Can a Jew believe in Jesus?
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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.
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Latest Comments:
Nevertheless, if your life is centered on JC, it is largely because Christian tradition brought his story to you. A life centered on JC is not in concert with Judaism. Though you may parted ways somewhat with Christianity, evolving your own religious system, individuals doing just that are also not in concert with the principles of Judaism.
You can have your individual beliefs. Anyone can. Where is the continuity though? Who will pass your beliefs on to your grandchildren? Does that even matter to you, and if not, why bother? How will what you believe have a shot at improving the world on any significant level?
Judaism is a community based, generational religious system with core tenets that do not "evolve", it is the covenant of the Jewish people, binding us to one another and to G-d. The Torah is our constitution, stable and immutable -- something our fathers and mothers gave up their lives for, rather than compromise, all having had enduring effects for the good on the world.
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What was your original point? I didn't get it. By the way, in what way do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe in "witnessing" to Jews to get them "saved"?
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Do you know what I believe? How did you find that out?
No established religion or system of living can prevent a continuation, or evolution of ideas. It springs from every belief system in Earth's history.
People are like that. They tend to break away and keep going. Usually, the original establishment is at odds with the break-away. They are not seen as little children, they are considered errant.
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Christians believe in JC, the tip of the iceberg re Christian thinking on: The purpose/primacy of blood sacrifices, how a prophet was recognize, how MBD will be recognized, atonement, sin, the nature of the Creator, the nature of man etc. This is not merely a disagreement of properly identifying one man.
"I never suggested that Judaism was Christianity."
Catholicism & Protestantism claim that their faith systems are a continuation of Judaism; their position vis-a-vis JC are the correct view Judaism should have had, and that the direction they have gone is the direction Judaism should have/would have taken had the Jewish people recognized JC as MBD.
"my religion has only one [however great] doctrinal divergeance from traditional Judaism. And that's a fact."
If you study Judaism from an authentic Jewish source, you will find that Judaism & Christianity share a similar moral code, coming from the TaNaKh. However, your OT is askew from TaNaKh, thus many conclusions diverge greatly.
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The context of the question is whether or not a Jew can believe that Jesus was the Moshiach. I'd, of course, say no, in respect to Jewish theology and prophecy. But the actual question alone, can a Jew believe in Jesus, is murky. Because there are so many ways to believe in Jesus. From traditional ecumenical Christian doctrine to New Age spiritualism.
Asking whether or not a Jew can believe Jesus fulfilled prophecy has nothing to do with Jesus as a person. This was a mistake I made early on. I thought that Jews rejecting Jesus as the Moshiach meant that Jews didn't like Jesus as a person. That Jews were, G-d forbid, vindictive.
What irks me are New Age claims to Jesus completely outside of Torah trying to find middle ground. I've read some books until I came to something blatantly anti-semetic, then set them down. The issue is not whether Jesus was open-minded amongst autocratic, misogynist Jews. The issue is whether or not he fulfilled prophecy. Or will someday.
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The first commandment is: You shall have no other gods before me (or beside me). What is so difficult about that that people cannot understand it or obey it?
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Agreed, Catholicism isn't biblical Christianity and protestantism, whose denominations are not always in line with Biblical Christianity, is not Judaism. None of the three are Hinduism. LOL
So not every statement I make is meant to refute another idea. I am simply discussing the point.
I never suggested that Judaism was Christianity. I only stated factually, that my religion has only one [however great] doctrinal divergeance from traditional Judaism. And that's a fact. I may not be successful in every task, but I trust that I am getting better with time, and that Creator sees me and shines His truth on my way.
Really, that's all I want, to make my Creator happy... whatever that means for my life.
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You may not realize this or mean for it to be this way, but when you say Jews "have no right to..." do this or that, you hit a panic button. Besides sounding rude, it hits a button which is years of memories of being discriminated against and of the Holocaust. So, you have ruffled our collective feathers with that statement. There is a nice way to say things and a not nice way. For example, you could have said, "It hurts me when I hear some Jewish people say...." and then continue the thought. Just a bit of wisdom here. Hope you understand.
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Try the real thing. By not being raised in an observant Jewish home, you have been deprived of much. Perhaps your parents were similarly deprived. I suggest you give your own rightful heritage, the real Torah, a chance before thinking you've found the answer with Christianity. Anything authentic about it is because it has attempted to co-opt the Tanach...and, I might add, with spotty results..
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I may disagree on a few, but mostly, she's right. Catholicism and Protestantism are not Jewish. They claim to be the branches on our tree, grafted into G-d's people through belief in JC. It may be a minor point, and very superficial to some, but it's the same as an adopted child is the parent's child, but you can't say it is the same as being their child genetically or biologically. Maybe spiritually, through love, but you can't change genes by a belief system and wanting it to be so. I like to think my aunt is more like my mom because she showed me more love, but I know she is still my aunt. Now, a Christian can argue he or she is a part of the tribe by being a branch, but only through righteous actions (7 noahide laws) can they be considered included in the world to come spiritually. So, some will be and some won't be. It depends on if they are righteous.
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