Along the same routes he took in the bible?

Different millenia, but religiously the hostilities are quite possibly not a whole lot different than they were then over 2,000 years ago.

He'd be persecuted heavily. Instead of being hung from a cross I could see him being stoned to death if he happened to enter the wrong neighborhood.

He isn't perceived as the Messiah among his fellow Jews. Messianic Jews might receive him but be leary and skeptical of his presence. You know those 'doubting Thomases' that crossed his path like before would be there to greet him again.

There'd be no Romans this time to determine his fate. But there wouldn't need to be. There's enough religious factions and hostilities to go around that someone would take over where the Romans left off to have him killed as a traitor and a false Messiah among the Jews.

If he were to return today a second time how well would he be received among his own? I think not very well.

As for all the televangelists they'd be too crazed to accept his return because it would mean an end to their livelihood. They'd do whatever they had to to silence him even if they knew he was Jehovah. They still have their 401's to think about.

The new God of the world is the dinara. People worship money, like they once did the God of the bible. Jehovah's been replaced. If Jesus were to return to the Promised Land today, there would still be no room for him at the inn, I should think. In Bethlehem or elsewhere.

I know there are still observant Jews, Muslims, and a handful of Christians left in Israel to speak of. I'm just saying that most Israelis wouldn't accept Jesus today if he were to return anymore than they did more than 2,000 years ago, as the son of God. Nor would he be accepted anywhere else on the planet I doubt either. People would think of him as a religious nut or fanatic even if he were the son of God. People for the most part aren't accepting of that much religion - it would feel like overload.

That’s why he’s in Siberia.

And for some he lives inside the heart. ;)

Amyjo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Instead of being hung
> from a cross I could see him being stoned to death
> if he happened to enter the wrong neighborhood.
>

Is that really how they operate now? Aren't shootings and bombings far more common?

Guns are illegal in Israel. Unless you're serving in the IDF or police force.

There are neighborhoods where some tourists are discouraged from wandering if not dressed according to Ultra Orthodox Jewish dress codes, for fear of having rocks thrown at the women for showing their shoulders or legs.

Jews don't believe in a Messiah like the one that Jesus came to represent. They would decry him as much today as they did 2,000 years ago. They tend to be openly hostile to Messianic Jews in Israel because they consider them to be traitors of their faith/religion. Messianics see their purpose to convert other Jews to Messianic Judaism. Jews don't believe in proselytizing or conversion - assimilation is something that has been forced on them for centuries by others to either become a Christian or die. They reject that outright, as well as the subtler forms of persuasion. Pogroms, genocides, holocausts all began with a hatred/fear/threat of the Jew. Religion to them has been used as a weapon, not to bless them. So they would rather fight back when preachers come calling than do nothing.

One thing Christians get wrong about Jesus is he was first and foremost a Jew. Not a Christian. He didn't come to convert Jews to Christianity. That is a Christian construct. The Romans took the teachings of the early prophets and turned it into their own brand of religion, Catholicism. Christ was most certainly not a Catholic either. He was born, lived and died as a Jew. His teachings were Jewish ones. He specialized in the Psalms and Proverbs. His favorite books from the Torah he learned as a child. :)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2019 12:40PM by scmd1.

scmd1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amyjo Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > One thing Christians get wrong about Jesus is
> he
> > was first and foremost a Jew. Not a Christian.
> He
> > didn't come to convert Jews to Christianity.
> That
> > is a Christian construct. The Romans took the
> > teachings of the early prophets and turned it
> into
> > their own brand of religion, Catholicism.
> Christ
> > was most certainly not a Catholic either. He
> was
> > born, lived and died as a Jew. His teachings
> were
> > Jewish ones. He specialized in the Psalms and
> > Proverbs. His favorite books from the Torah he
> > learned as a child. :)
>


Other than the most ignorant among us, do any
Christians NOT know this?


>Guns are illegal in Israel. Unless you're serving in the IDF or police force.


