How did fundamentalist go from being antisemitic to being philosemitic?

Question

Back in the days of Leo Frank they were fervid supporters of the deicide doctrine - Jews as Christ-killers - whereas today they are fervid zionists who regard Jews not Christians as God's Chosen People. How did this come about? Obviously,Israeli money has a lot to do with Christians United for Israel (CUFI),the fundie/Jewish org staging events all over the country lately. But doesn't the whole rise of post-war fundamentalism correspond to increases in U.S. funding for Israel? Fundies were down for the count after the 1920's; the big revival seems to coincide with periodic increases in aid to Israel. Example: Billy Graham. Unknown outside the south. Goes to Israel. Suddenly,lots of $. Prime-time tv specials,mass media p.r. campaign,gets famous fast,lots of money to spend. Since fundies are the foundation of U.S. support for Israel,how much of fundamentalism itself is stimulated by the Israeli government using our own aid $? If this isn't what happened then what did,what other cause?

Answer 1

The previous answers hit most of the salient point.
A rise in interest Christian eschatology in general, and dispensationalism in particular are probably what most contribute to the change you're speaking of. While Scofield would have already published the Scofield Reference Bible at the time of the Leo Frank lynching, it had only been out a few years (6) at the time. The SRB was a standard study Bible for fundamentalists over the 20th century and was pretty much directly responsible for dispensationalism (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dispensationalism for a quick introduction) becoming a standard fundamentalist theology. So, believers in this premillennial theology, which as noted is most fundamentalists, see the establishment and upkeep of Israel as a key point in the end times timetable.
As a final note, support for Israel does not preclude a certain anti-semitism. Several fundamentalist premillenialists I have run into are also heavily into one-world-new-world-order type conspiracy theory. There is often a heavy anti-semitic element to those, along, of course, with a heavy dose of anti-Catholic sentiment.

Answer 2

As a former fundie, I think you're missing a couple of major things in your premise. First of all, the Holocaust. After Hitler, being anti-semetic just wasn't ok anymore. More importantly, funides have always been fueled by end-timed fervor, the idea that the current generation is the one that will see Christ's return. If you view the horrors of WWII and the holocaust through that prism, and the subsequent recreation of Isreal after nearly 2000 years, Jews stop being Christ-killers and become harbingers of Jesus's imminent return. A prominent Fundamentalist theologian, Scoffeild, had been saying that the return of Israel and the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem were necessary before the end times. All the former Allied powers poured money into Israel in the 40's and 50's to help establish the country. America, with a large Jewish population and a fundamentalist population who believe the Mount of Olives is the land pad for the second coming, stayed strong. I don't think any fundamentalist groups recieve funding from Israeli sources. It's more vice versa.

And BTW, Graham rose to national prominence following a huge revival he led in Times Square in New York City, years before he traveled to Israel.

Answer 3

Jesus became a philosimetic, so became His 12 disciples--they have been Jews. each and every of the bishops (popes) of the early church headquarters in Jerusalem have been Jewish (philosimetic) till Mark became made the 1st non-Jewish pope while Hadrian banned all Jews from Jerusalem interior the 2nd Century. i like Jesus the Jew, and He pronounced: "Ye worship ye understand no longer what: all of us understand what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews." (John 4:22). i'm no longer able to think of everyone hating everyone else. despite if experience has taught me there are some human beings and religions to no longer have confidence, yet they're all cantidates for heaven and can be respected as such. advantages and AGAPE, One-way

Answer 4

sympathy and public oppinion after WWII. Common goals against Muslims in the Israeli region.

Answer 5

They grew as people? The were horrified by the Holocaust? They were influenced by liberalization within thier own religion that had been going on since the Enlightenment? They realized Islam was the greater evil?