.

@ Jeremiah-

I've read portions of that specific book. I also make it my business to know about what people less-than-thrilled about Israel are saying on the internet. I look forward to discussing the specifics of this issue further.

@ Dave-

You and I spoke once about the state of Israel during which you offered no sources for your beliefs about Israel, citing only "mountains of documentation." Therefore you can hardly assess my attitudes about them let alone make unqualified remarks about what I believe about the state of Israel. Moreover if you doubt the credibility of pro-Israel types (I suspect that none of them meet your exacting standards) please provide us with some credible anti-Israel sources to consult.

Dave, the fact of the matter is you are an anti-Semite. In your last post you didn't wrote "Jew" in the lower case while capitalizing every other proper noun. You've said publically that Judaism is worse than Satanism. In view of all this I take back my challenge, I have no interest whatsoever in talking about this with you.

@tskerritt - 

"You and I spoke once about the state of Israel during which you offered no sources for your beliefs about Israel"

Actually, I referenced lots of them. You said that they were, ipso facto, non-credible sources.

"Moreover if you doubt the credibility of pro-Israel types (I suspect that none of them meet your exacting standards) please provide us with some credible anti-Israel sources to consult."

Like I said, you reject any anti-Israel sources a priori because of the fact that they are anti-Israel. Israel can do no wrong. Everybody else is guilty until proven innocent (Palestinians, Armenians, Lebanese, &c.) whilst Israel is innocent until, well, they're just innocent until I can find a jew that says that Israel is bad. Oh, actually they do exist - you can read about them at this website. Of course, a self-hating jew is probably not very reliable now that I think about it...

"Dave, the fact of the matter is you are an anti-Semite."

And so are you. According to the jews, if you pray for the conversion of jews, you are an anti-Semite. So welcome to the club!

"In your last post you didn't wrote 'Jew' in the lower case while capitalizing every other proper noun."

Quite observant of you. And so this means what?

"You've said publically that Judaism is worse than Satanism."

And if you knew anything about either of them, you would agree. Satanism was an invention of jews. Can you guess what religion Anton Levey was? Have you studied the Talmud, the Caballah, and the rituals of Satanism? If you cannot talk intelligently about those things, why do you consider yourself qualified to start calling people names as a way of winning arguments?

"Actually, I referenced lots of them. You said that they were, ipso facto, non-credible sources."

The only thing you did was tell me to visit a website. You didn't tell me anything that was featured therein. Oddly enough this site maintained by Neutri Karta. Anyone familiar with them is aware of their bias. If I were to go quoting Meir Kahane you would hardly let me get away with that, would you? One of the reasons I avoid talking this way with you is because in every debate no source is good enough for you. This situation is a perfect example. Every one else is biased except you, the PLO and a handful of Chassidim without jobs.

"Like I said, you reject any anti-Israel sources a priori because of the fact that they are anti-Israel."

Try me. Believe it or not the Knesset, unlike the Pope, does not have the chrism of infallibilty. If you wanted to have a discussion on the crimes (yes crimes) Israel has committed I'd be happy to do so. What gives you the right to call names here Dave?

"And so this means what?"

It means that you hate the Jews so much you can't abide the conventions of grammar when writing about them, lest you bestow on them some kind of honour by admitting that they're a people.

"And if you knew anything about either of them, you would agree."

Frankly you don't know what I know about either of them. But if I were to tell you'd you tell me that if been blinded by some Hebrew plot against the Church of Rome.

"Can you guess what religion Anton Levey?"

With a name like "Levey"? Hmmmmmmmm...thinking hard. Jewish! You're right, it must be a huge conspiracy. Can you tell me what religion Michael Aquino is? He has raised Catholic. So the Jews and Catholics were in it together, I've decided, in an attempt to thwart the faith of the Dutch Reformed.

"If you cannot talk intelligently about those things, why do you consider yourself qualified to start calling people names as a way of winning arguments?"

Do I see a beam in your eye?

"And so are you. According to the jews, if you pray for the conversion of jews, you are an anti-Semite. So welcome to the club!"

So be it. I'm not interested in impressing Jewish people. There's a difference between praying for someone and thinking they're worse than a Satanist.

Dave,

After thinking about it for a bit, I've decided to block you. You're a nice enough person but your rhetoric is very hard to handle.

t.

"Judaism is worse than Satanism."

Tom, in a certain sense....this is true.What do you find offensive about calling false religion evil?

If it matters, Kamal Saleem, visited my church a few weeks ago. He's a former PLO terrorist who is now a Christian who ministers the gospel; tells his testimony; reveals the lies of Islam, the PLO, and terrorists in general; gives insight on how to share the gospel with Muslims; and does all this flanked with bodyguards because of the threat against his life from terrorists for doing this. The lies of the PLO are propagated widely. Most sources are suspect.

