Evangelicals, Help Me Get It

October 2021

Fisher-Baldwin

For years, much has been written, questioned, and dissected about who evangelicals are and what they believe.  Some conclusions have been factual, others fictional, but most fell somewhere in between.

Judging others and their beliefs can be problematic even malignant. It is callous to paint any group of believers as a monolith. Even cult members can have differences of opinion.

Among their foundational beliefs, evangelicals accept the Bible as the infallible word of God—as do many nonevangelicals. By such, evangelicals hold fast to God’s covenant promise to Abraham that He will bless those who bless Abraham and his descendants and conversely will curse those who curse Abraham and descendants. Therefore, many evangelicals stand firmly on blessing what Abraham’s descendants, Israel, bless. They also adhere to the admonition to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, capital of Israel.

Before Covid, many ministries and faith leaders scheduled annual trips to the Holy Land. So committed to Israel, numbers of evangelicals even vote for political candidates based on their policies and views of Israel. For such reason, it is somewhat difficult to understand how the two allies have such opposing views on Covid mandates, vaccines, and masks.

A July 28, 2021 Wall Street Journal article opens with recent data showing evangelical Christians as more resistant to getting Covid vaccine than other major religious group.  News stories upon news stories have shown the depth of evangelicals' strong, even defiant and at time vehement, resistance to America’s Covid mandates. On the other hand, evangelicals' friend and ally Israel has adopted even stronger mandates than America. In fact, Wall Street Journal reported data that showed Jews had “the highest percentage of members willing to get vaccinated, at 85%.”

Based on volumes of legitimate reporting, Israel is recognized as the most aggressive nation on the planet in mandating Covid-fighting measures. Just recently, Israel began requiring booster vaccine to get a “green card” which allows  access to restaurants, gyms, and certain other venues.

The question then is why are evangelicals loyal, fervent, tenacious, and aggressive in supporting Israel in other missions most of the world opposes but not when it comes to Israel’s American-like methods of implementing its aggressive mission to protect its citizens by mandating masks and boosters, in addition to regular vaccine dosages. Here is where Israel and many of its evangelical allies are diametrical opposed.  

Can evangelicals help us who may not get the cause of their uncharacteristic but significant departure with their ally in the face of a deadly pandemic? Perhaps an indication may come when evangelical groups begin in full their annual tours to Israel again. Then evangelicals will likely face their strongest ally’s opposing Covid mandates. To comply or not with Israel's mandates may determine if evangelical visitors will be blessed to enter the homeland of Abraham’s descendants.