Project Strait Gate is not about winning arguments with your neighbors and friends. It deals with the life and death issue of finding and helping honest people come out of a sub-culture of war worshipers; a false and apostate non-faith religion that is destroying nations and tribes, including the Iraqis and Philistines. This compromised religion corrupts the faith of those who serve it.

The port deck of the Pride of America was packed with passengers getting a last glimpse of the Pacific island of Kauai in the sunset. The man at my right on the rail told me someone had seen humpback whales an hour before, and he had no sooner spoken than one blew its unmistakable spout about 300 yards off the port bow. It surfaced to breathe and in a moment was gone.

This man, call him Norman, became my instant partner in spotting whales. He is from South Dakota and so was I, once. Farmers, businessmen and pastors in South Dakota talk about rain. Norman told me the weather has changed. I steered the conversation toward a partisan reef, asking if he thought Al Gore’s theory of global warming had validity. Norman did not answer directly but politely switched the subject to what is no doubt his favorite when he finds a listener, his Christian walk:

“I am a Christian so I believe it’s all [weather included] in God’s hands.” With only a little gentle prodding Norman went on: “God is winding things up; he is going to end everything…after the rapture and tribulation…the end times….”

He looked at me wondering if I understood. Norman had opened the door to a discussion with life and death implications, the Judeo-Christian churches’ role in the Serial War era. Somewhere between 40 and 80 million Americans’ beliefs lead them to support war. Judeo-Christians are called by many names; the Christian Right, dispensationalists, Charismatic, Mormons, Pentecostals, and even Christian-Zionists, but all believe what Norman had just stated.

I dread to lump this spiritual and sincere man, Norman, in with some of the intentionally bloody Christian-Zionists, but they have a common link to a State that calls itself “Israel.” Christian-Zionists, by my definition, differ only in that those who lead it are motivated by political objectives first and foremost.

Norman’s purpose in opening up to me was not political; it was to make sure I am not a heathen headed for Hell and in need of the testimony of a “believer.” Those at We Hold These Truths who have held vigils in front of 50 or more churches have heard many various versions of his testimony, often demandingly posed as a question, “Are you saved?”

Anyone who hopes to stop the twisting of Christ’s words into justification for the needless deaths of millions of innocent souls must learn how to talk to the Normans and Marys who come across our path. We should seek them out. We must also confront their mentors, pastors, their spiritual misguiders and false prophets.

To do so, we must learn how to respond to Norman’s declarative statements (“I am a Christian so I believe it’s all in God’s hands”) without being offensive, superior, or insulting. We must know how to steer the conversation to the central issues that define Christian Zionism and show why the doctrine is repugnant to anyone who thinks it through (except the politicians who created it!)

It is important to present an ice clear logic that cannot be easily forgotten, and that will stick like a cactus quill in the brain where we place it. What I was about to relay to Norman would fall on him with as much shock as if I were to tell him his 12 year old daughter was pregnant. He will not want to believe it; he might even want to shoot the messenger. The words must be kindly said, simple and direct, and we must know when to quit and go home.

If we could call every pastor and religious writer to debate (I have publicly debated one prominent Christian–Zionist), it should center around one defining query that effectively detects Christian Zionism’s abuse of God’s word:

“Do you believe the (present day) State of Israel is the fulfillment of Biblical prophesies?”

If we can remember nothing else, ask this one question. Nearly one hundred percent of Judeo-Christians will answer “yes!” Almost everyone else, Catholics, Lutherans and agnostics, will answer “No.” Norman has already told me his answer by telling me about the “end times” and “rapture.” So, returning to Norman, I skipped to the second defining query:

“Norman, should it matter to you as a follower of Christ if there is a Rapture and Armageddon and an end times…don’t you have to act out following Christ regardless of what you may think is coming?”

You must insist on an answer to this question! If you get a positive answer to this question you should win the day. With Norman it was not necessary to debate the point, he answered instantly and emphatically:

“No it should not matter.” He went on, “Yes you’re right, it should not matter to a Christian…(our actions should not be different) …I am pro-life and my state passed a bill to ban abortion, but it’s being challenged in the Supreme Court… (thoughtfully) we may have gone a little too far…no exceptions for life of mother, incest, or rape…”

This was Norman’s way of responding to my challenge; he wanted me to know he is not a couch potato Christian waiting for a “rapture”. He is telling me he is acting out his beliefs as he knows Jesus expects him to, and therefore, he agrees that it should not matter to him when the world ends (or if it does). Norman would be a very good friend to have. But he is making a terrible error about scripture, and it is leading him and his family into a tragic acceptance and complicity with serial slaughters in Christ’s name, as we will see.

My third and last defining query:

“I do not believe that your pro-life bill went too far. You should be proud that you did not compromise, there can be no exceptions for life with Christ, all life is sacred, and your legislation is just in His eyes. But…”

“…If you are truly pro-life don’t you have to also oppose the mass assassination of the innocent in wars? How is it different for our government to allow doctors to perform abortions than to perform assassinations of entire families in Iraq?”

Norman had not told me he backed the war, but those who believe as he does always do. Norman could not think of a Jesus answer, so he abandoned the scripture for a secular response:

“Saddam Hussein had to be stopped…he killed 300,000 of his own people…his sons were evil too….”

