From: carroll@hercules.cis.udel.edu (Mark C. Carroll)
Subject: Re: Messianic Judaism (inter-marriage)
Organization: University of Delaware, Newark
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 16:56:26 GMT

In article <921217112847.28804f53@ALF.CS.HH.AB.COM> abvax!ALF.CS.HH.AB.COM!BENNING writes:
]]Subject: Re: Messianic Judiasm
]]From: saal@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (samuel.saal)
]
]]]The idea of MJ sounded quite ridiculous to me when I first heard about it.
]
]]..[deleted text...]  They spend millions of dollars to keep these fronts
]]going simply so they can fulfill their goal of helping Jews see the
]]light of their savior.  In general, they target the Jewishly ignorant
]]and the psychologically vulnerable (the later a tactic frquently used
]]by cults).  It takes little more than a third grade Jewish education to
]
] Have you used enough BUZZ words? FRONT; JEWISHLY IGNORANT; PSYCHOLOGICALLY
] VULNERABLE; CULT...
] The typical SCARE Tactics propaganda of the uninformed and prejudice.
] 
] First, this continued rumor that Messianic Judaism targets Jewishly
] ignorant and psychologically people is incorrect.

] We target sinners, first those who are Jewish and then the Gentiles.

That's part of the proof that you're not Jewish. We don't look at the
people around us as "sinners" who need to be "saved". That's
Christian, not Jewish.

] Yes, we welcome those who are unable to cope, and those who you would
] call Jewishly IGnorant. But then I guess they have no room in Your house
] of worship. Just as Yeshua went to the needy, so do we. Just as Yeshua
] has compassion for sinners in need of God, so do we. 

Ah. And real Jews have no compassion. Yea, right...

I've never known a Jewish synagogue to turn anyone away. I've never
met a Rabbi who won't help a person in need. 

We just don't live under the assumption that everyone else in the
world needs our help to be "saved". We believe that people are judged
solely on the basis of their actions during their lifetime, and that
everyone, regardless of whether they are Jewish or not have the
potential to do more good than harm. We don't assume that everyone is
automatically doomed on the basis of some taint that they're born
with. We don't believe that people need any intermediary to "save" them.

] Of course, you and your type would never stoop so low to help out those
] in the above category. B-)

We don't believe in the existence of your supposed category. As I said
before, no Jewish synagogue and no Jewish Rabbi would turn away anyone
who came to them for help. We just don't believe that it's right to assume
that everyone is  so dark and evil, and that we have all the answers.

] To label this mighty work of God a cult shows how far removed you really
] are from the heart of the Lord.(IMHO)

The tactics used the MJ's are very cultic. 

]]]Has anyone heard any statistics on this?  Having thought about it
]]]for awhile, I admit I still find it completely ridiculous, but I am
]]]not surprised to hear that it is growing.  Almost none of my Jewish
]]]friends and family have married in the faith and, while none of them
]]]have shared with me their solution to the infamous how-do-we-raise-the-
]]]children enigma,  MJ seems like the only religion on earth capable of
]]]supporting both traditions (sort of, that is).
]
]]Messianic (messy-antic) "Judaism," "Jews for Jesus," and other Jewish
]]cults are far more likely to be of no use in this dilemma.
] 
] WRONG. In Cleveland, the Messianic Congregation has been very beneficial
] in helping intermarried couples find a working solution in raising the
] children. I have two children who are currently involved.
] I guess you could say we also minister to this demographic group.
] (besides the others you appear to have left out of the club house.)

The solution that you find for them is Christianity. Pretending that
it is anything else is a lie. You aren't mixing the traditions; you're
taking Christianity, and pretending to observe one or two Jewish
holidays in order to lie, and say that you aren't REALLY Christian,
even though it's obvious that you are.

The Reform and Reconstructionist communities also have outreach
programs for Intermarried couples who want to raise their children
Jewish. If the couple doesn't want to come to the Jewish community for
help, that's their choice. We don't believe that it's right for us to
force ourselves on them. 

	<MC>

-- 
|| Mark Craig Carroll: <MC>     || "Humanity isn't a physical description,
|| Univ of Delaware, Dept of CIS|| it's a spiritual goal. It's not something
|| Grad Student/Labstaff Hacker || you're given, it's something you earn."
|| carroll@udel.edu             || 	- _One_, by Richard Bach