You might want to double-check that one, and there are illegally possessed weapons there, too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2019 12:30PM by scmd1.

scmd1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> scmd1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Amyjo Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > >
> > > One thing Christians get wrong about Jesus is
> > he
> > > was first and foremost a Jew. Not a
> Christian.
> > He
> > > didn't come to convert Jews to Christianity.
> > That
> > > is a Christian construct. The Romans took the
> > > teachings of the early prophets and turned it
> > into
> > > their own brand of religion, Catholicism.
> > Christ
> > > was most certainly not a Catholic either. He
> > was
> > > born, lived and died as a Jew. His teachings
> > were
> > > Jewish ones. He specialized in the Psalms and
> > > Proverbs. His favorite books from the Torah
> he
> > > learned as a child. :)
> >
>
>
> Other than the most ignorant among us, do any
> Christians NOT know this?

Most Christians believe in Replacement Theology. They don't accept Christ was anything other than what they created him to be. Rather than accept him at face value they've made him into someone else. Look at all the many religions that have sprung up in his name. Instead of the one he lived and taught. It was very simple and basic. He didn't practice or teach any denominational religion. He was very clear what pure religion was. And it wasn't any of those. He was a master rabbi of Jewish laws and teachings. Christians controverted his teachings into something other than his intended purpose. So to answer your question, no, most Christians do not know this. They don't accept who Christ really was. Or what he really represents. If they did they wouldn't teach or preach hate, or that only some souls are saved while others are not. Christ didn't come to save the Gentiles. He came as a messenger to his people, the Jews. And they rejected him. So his message spread around the world but in doing so it became diluted and misinterpreted many times over.
>
>
> >Guns are illegal in Israel. Unless you're serving
> in the IDF or police force.
>
>
> You might want to double-check that one, and there
> are illegally possessed weapons there, too.

Israel has some of the strictest gun control laws in the world.

The subject of Replacement Theology has arisen. As used in the post, this final comment on that issue seems to wrap up the poster's definition:

> He came as a messenger to
> his people, the Jews. And
> they rejected him. So his
> message spread around the
> world but in doing so it
> became diluted and misin-
> terpreted many times over.

The following was also mentioned:

> They don't accept Christ
> was anything other than
> what they created him to be.
> Rather than accept him at
> face value they've made him
> into someone else. Look at
> all the many religions that
> have sprung up in his name.
> Instead of the one he lived
> and taught.


I had never seen or heard of the phrase, "Replacement Theology" so naturally I simply accepted Amyjo's definitions. Hahahahahahahahaha!!! (ghawd, I crack myself up!!)

No, I asked a much more dependable demi-ghawd, Google, and found the following:


"I had never heard of replacement theology the first time I was accused of believing in it. A lady that had attended our church for some time and who often forwarded me articles praising all things Jewish and Israel (Amyjo, was that you?) accused me of holding to this apparently abhorrent doctrine. I had to look it up on the Internet, where all such truths reside, before responding. One of the sites I visited defines replacement theology this way:

"Replacement theology (also known as supersessionism) essentially teaches that the church has replaced Israel in God’s plan. Adherents of replacement theology believe the Jews are no longer God’s chosen people, and God does not have specific future plans for the nation of Israel."

https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/ad-fontes/anyone-actually-believe-replacement-theology/

So all it means is that Christians replaced Jews and ghawd's chosen people. It doesn't matter how many schisms of Christianity there are, they all believe that their brand is the chosen one; them in, Jews out.




SCMD1 seemed to be hinting that Amyjo's views on gun control in Israel were incorrect. Her response was replete with data backing up her position:

> Israel has some of the
> strictest gun control
> laws in the world.

But it may well be that that within a very large segment of the population, (people who have served their mandatory three years in the IDF) Israel is pretty liberal about gun ownership, along with permitting both open AND concealed carry.

Here's the Wikipedia entry on this topic:


"Gun laws in Israel are comprehensive despite soldiers being allowed to carry their service weapons on or off duty. Civilians must obtain a firearms license to lawfully acquire, possess, sell or transfer firearms and ammunition. In 2018, Israel significantly loosened firearms restrictions, allowing all citizens who had undergone combat training and qualified in Advanced Infantry Training ('Rifleman "07"') to apply for a private handgun license.

