Very often, in an attempt to respond to a missionary challenge, one can make a number of seemingly logical moves which, in fact, play directly into the hands of the missionaries. Therefore, a number of Jewish communal leaders have prepared these guidelines for dealing on the spot with missionaries and their followers.
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE MISSIONARY PROBLEM1) You will not win hearts to Torah by trying to convince people that the claims of Christianity are false. Spend your time learning, teaching and explaining the meaning of the Torah and its Mitzvos. Better still, invite a person who is in search of religious values to a Shabbaton, or to your home for Shabbat. Let the truth and beauty of Torah and its way of life restore people to the right path.
2) Do not argue with missionaries; do not lend credence or dignity to their efforts at soul snatching. There are tens of millions of non-practicing Christians in this country who are better targets for their efforts.
3) Missionaries are usually closed-minded fanatics. They are trained to respond to your arguments with pat, almost memorized answers. If they can’t handle your objection, they will deflect it by raising another, and still another point. Even if you win—you lose.
4) Do not debate, dialogue or argue with missionaries. Missionaries often seek to engage Jews in public discussion. Do not be drawn into this utterly fruitless exercise. Above all, do not invite missionaries or their followers to address meetings under Jewish auspices. Such hospitality only gives the missionary cause institutional dignity and legitimacy. On the other hand, do not publicly attack or abuse the missionaries; this merely serves to surround them with an aura of martyrdom, to our loss. Our essential obligation is to shore up our Jewishness.
5) Do not be taken in by the “Jewish Christian” ploy. Some missionary groups appeal specifically to Jews with the specious notion that those joining them are thereby “completed” or “fulfilled” as Jews. This is patently incompatible with Jewish tradition and conviction. Conversion to Christianity or any other faith is an abandonment of Judaism. We must strive, with loving concern, to restore erring individuals to their own faith and community.
6) Do not lose your “cool.” The style of the missionaries is likely to be cool and affable. Emulate it. When they come smiling to the door, respond politely—firmly but with no recrimination—“No, thanks, I’m not interested,” or some brief and definitive equivalent.
7) Get the facts. Fact-finding is a “must.” This is an indispensable step. Until the actual situation in the community has been established, planning cannot proceed intelligently. Are Jews, as Jews, being missionized? By whom, from what centers or sources? In what settings and by what means—in schools, through coffee houses, “drop-in” centers, via the communications media, prayer meetings, home study groups, bookmobiles?
Plan strategy and approaches. Assuming the fact-gathering process indicates a problem requiring action:
(a) Survey the available resources—knowledgeable and experienced personnel, appropriate literature, suitable facilities.
(b) Priority should go to marshalling individuals—young and old. Set up a task force of peer-to-peer as well as adult resource people with some forte or expertise in this area.
(c) Very carefully study at first hand the needs of those Jewish young people who are flirting with or have been drawn into other religious movements, and what they are seeking. Make no prejudgments on these matters. The Jesus Movement is very complex.
(d) With equal care plan how to offer a positive Jewish response to their need and search. Only then will it be possible to reach out to them and to share the needed knowledge and understanding with others to be trained for further intensive outreach.
9) Focus on the teenager. Not only college students, but those in the high schools and even in the junior high schools must be deemed vulnerable. Many missionaries may concentrate on teenagers, deliberately using a peer-group approach, exploiting the unsettled state that marks the adolescent years particularly in these times, and the readiness of young people to challenge any traditional accepted values. These areas demand our greatest scrutiny and innovative planning. Our caution against overreaction bears repeating here. “Crash programs,” counter-crusades, or resort to gimmickry must be avoided.
10) Create opportunities for youth participation. Unfortunately those who are confused Jewishly and troubled personally will not always avail themselves of the programs conducted in synagogues, or youth organizations. Additional ways need to be developed for reaching out with approaches that truly enable young people to shape the content, directions and policies of the programs in which they participate, including those programs that are regarded by them as not controlled by the “establishment.” Some recently initiated youth and teen programs reflect this approach, utilizing informal settings such as storefronts and coffee houses, providing opportunity for “rapping” and for making contacts with other youth. Such programs are consistent with the long range goals of reaching youth, providing a Jewish setting in which they can relax, meet other Jewish youth, “shmoos” and talk seriously with warm, sensitive, responsive and skillful people —including members of their own peer-groups. Experimentation with innovative and creative approaches to opening channels of participation by our youth must be
given high priority.
Most of all, remember that most people drawn to the missionaries have never experienced real Torah living—just suggest “before you go to the gentiles, why not see what our own tradition has to offer.” But follow through by making positive Torah experiences available to them.