How Israel Became Treated as a “Religious Obligation” in America This did not come from the Bible alone. It came from a modern political theology, built deliberately in the United States. ⸻ 1. The Bible Does Not Command Unconditional Support of a Modern State This is the first truth that gets buried. • The Bible speaks of the land of Israel in ancient, covenantal terms • It does not command Christians to: • Fund a modern government • Support wars unconditionally • Suspend moral judgment of state actions Jesus never instructed: • Rome to fund Judea • Christians to back political power • Blind loyalty to governments using God’s name In fact, Christ consistently challenged political-religious authority, not endorsed it. So the idea that: “If you’re Christian, you must support the modern State of Israel” is not biblical doctrine. It is political theology. ⸻ 2. Where This Idea Actually Came From: American Christian Zionism The belief you’re describing took shape in the late 1800s and early 1900s, mainly in America and Britain. Key source: • Dispensationalism — a theological framework • Popularized by the Scofield Reference Bible (1909) This theology taught: • The return of Jews to Israel was required for end-times prophecy • Supporting Israel became part of “God’s plan” • Political events were framed as divine necessity Important: This belief is not universal Christianity It is one interpretation, heavily American, heavily modern. Most Christians globally — Catholic, Orthodox, many Protestants — do not hold this view. ⸻ 3. How Politics Locked It In After 1948 After Israel became a state: • The U.S. saw Israel as a strategic Cold War ally • Evangelical leaders framed support as biblical obedience • Politicians fused: • National security • Religious loyalty • Moral guilt Result: Opposing Israeli policy became framed as opposing God. That framing was politically useful, not theologically required. ⸻ 4. How Guilt Became the Enforcement Tool Over time, the messaging hardened into absolutes: • “If you criticize Israel, you’re anti-Christian” • “If you question aid, you’re antisemitic” • “If you don’t support every war, you don’t believe the Bible” That pressure forces silence, not faith. And it does something dangerous: • It weaponizes religion • It removes moral accountability • It erases Palestinian Christians, who are rarely mentioned ⸻ 5. The Missing Truth Most Americans Never Hear There are: • Christian Palestinians • Jewish Israelis who oppose their government • American Jews who reject unconditional support But their voices are inconvenient — so they’re pushed out. The conflict is framed as: God vs enemies Instead of: Governments vs people caught in between ⸻ 6. The Honest American Position (Without Religious Guilt) An American — Christian or not — can say this truthfully: “I respect Israel’s right to exist. I respect Judaism. But no government gets a blank check — financial, moral, or military — because of religion.” That position: • Is pro-faith • Is pro-human life • Is pro-American sovereignty • Is anti-propaganda That’s not betrayal. That’s responsibility. ⸻ Where did the connection come from? 👉 Not from Jesus 👉 Not from biblical command 👉 Not from ancient Christianity It came from: • Modern American theology • Cold War geopolitics • Political fundraising • Fear-based messaging And once religion was tied to loyalty, questioning became taboo. ⸻ Why This Matters for Leadership New York is home to: • Jews • Muslims • Christians • Atheists • Immigrants from every side of this conflict Leadership means lowering the temperature, not exploiting faith. ⸻ Bottom Line Faith should guide conscience — not silence it. Governments should answer to people — not hide behind God. That’s the line that has been crossed. ⸻ Date: December 12, 2025 Campaign: Jason S. Arnold for Governor of New York (2026)