"Prior to 2018, only a small group of people had been eligible for firearms licenses: certain retired military personnel, police officers or prison guards; residents of settlements (in the West Bank and the Golan Heights) or those who often work in such towns; and licensed hunters and animal-control officers. Age requirements vary: 21 for those who completed military service or civil service equivalent, 27 otherwise, and 45 for non-citizens. Firearm license applicants must have been a resident of Israel for at least three consecutive years, pass a background check (criminal, health, and mental history), establish a genuine reason for possessing a firearm (such as self-defense, hunting, or sport), and pass a weapons-training course. Around 40% of applications for firearms permits were rejected.

"Those holding firearms licenses must renew them and pass a shooting course every three years. Security guards must pass these tests to renew their license to carry firearms belonging to their employers.[151] Applicants must demonstrate that they have a safe at their residence in which to keep the firearm. Permits are given only for personal use, and holders for self-defense purposes may own only one handgun and purchase an annual supply of 50 cartridges (although more may be purchased to replace rounds used at a firing range).[152]

"In addition to private licenses of firearms, organizations can issue carry-licenses to their members or employees for activity related to that organization (e.g. security companies, shooting clubs, other workplaces). Members of officially recognized shooting clubs (e.g.: practical shooting, Olympic shooting) are eligible for personal licenses allowing them to possess additional firearms (small bore rifles, handguns, air rifles and air pistols) and ammunition after demonstrating a need and fulfilling minimum membership time and activity requirements. Unlicensed individuals who want to engage in practice shooting are allowed supervised use of handguns at firing ranges.

"Most individuals who are licensed to possess handguns may carry them loaded in public, concealed or openly.

"In 2005, there were 237,000 private citizens and 154,000 security guards licensed to carry firearms. Another 34,000 Israelis own guns illegally due to their failure to renew their firearms license.[153][154] In 2007, there were estimated to be 500,000 licensed small arms held by civilians, in addition to 1,757,500 by the military, and 26,040 by the police."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overview_of_gun_laws_by_nation#Israel


One amusing detail: One of the qualifications for applying for a gun permit in Israel is proving a 'need' for owning a weapon. And they list 'Self-Defense' as one of those qualifiers. How on earth would you tell an Israeli citizen that there's no reason to worry about self-defense?

Thanks. I was prepared to respond, but now I do not have to do so.

Who are "most Christians" who believe in "replacement theology," anyway? I suppose I shouldn't question it, though. Just because someone said it is so should be sufficient.

Amyjo Wrote:

> One thing Christians get wrong about Jesus
> is he was first and foremost a Jew. Not a Christian.

Every Christian I know knows that. And I've known a good few. It is self-evident.


AJ:
> He didn't come to convert Jews to Christianity.

The overriding Christian message as I have always heard it is:

Jesus is the universal Saviour.

The Apostle Paul says: "Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus" (Rom 3:24).


AJ:
> Christ was most certainly not a Catholic either.

I can agree with that. :)


AJ:
> ... no, most Christians do not know this.
> They don't accept who Christ really was. Or what
> he really represents.

> Christ didn't come to save the Gentiles.

See above.

Also, I wouldn't try to speak for all, or most, Christians as to what they know or don't know. Besides, as we discuss often here, there is no one universal Christian message shared by all who claim Christian beliefs. I wish there was. My brain prefers tidy little boxes like that. But things are rarely so simple.

Nightingale Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Every Christian I know knows that. And I've known
> a good few. It is self-evident.
>
>
Thank you for affirming what I thought was obvious.

Amyjo is right on one thing: there is nothing in the teachings or actions of Jesus, save letting the dogs eat the scraps from the table, indicating any interest in saving gentiles. That was Paul's transformation.

It is why Christianity is at least as much the creation of Paul as it is of Jesus.

Paul totally put his own spin on things.

Jesus?? That dude would shoot flames out of every orifice of his body. It would not be smart of anyone to pick on Jesus these days, lob a missile at him, or anything. They would be toast, like Game of Thrones BBQ'ed. Oh yeah, Jesus would be safe. He'd be like, "this is my house...you dead MF'er."

Would Jesus be Marvel Universe or DC?

Or would he have the clout to just go it alone?

https://imgur.com/a/cPqClCQ

DC, definitely

Odd he didn't figure out how to do that when he (supposedly) was here. Back then, he could only manage parlor-level magic tricks.

