The question of Ephraim's self-awareness, or lack of, is
interesting.
I wanted to run past you some ideas about why Ephraim may have resistance to
accepting his identity. I am British so may only be speaking words relevant
to Britain.
Speaking personally as an Englishman I very much feel my own and my country's
connection with ancient Israel, just as many have in the past, and many still
do.
However, maybe some people, as well as I, can sometimes find themselves
thinking along these lines: " But a feeling is not a fact. How can I be sure I
am not delusional or engaged in wishful thinking? Moreover, even though the
evidence may seem compelling as laid out in your books and the other texts of
the Anglo-Israelite tradition, other academics, both religious and secular,
have always disputed this identity message and deride such conclusions. If I
am not an expert in these historical matters, who am I to conclude that
mainstream experts are wrong and you are right?" While this hesitancy (which
is rather a feature of the Anglo-saxon, cautious, empirically minded character
I suggest) may not persuade them to abandon the Brit-am perspective entirely,
perhaps it may persuade them to be rather cautious in talking about it, or
acting upon it. Frankly they are embarrassed about the possibility of being
wrong.
In addition, for many this felt connection with Israel has been understood
more metaphorically or spiritually I think, as opposed to literally, or
racially. As the thinking would go: Just as ancient Israel was God's chosen
nation, so Britain (for example) was or is now (so some may have thought up to
the 19th century, anyway) God's new chosen nation. So definitions need to be
clarified about what a connection to Israel actually means.
Besides that, the notion of a literal Anglo-Saxon-Celtic descent and
connection with physical Ancient Israel also has to contend with a question
raised by Replacement Theology, namely: Well, even if it's true, so what? As
the argument might go: "Old Israel has been abandoned by God for having
rejected Jesus. The "Church" is now Israel, so even if my physical ancestry is
Israelite, so what? What matters is my soul in the next life, etc." I think
this way of thinking may also explain many Ephraimite Christians' lack of
enthusiasm even in the midst of much proof etc. The question is not
considrered relevant because in the context of much, especially Catholic,
Theology, the role of Israel, ethnically understood, is no longer deemed
important.
Added to this is the role played by contemporary aversions to attaching any
kind of significiance to racial issues per se (especially if they relate to
the Caucasian races). Since Hitler's sinister and evil effect upon racial
considerations in general, a certain dogmatic silence about racial issues has
determined the climate of thought in the West's own self-reflections - with
the caveat, however, that we are allowed and encouraged to feel ashamed of
ourselves. That every race other than the Caucasian is allowed both to feel
proud of its own race, and to be racist towards other races, of course, does
not seem to be relevant, but anyway. In any case, this climate of 'anti-racial
consciousness' in the West, as it were, I think, has also made it less likely
that Ephraimites will feel comfortable even considering that there is anything
about their ancestry that makes them in any way special or important. Perhaps
this feeling is less acute in America, which is still a pre-eminent power in
the world than it is in Britain, which has declined from its former position
rather dramatically.
But beyond this, is a far wider and deeper issue. Namely that most people in
Britain are now largely indifferent, if not hostile to Religion and to God
altogether. Since this is so, one can hardly expect them, until this situation
is altered, to take even the Abrahamic paradigm of spirituality seriously, let
alone the particular reading here articulated regarding their ancient Biblical
identity.
Anyway those were just some thoughts I've had. I felt they needed such a long
expression.
Regards
Jonathan
This says that believers in the Christian Messiah are spiritually
the "New Israel".
A modified version of this notion speaks of "Two Houses" with Christian
"believers" being chosen alongside Judah.
We on the other hand speak of physical ancestry with belief playing a subsidiary
role.
The idea of physical ancestry would seem to some Christian believers to be
irrelevant and distracting.
What is more it might threaten to impose unwanted distinctions amongst believers
with those who claim to be
of physical descent from Israel opposed to they who are indifferent or even
hostile to the notion.
This is a problem for Christians to work out on their own.
Brit-Am tries to avoid theological issues especially concerning other faiths.
Our role is to present the truth as we understand it.