The most I've heard from missionaries to Palestinians are that there are big neighborhoods built by Israel near the Palestinians to flaunt their wealth and power. This is only partially true. These big neighborhoods were indeed built by Israel FOR the Palestinians to live in. The Palestinian leadership lied to the Palestinians so they wouldn't use them and called the western media to come and report on how wealthy Israel was and how oppressed the Palestinians were. The only reason the Palestinians are so bad off is because Jordan kicked them out when they lost the war they started with Israel trying to take Israel from the Jews. To be sure, the Jews have had their moments of ill-treatment toward the Palestinians, but this is nothing compared to their sacrificial attempts to accommodate them and defend themselves at the same time.

-----------------------------------------------

The reading of whole books of the bible is a good practice. That's the way I read it with the kids. I'll read large chunks of scripture, talk about the big idea in the passage and only then go back and look at particular bits and pieces with them.

Good for you for speaking up against that false gospel!

Tom,

I think what Dave failed to understand was that there are reasons apart from premillenial dispensationalism to support the state of Israel, namely that it is the only country in its region that comes close to being a secular (and by that I don't mean fundamentally atheistic, merely not under the control of any religion operating outside its divinely mandated sphere of influence), pluralistic democracy with an essentially free market (its economic growth, even in the face of terrorism, is astounding) that upholds human rights and freedoms. By contrast, its neighbours, such as Syria, Lebanon (a corrupt country overrun with Hezbollah terrorists), Egypt and Jordan are essentially totalitarian socialist dictatorships with the grey eminence of Islam quietly lurking in the background, thirsty to push the Jews into the sea.

Also, Israel as a country has just as much right to exist as any other, even if it has committed crimes. Then again, what country in human history doesn't have blood on its hands?

One more thing to consider is that Israelis have fought hard to survive, far more than we in the West could possibly imagine. On three separate occasions (1956, 1967 and 1973) they fought wars on at least two fronts and came out winning every time. In fact, they gained enemy territory in the process. That has to command respect.

Sure, the Jews are Christ-deniers and will burn in hell along with every other heathen who denies Christ. However, we can still respect them as human beings in the image of God. Besides, you can't deny that they have a peculiarly winsome aspect to their character that you won't find in any other culture.

That's my two cents, anyway.

"Tom, in a certain sense....this is true.What do you find offensive about calling false religion evil?"

I don't.  Judaism is evil.  There, I said it.

"Palestinians are so bad off is because Jordan kicked them out when they lost the war they started with Israel trying to take Israel from the Jews."

Thanks for saying this.  It's true.

"I don't.  Judaism is evil.  There, I said it."

I have to ask then...why do you hate Jews so much? ;)

I don't hate Jews.

always intriguing to read about what is being discussed on your site. Always widens my head a bit and gives me pause for thought. Thank you my friend. I too would have found those particular statements by that individual near the Eaton Centre to be questionable, although i know myself and wouldn't probably have spoken out like you did. Thank you for standing up for truth my friend...and for not just being one of the onlookers (although i'm pretty sure that i could never ever call you merely an onlooker at anything in life). it is truly a blessing to start the day immersing yourself in a large part of scripture and really savouring what can be found in it. I used to have lovely moments at Tyndale of morning worship and teaching with the Lord....sadly that has petered off since i've been home amongst the distractions of the here and my mess in my room. Perhaps i should get back into that focused living to start my morning off on the right foot, and to give me a real focus for the day on the right part of life...not just the here and now. thank you for your prayers for my father my friend. they are much appreciated.

"Judaism is evil." Please clarify.

I hate you for reading a book that I want to read for a long time!

Tom,

I think I speak for all your fans when I say that it's new post from Tommy time.

Cheers,
anathaniel

I wear chains of significant length hanging from my waist. I used to say it is a symbol of nothing; it is jewelry, like a neck-tie or $4000 watch, or armband...

First, I can't imagine wearing something like a kafia and not understanding it as a symbol of a great many things, anti-semitism among them. Then again, who's to say that a swastika belongs to a nazi, when it belonged to a buddhist first? Who's to say that a rainbow belongs to a queer, or crossed rifles to the armed forces, or a pair of golden arches to McDonalds?

I once lied to a man about my chains. I said, "It is a symbol of the slavery of mankind to the dollar, to sin, and to vice." He laughed. He was my father, a pastor, who knew me too well. "No," he said, "You're just wearing chains."

I think, then, that wearing either a Kafia or other turban-like head-wrapping is perfectly acceptable if done so in the right crowd witht he right intention....

But the real reason we should ever do anything? Tom?

To give glory to God. Ask me why I wear my chains today, or a neck-tie, the answer will be "To look good, in order to give glory to God." What if I decided white laces on knee-high combat boots (a symbol of the aryan brotherhood) was a good idea, fashion-wise? It would certainly cause men like you to ask me why I was wearing them, and it would give me the opportunity to tell you that not only does it look cool, or that evil men can only have what you give them, but also that i'm doing it for the glory of God. A witnessing opportunity perhaps?

Calvanists in general should know that anything I do has been determined since the first motions of God, and that I am therefore doing the will of God in everything I do-anyway-. Of Course, I'm not a determinist ;).

Also, after reading the comments...

LaVey was a satanist, born Jewish, but you can't pick your parents can you?