Christain Jews??

[CleftOfLight]

Is there such a thing? Meaning are there people that combine these two faiths and if so do they also combine the mystical side of both religions?

And should this play a roll in the developement of Christain Witchery?

I am not sure if this had already been posted or not.

[Little Billy]

Is there such a thing? Meaning are there people that combine these two faiths and if so do they also combine the mystical side of both religions?

And should this play a roll in the developement of Christain Witchery?

I am not sure if this had already been posted or not.

Hey...fence-sitters need religion, too!

[Cain]

Jews For Christ? I'm sure there is a group with a name like that...

[shuvanilu]

They are called Messianic Jews.

http://www.mjaa.org/

---shuvanilu

[Dawa Lhamo]

A few years ago, a group called "Jews for Jesus" came onto my college campus and caused a ruckus (primarily because the campus ministries have a gentlemen's agreement not to proselytize each others congregations, but only those who are 'undecided').... In any case, it has been done. Let's not forget that the early Christians considered themselves Jews, too. I think if you're going to combine any two religions, combining ones with a common scripture might be the easiest route. ^_^

As for combining the mystical aspects of religion, it might be useful to note that the mysticisms of various religions are often quite similar in nature...

Tashi delek!
Dawa Lhamo

[CleftOfLight]

thank you everyone for your input

[David19]

There are Messianic Jewish sites like this one (http://www.therefinersfire.org/index.htm), but most aren't Jewish, from what i know, they're Christian fundamentalists, that want to convert Jews to Christianity (or get them to accept Jesus) and then Jesus will return. BTW, don't listen to anything on the Messianic Jewish site i gave, it's run by a bigot, he hates Paganism, Islam (very much), atheists, etc. The only reason i found it was because they have an article criticing the neo-nazi Joy of Satan (who the owner blames all evil on the Jews), after seeing that article i thought they seemed cool, but going to the homepage shows that they are pretty much the same as the Joy of Satan.

There are a lot of Jewish sites that critique them such as Jews for Judaism (http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/). If you wanted to combine the Jewish mystical things with the Christian mystical things, i see no reason why you can't, so go for it, but i wouldn't think about being part of the Messianic Jews (who again are basically fundamentalist).

Anyway, hope i've helped :).

[CleftOfLight]

Wow David19 thanks for the heads up,I'll stay clear of that.But thank you for the Jews for Judiasm and the sapport.

[Rasenna]

Well, I mean, the first Christians *were* Jewish, after all...

[Ninjakitten]

That's basically their point! They keep the Jewish traditions while also following the teachings of Christ. The ones I knew kind of resent being called "Christian Jews" because they want to identify with being Jewish more than what we know of as being Christian. Nevermind that technically, when you say "Messianic Jews", you are saying "Christian Jews".

I actually went to a Messianic Jewish Passover Seder. I had a lot of fun and they actually managed to get me to get up and dance with them. There aren't really too many different things that I was able to see from a Messianic vs a regular Jewish Seder from what I can remember.

[TheChristianWitch90]

It's called Jews for Jesus, I don't understand it but there is such a thing!

[Cain]

Jews for Jesus!

Muslims for Kali!

Buddhists for Mohammed!

Subgenii for "the CoN"!

Discordians for....Adam Weisphaut!

[Elderbush]

A lot of people who follow the Jewish faith get very upset when certain Messianics call themselves Messianic Jews. Ethically they may indeed have Jewish ancestory, but the moment they accept Jesus as the Messiah, then they are Christians and no longer following the Jewish faith.

I heard a gentleman wax passionate about the subject, which he felt was a deliberate attempt by some Christians to convert Jews by telling them they still would be Jewish, but now they'd be "completed Jews" - you know, better than regular Jews.

[dragoncrone]

Maybe this is over-simplification, but -- if you're Jewish and you suddenly believe in the divine aspects of Jesus, then aren't you a Christian?
We ran into a pack of Jews for Jesus at the Whole Earth Festival, passing out brochures. I took one and read it, still don't get why they insist on being called Jews if they follow Jesus.
Oy.

[dragoncrone]

I heard a gentleman wax passionate about the subject, which he felt was a deliberate attempt by some Christians to convert Jews by telling them they still would be Jewish, but now they'd be "completed Jews" - you know, better than regular Jews.