Well, his role back then was '...as a lamb to the slaughter'.

But this time his followers will recognize him by the bright, highly polished gold AR-15 he'll be carrying! Cherubim will bring him replacement magazines of gold-tipped .223 rounds!

Jesus, the ghawd who never runs out of ammo...

Not a Rambo gun? You know he works out with solid gold kettle bells, right?

"Jesus writes his memoirs.
What a rotten week.
Daddy always told me,
You gotta turn the other cheek.
But if I'd had a 60,
and a bandolier of brass.
Things might of turned out different.
I would have lit the Pilots ass."

Jalan Crossland

:D

Yes! Jesus just needed a backup army. That would've defeated the "plan," but who knows? It might have rewritten history in an entirely different and possibly better direction! Maybe one even God might have approved.

Although I am not going to presume to speak for God or second guess his plan for all of *this.*

Jesus "backup plan" was that he got it all. He inherited everything and then some. Oh if only the rest of us could be so sure of that outcome. Because we are left with only the mystery and clues.

Serious answer:

He would be very safe traveling through Israel (assuming he did not accidentally, as a Jew, become a victim of a sudden upsurge in Palestinian activity).

Not only would he be very safe, he would likely fit seamlessly into the plentiful number of contemporary [false] "prophets" and [false] "messiahs" who currently call Israel their home.

Israel is governed by democratic, twenty-first century CE law now--not the brutal and uncaring laws of the Imperial Rome of two millennia ago.

Israel, since its earlier days as a new nation following Israel's independence in 1948, has become the destination of choice for would-be prophets and messiahs throughout the planet. For a teeny, tiny country (it is less in area than the area of Kern County, California), it has, at any given moment, a HUGE amount of "preachers" of different types who go to Israel to, in essence, "become a star." (A great many of them post videos on YouTube.)

If the person who is called "Jesus" in the New Testament went to Israel today, he would quickly find that he would get no respect from anyone unless he made up his educational deficiencies. Fortunately for him (were this to happen) there are a fairly large number of yeshivas and other Jewish learning resources available in Israel for Jewishly undereducated adults (some of which, like Pardes, I wish I could go to for at least a little while), and he would have a large selection of highly respected institutions to pick from.

The main thing he would have to get over is the "Shabbatai Tzvi" ("infamous messianic pretender," "false messiah," lived 1626-1676) problem, a man who wound up causing a world of hurt for Jews in general. Most any Jew from school age up knows the name Shabbatai Tzvi, and how dangerous such a person, who professes to be a Jewish messiah, can be to the Jewish people. For Henry Abramson's excellent analyses:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3Sd2KG2wl4 (full-length Abramson lecture)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyMLt6N5FrQ (about Tzvi's wife)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLjc7AvtRWo (a short synopsis)

If Jesus "came back" to Israel today, whatever miracles he could demonstrate would be irrelevant to his claims--as would any ancestral claims he might be able to make (even if they were genuinely true).

He would need to pick the [qualified and respected] educational venues he preferred, he would have to devote a chunk of years to studying (just like any other Jew, starting from the age of about four, and then continuing throughout adulthood)....and--along the way--if he WERE, per chance, "the" "messiah," it would become obvious to everyone Jewish, through his behavior (primarily), his acts of tikkun olam, and his throughout-the-Jewish-world, acknowledged wisdom.

[The latest, Jewishly serious (to his followers), candidate for Jewish messiah was Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994), leader of Chabad (a far-right Jewish movement which has had major impact on world Jewry).]

A list of Jewish messiah claimants through the ages [it is an academically serious, and impressive, list]:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jewish_messiah_claimants

Bottom line:

Were Jesus to "come back" today, he would be extremely physically safe in Israel. (Since he would be male, he would have no problem walking through the super-Orthodox areas of Israel.)

The likelihood that Jews, in Israel or in the diaspora, would accept him as the Jewish messiah would be about the same as Jews in general accepting Menachem Mendel Schneerson as the Jewish messiah....which means, in other words, definitely not great.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2019 04:25PM by Tevai.

Tevai Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
Thanks, Tevai. Good posting.

