Shannon Nuszen is coming up against Jewish opposition to her
work at Beyneynu, which is all about exposing the true nature of Christian
missionaries inside Israel. These evangelical Christians are careful not to
use overt language in describing their mission to the Jewish Israelis they meet
and work with. But Nuszen captures the truth by way of videos created by the
Christians for their supporters abroad, in which their mission is stated in
explicit terms. And the truth is that these Christians are in Israel for the
express purpose of converting Jewish Israelis to Christianity.
Why would any Jew not want this truth exposed? It’s not a
mystery: money talks, nobody walks. Evangelical Christians give a lot of money
to Israel, and they’re very nice people. No one wants to believe they have any
underlying, hidden purpose in being here. The Jews don’t want to believe these
Christians are anything other than what they purport to be: nice people who
support the Jews and the Jewish State.
Jews are tired of being hated. When someone shows them a bit
of love, they drink it up. They are like Sally Fields at the Oscars gushing, “You like me! You really like me!”
They need to believe these Christians don’t have an ulterior
motive. They need it for their self-esteem. And of course, there’s the money.
Lots and lots of it. And a lot of these Christians are working the vineyards of
Samaria, for free. Which is as good as financial support, right?
So we have a situation where Shannon Nuszen, through her
organization, Beyneynu, is distributing videos to Jewish journalists in which
Christians expose their true purpose on camera. And Jews are going around
behind the scenes and sometimes, shamelessly, right in front of Nuszen, casting
aspersions on her work.
These Jews tell the journalists and anyone else who will
listen that Shannon is disturbed, that because of her past, she has a vendetta—that
these Christians are REALLY NICE PEOPLE who have told them, the Jews, that converting the Jews is the furthest thing from
their sweet little innocent minds. These Christians LOVE the Jews, say the
Jews, and only want to help and support them.
Would that all that were true. But it’s not. And Shannon is
only curating words said by these very same Christians—words which clearly have
no other context—that is, if one is being honest about this stuff. The
Christians are in Israel for one sole purpose. They want to bring the Jews to
Jesus.
They’ll swear up and down it isn’t so. But the videos say
otherwise, if you can get past all the Jews out to destroy the messenger,
Shannon. To them I say, “Methinks thou dost protest too much.”
The Jews know on which side their bread is buttered. And it’s
actually a really shameful thing to witness how they grovel to those trying to
convert them while speaking out against their own: Shannon. But you know what?
Let’s give Shannon a chance to explain it all in her own words. And then you
can decide whom to believe: Shannon, or the Jewish naysayers who benefit from
these Christians and work behind the scenes to deride their fellow Jew:
Varda Epstein: Can
you tell us a bit about your background?
Shannon Nuszen: I was born and raised in Evangelical
Christianity. My father was a minister, and for many years I was a missionary myself
with a tremendous love for Israel and a focus on the Jewish people.
In 2005 I visited Israel for the first time and returned
home more determined than ever to prove to myself and every Jew I knew that
Jesus was indeed the messiah prophesied in the bible.
However, homing in on that one issue and fully immersing
myself in learning about the fulfillment (or lack thereof) of these prophecies
did not result in any reaffirming of my faith, or in me perfecting my arguments
for bringing Jews to Jesus. The opposite happened, and through learning the
Jewish perspective, it became clear that everything I knew and believed in was
false.
Long story short, I ended up converting to Judaism and have
been living as an Orthodox Jew ever since. I now live in Israel.
Varda Epstein: Why
did you decide to focus on exposing and fighting missionaries in Israel? Is
this really a significant presence or threat to the Jews of Israel?
Shannon Nuszen: I was on the other side. I was one of those
missionaries. I understand better than most how aggressive and unyielding these
missionaries are. Most Jewish people, though they may have encountered these
missionaries, really do not understand the full scope and danger they present
to our people. We are not just dealing with Christians trying to convert Jews.
It’s worse than that and more insidious because they are playing word games.
The missionaries misappropriate Jewish symbols, icons, and
traditions in order to evangelize the Jews. They are portraying Christianity in
a Jewish way to get Jews to believe in Jesus. I know this because I was one of
those people. As a result, I feel a heavy responsibility, almost a burden, to
alert the Jewish community to the problem that confronts them.
It is shocking. It is
a stage four cancer, and there is no stage five. These missionaries have
managed to infiltrate and become a part of the highest echelons of the Israeli
government and its leadership. Because of their financial and political support
for Israel these evangelicals have managed to blind Israelis to the inherent dangers
of their mission. Evangelical support comes at an extremely high price, and I
understand why Israeli leaders and many ordinary Israelis and Israeli
businessmen turn the other way. We have many enemies, and therefore we are
willing to work with anyone, even when it comes at a very dangerous price.
Varda Epstein: Would
you tell us about some of the people and organizations you’ve worked with on
the issue of missionaries in Israel?
Shannon Nuszen: In my quest to research and supply
information about specific missionary groups that are active in Israel, I have
worked with and continue to work with every organization I know of in this
field. In an official capacity I began this work 13 years ago in Houston,
countering local missionaries in a grassroots effort with Rabbi Stuart Federow.
During this time, I also worked for Outreach Judaism for a span of a few years.
Most of my work in this field, however, has been with Jewish Israel, as their North American
liaison.
Varda Epstein: Tell
us about Beyneynu. Why did you decide to found this organization and what is
its purpose?
Shannon Nuszen: Beyneynu is a nonprofit organization that
monitors missionary activity in Israel and works with government and community
leaders to create proper boundaries in their partnerships with faith-based
organizations.