Oh - kind of "Jewish, Lite" ??

[NiftyWings]

When they refer to themselves as "Jews", do they mean Jewish by ethnicity? If so, I don't see the conflict.

They are identifying themselves as Jews by ancestry, and Christians by faith.

[Elderbush]

I don't think they mean it like that, especially since not all of the Messiacs are ethnically Jewish. The people who do have a problem with it are those of the Jewish faith and I think that they have the right to object to the name of their religion being applied to Christians, especially when coupled with the offensive "completed Jew" phrase. A "completed Jew" does not conjure up a picture of a Christian who eats Matzo balls and gefelte fish. It suggests instead that Jews are somehow incomplete until they get saved by Jesus.

[Ninjakitten]

They go by the concept that Jesus didn't come to Earth to abolish Judaism and create a new religion, but that he came to Earth to fulfill Jewish prophecy. Assuming that the whole prophecy messiah thing about Jesus was true, then in fact what we call Christianity ("Christians" being a term Paul coined for those who turned to this "Jewish Messiah") is actually the next step in a plan that YHWH had all along for the Jewish faith, and therefore true Christianity would show it's Jewish roots. Only thing, though, is that Messianic Jews tend to go with the old Jewish traditions that Jesus was supposed to have made no longer necessary by his death on the cross (no more sin sacrifices necessary), however reverance towards Jewish history (example, celebrating Passover) would still be a good way to say "thanks" to YHWH for what he's done for his "chosen people". This is all what the Jews for Jesus concept is about from what I understand. I'm sure there's more to it than this, though.

[David19]

Although there are a lot of 'Messianic Jews' or 'Jews for Jesus' who are fundamentalist, and believe that when Jews convert to Christianity, Jesus will return, then everyone (including those Jews who didn't convert) will go to Hell, i think anyway.

I think that it's probably spiritually fulfilling for some people, but that you do get a lot of fundamentalists using it as a way of promoting hatred e.g. one site i linked to on the first page, basically is anti-Islam, anti-Satanist (who aren't 'evil', etc).

[Ninjakitten]

Yeah, I think that the Messianic Jews that taught some classes at my church (an Evangelical Free church) probably thought as fundamentalists, though not the promoting hatred part. I think every religion has fundamentalists that promote hatred. I have yet to see a religion that doesn't... and I'm all knowing and know everything about all religions :hahugh:

[azzeenasman]

Yes,they are called messianic Christians or Messianic Jews,,which means they hold to all thier jewish heritage and faith in the God of Israel,but have excepted the claim of Christ to be thier messiah,sent by the God of Israel to be an atonment for the sins of his people,and all humanity.

Just like the lambs that were slain in the old testament times,Christ once and for all was slain for them,to atone for thier sins forever.

Unlike most gentile christians ,they believe God is still with his nation,and his people,and has not forsaken Jerusalem,his Holy City.

Most christians believe God has traded the Jews,for christians,and now deals with the christian churches,and that he no longer moves and speaks through the Jews.Sorta like God abandoning the Jews,and deciding to work through Christians from now on instead of Jews.

So now the catholics think they are the chosen,instead of the Jews.And so does the Churches of Christ,they think they are the chosen ones,and so do the Mormons,and the Jehovah wittnesses,and the,,,ect ..ect ,,ect.

[Elderbush]

I don't think that this is true of "most" Christians. I was Christian a good many years and experienced a number of different denominations (granted most of them were mainstream protestant) and nowhere did I hear anyone saying that the Christian god had abandoned the Jews. The main message was that the Jews just hadn't figured out that Jesus was the real messiah they were waiting for. Jews were sort of backward cousins, who were all right, but they just were a little slow. Members of both religions worshipped the same god and Jerusalem is holy to a lot of people from different religions.

The moment a Jew accepts Jesus as the messiah, they move from the Jewish camp to the Christian one, doesn't matter what they want to hold onto from their old religion or drag into the new one.

[Pesha]

True messianic Jews are actually the Hassidic Very Orthodox Jews. Who beleive in the coming of the Moshiach...messiah and spend their time building their world for that coming. They do not beieve in Jesus in anyway at all. Just wanted to pop in a prehaps clear that up. Sorry for intruding. ( I am a Jewitch btw).