Christians, Arabs, and Jews

[The One and Only Mo]

I understand that Muslims want Israel because they feel they have a right to it because of Abraham. What I don't understand is why Christians don't feel they have a right to it (through Esau). G-d gave it to Abraham and his children.....So although Esau is his grandchild, is he not included. LOL I'm not preaching that Israel should be divided (further); I am merely curious.

[muman613]

I understand that Muslims want Israel because they feel they have a right to it because of Abraham. What I don't understand is why Christians don't feel they have a right to it (through Esau). G-d gave it to Abraham and his children.....So although Esau is his grandchild, is he not included. LOL I'm not preaching that Israel should be divided (further); I am merely curious.

You know the story... Essau sold his birthright out and out. He has no claim at all to any of the inheritance..

It is the muslims who accuse us Jews of changing the Torah. I have never heard any such accusation from the Christians...

[muman613]

1.  Muslims feel they have a right to every place on earth--not because of Abraham but because they are commanded to conquer the whole world for Islam by Muhammad.  If a land ever had Muslims in it, they feel like they have a right to it.  The reason they are extra hostile in Israel is because the Quran calls Jews the worst enemies of the Muslims, and the Temple Mount is the third holiest site in Islam.

2.  Land conquest is not part of Christianity.  Jesus said his kingdom was "not of this world".  Its focus is on the spiritual.  That being said, there are Christian holy sites, and certain eastern denominations such as the Greek Orthodox Church have part of their church jurisdiction in Israel, but generally speaking Christianity makes no nationalistic territorial claims.  Also, Christians do not associate themselves with Esau.  In fact, many early Christians claimed that Israel was Esau and they were Jacob as part of their replacement theology.  So they would not say they deserve Israel for Esau's sake.

Well I think I disagree with several of your points. I don't want to open up any more conflicts so I will leave it at that.

Regarding islam we know that Jerusalem is not mentioned a single time in the quran. And there is much debate whether Al-Aqsa refers to the Temple Mount or another 'farthest mosque' which I think is in Morrocco... Also i have heard it said that the quran actually says that Israel is the heritage of the Jewish people.

http://www.aish.com/h/9av/j/Jerusalem_Jewish_and_Muslim_Claims_to_the_Holy_City.html

[t_h_j]

I understand that Muslims want Israel because they feel they have a right to it because of Abraham. What I don't understand is why Christians don't feel they have a right to it (through Esau). G-d gave it to Abraham and his children.....So although Esau is his grandchild, is he not included. LOL I'm not preaching that Israel should be divided (further); I am merely curious.

through Esau?  Christians don't claim descent from Esau or look up to him in any way.

[muman613]

through Esau?  Christians don't claim descent from Esau or look up to him in any way.

According to Jewish history Essau was the progenitor of the Romans and Europeans. It was the Romans who spread Christianity across Europe.

http://www.aish.com/jl/h/cc/48942411.html

Interestingly, Jewish tradition holds that the Romans were the descendants of Esau, the red-haired and blood-thirsty twin brother of Jacob. Judaism calls Rome "Edom", (another name given Esau in Genesis 36:1) from the Hebrew root which means both "red" and "blood." When we look at the Jewish-Roman relationship later on, we will see that the Romans were the spiritual inheritors of the Esau worldview.

http://www.inner.org/parshah/genesis/toldot/E68-0225.php

[Zelhar]

through Esau?  Christians don't claim descent from Esau or look up to him in any way.

That's right. They claimed Israel because Jesus and most of his early followers were Israeli Jews.

[mord]

According to Jewish history Essau was the progenitor of the Romans and Europeans. It was the Romans who spread Christianity across Europe.

http://www.aish.com/jl/h/cc/48942411.html


http://www.inner.org/parshah/genesis/toldot/E68-0225.php

I think you'll find alot more light haired people amongst the Jews then Romans

[Debbie Shafer]

Esau did sell his birthright and also married pagans who did not believe in the Jewish God.

[syyuge]

Generally it is spoken that Jerusalem is the third holiest place of the muslamics. Here it is conveniently forgotten that muslamics do not have any other or fourth holiest place on the earth. So it can be said that Jerusalem is the least holiest place for the muslamics on earth. Basically I do not see any muslamic connection with Jerusalem except that of the evil urge for degrading other's  religious places.

BTW Najaf & Karbala are the holy cities only for the minority shiates.

[TheCoon]

The islamic connection to Jerusalem came solely out of the desire to diminish the Jewish connection. Mohammad invented some insane story about how he ascended to heaven on a white horse while in Jerusalem and it gave them the excuse to build a mosque there and claim it as their own.

[syyuge]

Yes, this story is so insane that it could have been only in the original text.

[The One and Only Mo]

OK. Was just thinking the other day. Thanks.

[TruthSpreader]

God gave Israel to the Jews not the Arabs.

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

2.  Land conquest is not part of Christianity.  Jesus said his kingdom was "not of this world".  Its focus is on the spiritual.

Correct, Christians consider the whole world to be the galut.

In fact, many early Christians claimed that Israel was Esau and they were Jacob as part of their replacement theology.  So they would not say they deserve Israel for Esau's sake.

I have not heard this before but am not surprised. Who specifically are you referring to though? There is nothing like this (or espousing replacement theology in any way) in the New Testament.