Are we against Christian support for Israel? No! We simply
draw the line at missionary efforts, and do not believe Jewish organizations should
be forming alliances or partnerships with those who have as their agenda the
desire to bring Jews to faith in Jesus.
I do not consider myself a “counter missionary,” and Beyneynu
is not another counter missionary organization. Our focus is on alerting the
Jewish community to missionary efforts, and to help the Israeli leadership to
identify those who threaten the Jewish character of the State of Israel.
Varda Epstein: You’ve
released some shocking videos of missionaries in Israel and abroad. How are
these videos created?
Shannon Nuszen: These videos are created the same way news
publications produce videos. They scour hours of videos and take the most
germane elements they find and broadcast them to the public. This is critical
to this effort.
Most videos put out by the missionaries are over an hour
long. The Jewish community needs to know about the elements in these videos
that specifically speak about their intentions in regard to the Jewish people
of Israel.
It’s important to understand that if these missionary groups—based
as they are inside of Israel—were self-sustaining, they wouldn’t take the risk
of discussing these topics in videos, but all their financial support comes
from abroad, from outside of Israel. The videos are created precisely for this audience:
evangelical Christians who live beyond the borders of Israel. Virtually nothing
comes from native Israeli missionaries, therefore they must convey to evangelical
Christians abroad the work that they are doing, and that is “winning Jewish
souls for Yeshua.”
These people all, without exception, use language that serves
as dog whistles for their followers. None of them would ever come straight out
and use the term “convert Jews to Christianity” to describe their mission. That
type of language is no longer used among the Jews because Jewish people
translate “convert to Christianity” as losing their Jewish identity (and they’re
right).
This was clear in another video Beyneynu released not long
ago where the CEO of God
TV, Ward Simpson, clearly stated “We
don’t want Jews to convert to Christianity, we simply want them to accept Jesus
as their messiah.”
Varda Epstein: There
have been some accusations that you are selectively editing these videos to
show something that isn’t really there. They say you have a vendetta, because
you were one of them, and have now converted to Judaism. What would you say to
your accusers?
Shannon Nuszen: The accusers are not bystanders. They are
the same activists who repeatedly carry water for these evangelical Christian
groups by repeating their talking points, because they work with them and
depend on them for their financial support. They have a vested interest in
protecting these missionaries.
The real question for these accusers (or perhaps “handlers”
is a better word) is: Do these Christians believe it is their obligation to carry
out “The Great Commission?” Matthew 28:19 “. . . to make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit.”
In our latest video, these Christians are clearly speaking
of this obligation to their followers, if not in so many words. If the
naysayers cannot answer to the charge or prove that it’s not the case, then the
only tactic left for them is to attack the messenger: me.
As far as having a vendetta, I would say the opposite is
true. Just as much as I feel it is an obligation to warn fellow Jews of this
danger, I would love to be able to demonstrate to Christians the pain their
actions inflict on the Jewish people in order to foster some understanding.
Varda Epstein: Why
are so many Jews against your work, and speaking out against this work and even
you, personally? What do they stand to gain by allying with Christians, and
working against you, a fellow Jew?
Shannon Nuszen: I do not think even our most fierce
opposition opposes the goal of our work. This is the one issue that Jews across
the spectrum agree on. The entire Jewish world is against efforts to convert
Jews. They just refuse to believe that the Christians who give them financial
support, and who support their programs, could possibly have any missionary
agenda. It becomes for them a very personal issue.
The information we present, however, is not our opinion. We
are not quoting out of context or interpreting what these Christians are
saying. Our only aim is to inform.
Varda Epstein: Is
there anything else you would like to say to your accusers?
Shannon Nuszen: I try
not to focus on the negative attention or answer those who are aligning
themselves with missionaries. They have their reasons for what they do, and
they will have to answer for that. My focus is on the effect of these missionaries
on Jewish communities worldwide.
Varda Epstein: Can
you give us some examples of things these missionaries have said for which the
context is undeniable, and cannot possibly be explained away by selective
editing?
Shannon Nuszen: The undeniable issue that cannot be disputed
is “The Great Commission,” which you’ll find being preached in each of the
videos we have curated, and is common to all missionaries. “The Great
Commission” is the commandment given by Jesus himself “. . . to make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit.” Those who teach this concept are fully committed to living by
this commandment and everything they say and do is by way of fulfilling this
obligation.
The methods and language used to explain this in ways that
won’t offend Jews are many, but the bottom line is that they do not believe
they are exempt from this commandment or that they should refuse to participate
in its fulfillment. They see this commandment, “The Great Commission,” as their
primary goal, and crucial factor in the “restoration” (you’ll hear them say
that word a lot) process that in their belief, serves as preparation for the
second coming of Jesus.
Varda Epstein: Where
are you and Beyneynu going with this work? What can we expect to see coming up
next?
Shannon Nuszen: Beyneynu’s efforts are primarily behind the
scenes working with government
and Jewish leadership to understand the dangers of partnering with
missionaries. With the tremendous outpouring of love and support coming from
the Christian world, it is important that we understand who we can and cannot
trust.
Sometimes our efforts include informing the public of
problematic events or relationships that require their help to demand action.
This was the case with God TV. Even though they had already secured a contract
with the cable provider, and had been licensed by the Israeli government to
broadcast this programming, it was public outcry that brought about the
complete reversal of this state of affairs and caught the attention of the
world.
That is the message that every organization looking to
partner with us should understand. We appreciate the support for Israel, but we
must draw the line when it comes to missionary activity.