Mujahid_Munafiq

Reform synagogue, well, that's not exactly what I had in mind. But sure, I guess they will accept you as a Jew still, but they are the only ones perhaps.

Booklady

Well, them and all my secular Jewish friends. For the Jews I know and grew up with, it's your ethnic/cultural identity as a Jew that counts. Do you love Woody Allen movies, pastrami on rye, and can you understand some Yiddish? Then you're in.

IvanJames

Hey, now, that's the largest Jewish denomination in America you're talking about. Plus, the Reconstruction and Tikkun movements are even more liberal.

Reform Judaism has gotten a bit more conservative lately, as well. But you shouldn't be so dismissive. I see more intellectual maturity and depth in liberal religion than I do in fundamentalism.

In another thread I believe you called Sunni Muslims apostates. That's a pretty broad brush, dismissing millions of people in one sentence.

---Ivan James

Mujahid_Munafiq

I see more intellectual maturity and depth when people follow all the laws in their religious books

see above.

TexasAWOL

I attend a Messianic Jewish Congregation in Dallas- although I am NOT Jewish- no matter "how" you define Judaism. My ancestors were German Catholics... although my grandmother broke off from the Catholics, and at that point, no one was Catholic after that.

So , I am a GENTILE CHRISTIAN (although I prefer the Term "Believer"- I hate labels)....

Please know there is MUCH misunderstanding about MJ-ism. Jews don't accept it, and many Gentile Christians don't understand it. The bottom line is that Messianic Jewish Congregations welcome both Jews and Gentiles. They believe that Jesus/Yeshua broke down the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile (if you have a bible, look up Ephesians Ch. 2)....
Messianic Judaism, IS a bit of "culture shock" for Gentile Christians, as it was for me, the first time I went. I have been going to this one, for over two years. They seek to bridge the gap that has existed between Jew and Gentile.
Our Congregational Leader has friends and supporters on both sides of the fence. He has good relations with some NON- Messianic Jews, and also with some Christian churches.

Our brand new Building- just three years old, was vandalized by neo-nazis. They ruined the outside walls, spraying anti-semitic grafitti on the Office Outside walls.
The messages and signs were extremely hateful.
In the late 1980's.... a young Neo-nazi skinhead, fired a rife into the sanctuary. Thank goodness no one was hurt, but he did hold one family outside hostage. He received 20 years in jail.
When he found out that it was a "Messianic" congregation, he apologized for shooting at the congregation.
He said, "Oh, I thought they were JUST JEWS"....

When last year's building was attacked, the ADL, while not agreeing with MJ-ism, came to the defense of our congregation....

Jews are encouraged to believe that Jesus/Yeshua IS the Jewish Messiah. But they are ALSO encouraged to retain their culture, style of worship, and their traditions.

I PERSONALLY do not agree with Jews for Jesus, NOR their "in your face" tactics.... and most of these people handing out pamphlets are NOT Jews that have accepted Yeshua as their Messiah. As I understand, they are Christians.

Our congregation, to my knowledge, doesn't endorse them.... nor are they affilatied with ANY other organization. Our congregation is completely independent- our Cong. Leader is Jewish, his wife is a Gentile Believer

Shalom-
TEXASAWOL :thumbs:

Cherokee

But I bet you "keep" Shabbat; I bet you gave up Christmas in preference of the "fall festivals;" I bet you participate in Pesach (Passover) and NOT Easter; I bet there are some men in your congregation who wear Kippahs; I bet there are some men in your congregation who wear the Tallits; I bet there are some men in your congregation who wear the little blue and white fringes on their belt-loops; and I bet you "follow" the (Messianic interpretations of) the "Laws of Niddah." Wanna-be's!

Welcome, sure! We thought WE were the ones who could speak to both groups!!! Looking back on it - several years' distant - I find this both arrogant and patronizing.
Yep. Same teaching I heard. They have all the same teaching tapes.
Again, arrogance, condescension, patronization - I call it all these things because I, too, once wanted to "bridge the gap." And, I would say it's much more than just a "bit" of culture shock - how many of your christian friends have expressed their concern about your legalism? How many of your lifelong ways did you give up when you got involved in MJ? Been there...done that.
Ours did, too (or so he told us). Found out later, when my Mom actually converted to Judaism, nearly the entire Jewish community thought he was a fraud, a fake, a Jewish wanna-be, and many of the synagogues had told their communities to beware of the proselytizing that this group engaged in! But HE thought he had good relations on both sides...go figure! :banghead:

Uncalled for. Hate is hate! Sorry to hear about this.

Our "rabbi" (he anointed himself with this title) must have been cut from the same cloth as yours. Or else they all have the same biography because it "plays" so well. Whatever it is, they've all read the same books, taken the same classes, studied the same texts, and invented themselves a really fine way to make a living. Not begrudging them this, I just find much amusement in their common MO's.

Good luck, TexasAWOL - and keep an open mind!

Alethias

Ummm...this thread has taken an interesting turn . My brother is a messianic rabbi, and the things that TexasAWOL said about her Rabbi could apply to my brother almost word for word.

I'll give him credit where credit is due. He is much more accepting of my "apostate" state than the rest of my "christian" family. In that way he is very Jewish.

Cherokee

Where is your brother's synagogue? Good for him, that he accepts your state of non-belief!

The cult I was in considers anyone who leaves, speaks against the "rabbi," or says anything remotely negative about the group is to be shunned in the most old-testament way possible (as in, STONING is too good for us)! No one from our old group will have anything to do with us.

I still think they all must study the same books. :Cheeky:

Jack the Bodiless

"Jews for Jesus" is a front for the explicitly Christian "Campus Crusade for Christ" movement: created to recruit vulnerable Jewish students.

Alethias

Southwestern Oregon