Question:
I was accosted at the beach today by a guy from Jews for Jesus. He offered me a New Testament in Yiddish and said that many Jews have been "saved" by accepting Jesus as the messiah. I just ignored him. Then I saw a big ad in the newspaper from the same people. My question: Can a Jew believe in Jesus?
Answer:
Of course a Jew can believe in Jesus. Just like a vegetarian can enjoy a rump steak, a peace activist can join a violent demonstration, and a dictator who preaches martyrdom can surrender himself to his enemies. As long as logic and clear thinking are suspended, anything makes sense!
I think your response to that missionary was the best one - to ignore him. Missionising is not a new phenomenon. Certain Christian sects believe that their messiah will only return when the Jews accept him. Throughout history Jews have been threatened with death, torture and expulsion if they don't convert. More recently, missionaries targeted the weak of our community - the elderly, new immigrants, and the underprivileged - in an attempt to exploit their vulnerability. All these attempts have had little or no success. Whether religious or not, Jews are reluctant to give up their Jewishness.
So they came up with a new ploy. Rather than demand conversion, they offered Jews to remain Jewish, and even "complete" their Jewishness by accepting Jesus. Thus Jews for Jesus was born.
This is a movement of non-Jews who pose as Jews by taking on Jewish names. They do usually have a token Jewish member, who is invariably either ignorant of Judaism at best or psychologically imbalanced at worst. They are a sham.
All religions are free to present their beliefs in the open market of ideas. But if they have to resort to slimy tactics like Jews for Jesus does, then they obviously have nothing to offer a thinking person.
Editor's Note: Visit Jews for Judaism for a comprehensive counter-missionary handbook.
Riverside, CA USA
Let's not forget the many Jews who were hidden and thereby saved fr the Nazis by Christians who were serious about their faith.
I know that Hashem cannot be so small as to be in a wafer. and I am secure enough in my faith to at least study a little about other religions.
I value the truth. But who has the truth?
how could any one of us give up our identity as jews? We dont have to.
It is true that much horror and jewish blood has been shed in that name.
So turn the tables. Educate that Christian who comes up to you.
tell him how your G-d is so High and so Huge that he cannot be contained in a word or a church or a symbol, how your soul can open to Him anywhere even if we go to the moon or any galaxy. Educate.
chabadps.com
Albuquerque,nm
Hopewell, VA/USA
chabadofva.org
Germany
Minneapolis, MN
Besides, another Xian principle is lack of judgment. ... it may raise eyebrows of observers these days, but the book hasn't changed. And there are millions whose heart is fully about Creator. Not everyone arrives at the same conclusion.
I'm not really sure how this conversation has gotten to be about Xian theology, but fact is, unless someone brings them something better, the non-Jew can practice whatever religion makes sense to him.
near Chicago
Riverside, CA, USA