Quite possibly, all of the above. Jesus was an itinerant preacher when he lived before. Without a higher education, he was probably home schooled, and self-taught. If he was as he says he was, ie, the son of God, then all the rest falls away and becomes immaterial if indeed his purpose is beyond that of our finite understanding for his birth, death, and/or second coming.

I just honestly don't see the reason for a "second coming." That's something that Christians have been prophecying since Jesus' death would happen in their lifetime, and it hasn't occurred yet. If he were to return I just don't see such a welcome wagon waiting to meet him. As predictable as people are there would be more resistance than there'd be acceptance. :) Even those who might otherwise believe would be in a state of denial.

He'd have to really put on a light show to let the world know it's him if he were to come again. When he lived before he could raise the dead and heal the blind. That was pretty impressive and he was still put to death. Rising again after three days was next to impossible but he did that too, as the story goes.

If he came to promote peace and to heal a broken world he'd be met with suspicion. Like Gandhi was. I'm not sure the world is ready for a return or re-birth of Jesus. They wouldn't know what to do with him. He'd really have to take charge if he came back because if he didn't all hell would break loose. And that would usher in Armageddon. Which is just what the Christians want to have happen. The end times.

Amyjo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They'd [televangelists] do whatever they had
> to to silence him even if they knew he was
> Jehovah. They still have their 401's to think
> about.

> Jehovah's been replaced.

Jesus as Jehovah is a Mormon thing. A televangelist (I assume Christian) would not "know he was Jehovah" because mainstream Christians don't believe that.

I think Israel has socialized medicine so he could be popular for healing the sick and raising the dead. Or turning water into wine. He just needs to team up with a good distribution partner.

babyloncansuckit Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think Israel has socialized medicine so he could
> be popular for healing the sick and raising the
> dead.

I think you have it backwards. When I went to Israel (as part of a group of American Hebrew school teachers--it is a long story about why I was able to join that group), we who were in the group were immediately handed a packet of papers (our proposed schedule of visits to various important Jewish sites within Israel, important info for us to know....AND (for each of us) A HEALTH INSURANCE CARD WITH OUR NAME ON IT!!, in case any of us would need access to the health system while we were in Israel).

If we got sick, if we had an accident, if we had, or developed, any sort of medical situation which needed medical intervention, we were (for the time we were in Israel) covered by full health insurance. I have never forgotten reading that card for the first time, and realizing what is was. By American standards, it was astounding.

Israel doesn't need a messiah to heal its sick and injured--the Israeli health system is already doing quite a good job of this.


> Or turning water into wine. He just needs to
> team up with a good distribution partner.

Ummmmm....I don't think this would be kosher. It might work as a product for export to countries where non-Jews (or nonobservant Jews) could purchase it, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't qualify for a hechsher (a distinctive "mark"/symbol displayed on products which have been certified kosher for Jewish use).



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2019 06:11PM by Tevai.

"[T]he Jewish state has some of the strictest gun-control laws in the world.

Unlike in the U.S., where loopholes in the system allow kids to buy weapons within minutes, even Israelis who have completed their military service may only apply for a gun license at 20. Those who did not serve in the military, for whatever reason, have to wait until they’re 27.

And forget about assault rifles — the best you can hope for in Israel is one pistol.

Israel also has strict background checks. Applicants not only must prove they need a gun for protection, they also have to show a clean bill of health from their physician. Even then, chances are, you’ll be rejected. About 80 percent of the 10,000 people who apply yearly for licenses are turned down, according to the Associated Press.

“The problem in the U.S. is cultural,” Amir Ohana, a conservative Israeli Parliament member and former Shin Bet official (Israel’s equivalent of the FBI), told TheWrap. “We treat weapons as though they are always locked and loaded. If you have any mental health issues, you can forget about getting a permit.”

Israel’s Health Ministry and its Ministry of Homeland Security perform a cross-data check every three months to ensure that no one with mental health issues slips through the cracks, according to Ohana.

According to the Israeli Society of Gun Culture Enhancement, the country’s only gun lobby group, the number of civilians who are given a gun permit is “minuscule.”

About 153,000 Israeli civilians currently own a gun, and another 120,000 permits have been given to security companies, the groups said. That’s anywhere between 1.7 and 3.2 percent of the population, estimated at 8.5 million.

