VOA标准英语2008年-US Christian Evangelicals Lend Support to Israe

By Greg Flakus
San Antonio, Texas
08 May 2008
 

On May 8, Israel will mark its 60th anniversary as an independent state. As it was in the beginning, Israel is a small nation.  Some of its neighbors refuse to recognize its existence and the country is still officially at war with Syria and Lebanon. Israel has counted on support from Jews in the United States and around the world.  But some of its most fervent¹ supporters are evangelical Christians³, who number about 50 million people in the United States.  VOA's Greg Flakus has more, from Texas, about the so-called "Christian² Zionists."

Reverend John Hagee is the pastor⁴ of San Antonio's Cornerstone Church. He is one of Israel's strongest U.S. supporters amd the founder⁵ of Christians United for Israel, a group that lobbies for pro-Israel policies.

"If we can get 50 million evangelicals in America to join hands with five million of the Jewish people in the United States of America, it will be a marriage made in heaven," he says.

Reverend Hagee says his friendship for Israel is part of his effort to fight anti-Semitism.

"Anti-Semitism is sin and, in Christian theology, sin damns the soul. It is absolutely ludicrous for Christians to worship the dead Jews of the past, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, while ignoring the Goldbergs who live across the street. The Goldbergs are the family of Jesus Christ," Hagee says.

But Hagee has also said his support of Israel derives⁶ from passages in the Bible. Those passages prophesize that the end of days depends on the Jews ruling the whole biblical land of Israel.

Today, he says that is not his sole motive⁷ in backing Israel, "We do not support Israel for any end-times scenario⁸. We support Israel for Bible reasons that have been there for 2,000 years."

Israeli leaders have welcomed Hagee and the support of evangelicals. 

"As we say, a friend in need is a friend indeed," says Asher Yarden, Israel's General Consul⁹ in Texas.

In July 2006, with Israel battering¹⁰ Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, Reverend Hagee rallied more than 3,000 Evangelicals in Washington and got them to lobby Congress in support of Israel's controversial war.

Israel found encouragement in that support.

"When the war in the north of Israel took place in 2006, from our good friends the evangelical Christians, there were special expressions of support," Yarden says.

But Palestinians, including Christian Palestinians, say Hagee and his followers¹¹ are ignoring them.

Tony Kutayli is with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.  He says Palestinians are living under Israeli occupation or in exile and are being overlooked.

"The plight¹² of the Palestinians is not completely understood in this country, particularly by the evangelical movement," Kutayli says. "No matter what they believe, religiously, there are people who are suffering in reality and that is a very big divide that needs to be crossed."

Jews and Israelis are not unanimous in embracing Evangelicals. 

Jews who support territorial¹³ compromise with the Palestinians oppose the relationship because many evangelicals want Israel to continue the occupation of Palestinian areas.  Some Jews are put off by the judgment¹⁴ day beliefs of evangelicals. 

Mark Freedman, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation¹⁵ of San Antonio, says he stands by Hagee.

"From a personal perspective, I think that I am a lot more worried about an Armageddon that might come from Iran than I am from any Armageddon that is premised in theology," he says.

So despite theological differences, the unusual relationship between Evangelicals and the Jewish state, on its 60th anniversary, is likely to continue, at least in the near future.

1 fervent   

adj.热的，热烈的，热情的

参考例句：

• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。
• Austria was among the most fervent supporters of adolf hitler.奥地利是阿道夫希特勒最狂热的支持者之一。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

4 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

5 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

6 derives   

v.得到( derive的第三人称单数 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• English derives in the main from the common Germanic stock. 英语主要源于日耳曼语系。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derives his income from freelance work. 他以自由职业获取收入。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

8 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

9 consul   

n.领事；执政官

参考例句：

• A consul's duty is to help his own nationals.领事的职责是帮助自己的同胞。
• He'll hold the post of consul general for the United States at Shanghai.他将就任美国驻上海总领事(的职务)。

10 battering   

n.用坏，损坏v.连续猛击( batter的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The film took a battering from critics in the US. 该影片在美国遭遇到批评家的猛烈抨击。
• He kept battering away at the door. 他接连不断地砸门。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

12 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

13 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

14 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

15 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。