The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-12-25
STARTLING
STATEMENTS az JEWISH
LECTURER AT PlTTseuRo.
WERE JESUS TO COME
Today He Would be Re-
jected by Christians.

JeSuS WaS DOTn. Hs uVeu anu uiSu
q Jew Of Jews, and It is my conviction
that were He to como today TO Pitts
burg He would be rejected a. a Jew,
possibly denied entrance to some no.
tells, certainly refused the privilege Of
purchasing a home In certain districts
and assuredly denied social equality
with the same people VINO pray to HIM
as God and adore Him as the divine
example"
The above was the startling state
ment made by the Rev. Or. J. Leonard
Levy, a prominent Jewish scholar in a
lecture in Pittsburs Sunday, on "Prim-
tive Christianity and Reformed Juda-
ism
The twentieth century has caused
men to reconstruct their opinions In
every direction, and religion is not and
cannot be the only exception. The vast
amount OF information which has come
to mankind through explorations and
discoveries has given rs an entirely
new view Of the world Of antiquity;
has placed the prophets Of Israel before
us in an entirely new light; has given
us much new food for thought In COLI
nection with the origin of Christianity.
The Reform Jews are earnestly
striving to harmonize their religious
beliefs with the increased light that
has come to us, and In doing so we
have attempted to cast our supersti-
tions and errors, demonstrations and
which have crept into
the faith during the storm and stress
Of the last 1000 years of Jewish his
tory. The Reform Jew clings to and
teaches the existence of the one only
Gcd, the divine sanction for morality,
the hope Of Messianic time yet to be.
the duty of the House of Israel to act
In the capacity Of servants of This
ideal. These may be regarded as the
cardinal principles of the faith of the
Jew.
Primitive Christianity can be cor
strued as being nothing else than the
religion Of the Prophets Of Israel ring-
ed, of course, by the peculiar political
ard social conditions prevailing in Pal
estine in the days of the Nazarenc. The
religion Of Jesus is Jewish He, him
self, was not a Christian. but the Jcw-
sh son of a Jewish mother and faith
n, reared by the Jewish religion. No
'ne in this world would be more sur
,rised to hear of the creeds associated |
With his name than would Jesus him
elf As God-believing Jew he held |
strictly to the Jewish law and pro-
laimed his belief that rather heaven
md earth would pass away, YET no; one
OF or title of the law would pass" IT.
vas never his intention to euppiant |
Judaism by any other religion.
But while the religion of Jesus is
ike himself. Jewish To the core. the
heology of Christianity is pagan. The
ewish Messiah" has become convert
d In TO the Greek Christ through
he ministratiors OF one of the most
men the world ever knew.
'anl OF Tarsus. Christianity is not. as
opularly understood. so much the tri-
ute to the life Of the Nazarene as IL
to the creed-making of this very
'aul.
Il Inn morally convinced that could
esus be interrogated today he would
e the first to deny the immediate cor
option. the ltonement. by blood, saliva
ion by faith, eternal damnation, and
he other characteristic doctrines which
through panlinism pass counter for
During the present week all Christ
ndom Will celebrate the birth of this
oung Jew and will render praise TO
cd for his advent on earth. II tie
hristian would only go to his words
nd follow them! If the Jew would
My go to the words of his prophets
nd follow them. what wondrous har-
lony would ensue! How close to each
lher would become those who IN fac,
ould worship the same God. accent
le same morality, and look forward
1th the same degree OF hope to tho
'ndnuous ascent Of humanity" I