Compare that to the U.S. where there are anywhere from 270 to 310 million guns — almost one per person — according to Pew Research Center.

Even ammunition is strictly limited to 50 bullets per gun. Gun owners in Israel also have to pass a mandatory training course and are required to renew their permits every three years, according to the Israeli gun lobby."

https://www.thewrap.com/carried-gun-israel-heres-learned-gun-control/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2019 05:13PM by Amyjo.

OK, but how does this compare with "Guns are illegal in Israel. Unless you're serving in the IDF or police force."

What I meant is what I've already clarified that Israel has among the strictest gun control laws in the world.

It is very difficult for anyone to get a gun. It isn't like the United States where anyone including the mentally ill or criminally insane can walk into a store and buy one.

But you are clarifying a statement that is not true. The percentage of Israeli civilians with guns is square in the middle of 230 countries. If you include the weapons possessed by the police and the military, Israel rises substantially higher.

The country is more careful than the United States but average, at best, globally.

Amyjo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Instead of being hung
> from a cross I could see him being stoned to death
> if he happened to enter the wrong neighborhood.
>

SCMD1:

Is that really how they operate now? Aren't shootings and bombings far more common?

Amyjo:

Guns are illegal in Israel. Unless you're serving in the IDF or police force.

SCMD1:

You might want to double-check that one, and there are illegally possessed weapons there, too.



My point in this sub-topic before it went tangential was that a modern-day Jesus in Israel would be at least as likely to be shot as to be stoned.There are plenty of guns in Israel for such to be accomplished. My point remains such, as does my assertion that all Christians except for the especially dull-witted are quite aware that Jesus was not a Christian. Didn't you know that when you practiced Christianity?

That Israel's gun control laws are tighter than those of the US hardly makes it one of the strictest countries in the world.

Objectively, Israel is smack in the middle according to most ranking systems. There are about 100 stricter, and 100 laxer.

From the article you cited, which was a first-person account written by a young man responding to the Parkland school shooting:

"While it’s true that guns are as ubiquitous in Israel as falafel stands, the Jewish state has some of the strictest gun-control laws in the world."

"Despite an abundance of guns on any given Israeli street, outside of terrorist attacks, Israel has had one mass shooting: in 2013, a man killed four Israelis in a bank before turning the gun on himself."

These two quotes by your quoted writer say, quite simply, there are lots of guns on the street. Sure, there are parts of some major cities in the US where these sentiments may be echoed, but he's talking about all of Israel.



Here's an article from an Israeli news organization:

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-minister-advances-plan-to-boost-number-of-gun-owners-in-israel-1.6406544


The thrust of the article is that it's getting easier and easier to go armed in Israel, which I find to be a logical position.


Here's a companion article on this same issue, the loosening of gun ownership and carrying of weapons:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/hundreds-of-thousands-more-israelis-okayed-to-carry-guns-under-new-rules/



Finally:

> Even ammunition is
> strictly limited to
> 50 bullets per gun.

This is a weird one. But I submit that this is in reference to the amount of ammunition a licensed gun owner may carry, as in on his person. That's three 14-round magazines. So you'd be legal with three such magazines, and one in the chamber, for a total of 43 rounds. It's likely that if you need more than that to resolve your situation, there was never going to be a favorable outcome.

Do Israeli authorities go to peoples homes to count how many rounds they own? Maybe...


There are way more weapons on the streets of Israel when you count police, soldiers, guards, and licensed citizens than in America, percentage-wise. And the trend on the part of the government seems to be the encouragement of more such behavior.

If you want to say that Israel practices strict gun control, that's your privilege. But I don't think it the facts match the impression the statement creates.

Remember, Israel simply cannot afford to love a single war. That would not result in a situation where, "Hey, we're your new leaders; here are the new rules!"

If you were in a country whose citizens had to contend with extermination as their fate should they lose a war, loosening gun restrictions does seem logical. But that's just me talking...

Isn’t the Messiah, whoever he may be, only supposed to come when there’s peace ? That’ll never happen, of course.

He comes in fire and glory to the battle of Armageddon.

All that peaceful stuff was so “last time around”...