Warning: It is here you must stick to the spiritual or you will lose Norman. I said:

“Norman, I can understand why you would humanly want to see Saddam Hussein punished, but where in the New Testament can you find justifications for killing someone’s wife, father or child thousand of miles away; even if you could imagine a way they might be a threat to you?”

His answer skipped the New Testament and jumped back to the Old Testament in search of a crutch to lean on.

“In the Old Testament there were numerous times God commanded the Israelites to annihilate entire populations because of their evil acts. His prophecy is still going on.”

Note that Norman has now introduced Israel into the discussion for the first time. He believes, or at least has been taught, that the Arabs and Israelis today are the same races who fought 3000 years ago, and he believes Israel is part of God’s prophecy and they can do no wrong…he must support Israel, it is not optional. You must again return the debate to what Jesus would say. Speak very softly!

“Norman, the people who live in Israel today cannot trace a drop of blood or a strand of DNA back to the tribes of the Israelites or Abraham 3000 years ago. They are mostly European and majority of them are declared atheists. The Israeli-Jews are neither the same tribe nor the same religion as Abraham…”

“But even that should not matter to us, we both claim to be New Covenant Christians, and Jesus never said anything about taking someone else’s land based on the Old Testament. Jesus was a peacemaker and told us to be peacemakers. I don’t have to tell you what He said about loving your enemy. But our army killed Saddam Hussein’s grandson, age 13, while chasing his father. Would Jesus have done that? Jesus did not give the modern state of Israel that right either…

..And Norman, none of this matters anyway because we have a New Covenant to live under. Didn’t Paul tell us that in God’s eyes there is neither male nor female, Jew or Greek, all are one since Jesus came, only those who follow and believe are the sons of Abraham under his promise… Are we not supposed to be the children of the New Covenant?”

Norman’s answer? He did not answer, but I think he nodded, ever so little:

“Hey, I have to meet my family for dinner.” he said!

The sun had gone down, and the deck was deserted except for the two of us. Tomorrow we would both be off the ship and there would not be another talk. We shook hands, and Norman gave me the chance for a last statement. I said:

“Norman, I must tell you: the churches like yours have blood on their hands, and they are spilling the blood on you… It’s not only our leaders. You cannot be pro-life if you ignore even one Iraqi mother or child’s right to life, even if you consider them enemies. God cannot honor your church if it fails to honor life. The church has failed in it pro-life efforts because it’s only half sincere about all life. God is consistent. We must oppose all unjust killing; it is not an option with Jesus. It has been a blessing to me to talk to you, Norman. See our website if you have questions.”

It is my prayer that Norman will not be able to forget.

Strait Gate Tutorial for curing Christian-Zionism

Your chance debates may last one minute or 15. In order to have an impact you must be prepared and have a plan. You may be talking to anyone who goes to church, including the pastor, and some who don’t attend at all.

1) Ask what this person believes; the first defining query:

Do you believe the present day state of Israel is the fulfillment of Biblical prophesies?

Every candidate for public office should be asked; Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and Joseph Lieberman and every pastor and priest need to be asked. Anyone who believes the state of Israel (or any political state) is on a throne next to Jesus Christ should be asked to explain how this can be. Any professing Christian who believes this is clinging to a politically devised doctrine that cannot be supported from the Bible. But whatever you do, don’t say this until you have asked all three defining questions!

2) Find out if this person is serious about following Christ, the second defining query:

“If you are a follower of Christ, as you say, why does it matter to you if there is a rapture and if so when…if you spend your life, day to day as Christ commanded you to do, why does it matter if and when the world ends, or when…are you not secure?”

Hang on to this question until you get an answer. Be prepared to discuss why it is obviously true. Think about it yourself, do you believe it?

3) Find out if this person’s mind is open to change; use the third defining query:

“Where in the New Testament does this person, as a follower of Christ, find justification for killing other peoples’ children?” Or:

“Where in the New Testament does he find the basis for supporting a tribe that is warring to take some else’s land?”

Most Evangelicals will probably resort to secular reasons for justifying war because no reasons exist in the New Testament; you must immediately return to scripture even if this person is a Bible professor and you can’t recite two verses of scripture.

If you are talking to a seminary-trained professional Christian, be prepared for a bewildering chain of alphabet soup scripture that he has been taught; none of which will hold water if examined one by one. Ask that he explain the first thing he quotes, showing it to you in context. If you persist, eventually you will be told Israel’s right to the land is found in Genesis 12:3, or other similar references in later chapters of this book. This is not true; read it. The supposed deed will be found on page 19 of the Scofield Reference Bible in the footnotes to Genesis 12: 1-3, but is not in the text. We Hold These Truths can tutor you on how to shrug off false arguments. A list of WHTT resources is provided below.

Project Straight Gate is about doing our part to end our cycle of Serial Wars. As many as one third of all the voters in the USA are Judeo-Christians. They must be rescued from a false religiosity. It’s a matter of life and death for them, and for millions who are on the receiving end of Serial Wars. By whatever name and without knowing it, they dishonor God and defile his words. Anyone can step out of this apostasy, but it is not easy to find where to go to church. Our Tuesday night Internet Bible study is a bridge. If you understand this letter you are equipped to start your group to carry out Strait Gate Vigils at a Judeo-Christian churches. Contact us to get started.