My son studying Judaism

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Hey, it’s me again. I started a previous thread regarding this topic but now I have a little more information.

To catch you up, my son is studying Judaism. I found out after talking to him yesterday that his girlfriend’s father’s is Netzarian. My son is studying from “The Living Bible” and reading a book given to him by his girlfriend’s father called. “The Torah Rediscovered”. He did mention again that he does follow the NT but looks at it through the OT. He says that when the new covenant was established that we (the catholics) threw out the old law. He mentioned that Christmas and Easter are pagan holidays or have pagan roots and that’s why he believes they shouldn’t be celebrated. He asked me where it mentioned “church” in the OT. He does believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

He says it’s unlawful for them to eat pork, crabs, shrimp. Something about them being like bugs. He mentioned that if you boiled the fat of a pig that there is a certain percent (I can’t remember exactly how much) that is urine. He went to his second bible study at his girlfriend’s house. He said that her father could give me a complete explanation about how the Eucharist is not the true presence but that he couldn’t remember the exact explanation given. I’ve ordered him the book “Salvation is from the Jews” and have considered ordering “Second Exodus”, another book suggested previously. He mentioned again how so much is lost in translation from the Hebraic to more recent translations.

So I guess my question is, given the above information, what else can you suggest? I found a website regarding The Netzari. I’ll post it below.

netzari.org/how.htm
 
Having not read your previous posts–excuse these questions if they are repetitive…How old is your son? Did he have a stong faith life before this or is he being motivated by a desire to please his gf? Ordinarily I would view education about another faith–especially Judaism–instructive and even complimentary to one’s Catholic faith. However, I sense more than a little interference from the gf’s father. I would never undertake to instruct or countermand beliefs of another’s child if I was aware their faith was different than my own. I am always willing to answer questions about Catholicism–but it seems your son’s gf’s father has exceeded these bounds. If your son is still a minor, perhaps a private talk with the gf’s father is in order about his interference with your son?
 
My son is 19 and going to school to be a firefighter. He lives at the firestation which pays for part of his schooling so he’s only home here and there. When he is home the majority of his time is spent with his gf. Yes I definitely feel his motivation for learning her faith is because he has always thought ahead and knows that there are some definite, possibly irreconcilable differences between the two faiths. I believe he will marry this girl as he has never casually dated. My previous post didn’t give a lot of info because at that time I didn’t have a lot of info regarding what he was looking into. I still don’t have much. My parish priest said he is willing to talk to Tommy about any questions that he may have. Tommy has pretty much gone through the motions when it comes to the Catholic faith up to this point. He used to go to church every Sunday that he wasn’t at his mother’s (I’m the step-mom). He’s done this since he was 4, which is when I met his father. Now he doesn’t go at all. He was confirmed last year and his confirmation teachers were great. My two girls are going through that now with the same teachers. Originally the gf was telling us that she wasn’t very strong in her faith, although her father is and that it was forced upon her as a child. I wish she would look into our faith since my son is looking into hers. But since Tommy is actually thinking there are things wrong with the Catholic faith, I doubt she would even consider it now. When they first started dating her father said he liked my son, but he’s Catholic. I was upset at first but I can understand since I feel the same way about his daughter.
 
I don’t have my Bible here with me, but one point about your son’s comments (there were quite a few to address) – if he believes Christ is the son of God, I assume that he believes he IS God. Assuming that, there is a verse in the NT where Jesus is quoted saying that all food from all his creatures is good, and can be eaten. It is my impression that the reason Jews adhere to the OT laws of food is because they do not believe Christ is God.
 
Get him the book “Hail Holy Queen” written by Scott Hahn.

It doesn’t deal with Judaism, but rather with Mary.

He consistenly goes through the book and links the old with the new testament.

Mary is awesome. Ask for her help. As the mother of God and therefore the queen of heaven I think she can be a pretty powerful intercessor.

Actually, why don’t you read the book first, then give it to him. Catholic respect for Mary is very scriptural and Old Testamentish. It would be my guess that they proably won’t give Mary enough honor, it might make him question their ecclesial community.
 
Mother of 4:
Hey, it’s me again. I started a previous thread regarding this topic but now I have a little more information.

To catch you up, my son is studying Judaism. I found out after talking to him yesterday that his girlfriend’s father’s is Netzarian. My son is studying from “The Living Bible” and reading a book given to him by his girlfriend’s father called. “The Torah Rediscovered”. He did mention again that he does follow the NT but looks at it through the OT. He says that when the new covenant was established that we (the catholics) threw out the old law. He mentioned that Christmas and Easter are pagan holidays or have pagan roots and that’s why he believes they shouldn’t be celebrated. He asked me where it mentioned “church” in the OT. He does believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

He says it’s unlawful for them to eat pork, crabs, shrimp. Something about them being like bugs. He mentioned that if you boiled the fat of a pig that there is a certain percent (I can’t remember exactly how much) that is urine. He went to his second bible study at his girlfriend’s house. He said that her father could give me a complete explanation about how the Eucharist is not the true presence but that he couldn’t remember the exact explanation given. I’ve ordered him the book “Salvation is from the Jews” and have considered ordering “Second Exodus”, another book suggested previously. He mentioned again how so much is lost in translation from the Hebraic to more recent translations.

So I guess my question is, given the above information, what else can you suggest? I found a website regarding The Netzari. I’ll post it below.

netzari.org/how.htm
Click to expand...
Mother of 4:

I’ve just looked over their Website, and it is not Judaism! Their quote is from James 2:18-26 which is a statement that faith must be accompanied by works to be effecive.The name “Netzarim” sounds like a corruption of the word the Jews called Christians from the end of the 1st Century to the 5th Century.

You son has entered a sect of “Hebrew-Christians” who try to follow the Torah while believing in Jesus Christ (“Yeshua Mashiyach” - that’s the way one transliterates “Jesus the Messiah”). They follow all the Jewish Holidays along with the Christian counterparts that occur along with them (they would celebrate our Lord’s Resurrection on the Sunday after Passover and the coming of the Holy Spirit during the “Feast of Pentacost” - 50 Days after Passover).

“The Living Bible” is a Paraphrase of the American Standard Version that was designed to make the ASV more comprehensible. It’s not even a translation of the Bible.

bible-researcher.com/lbp.html

Mother of 4, these guys are very good at presenting themselves and their faith, so this isn’t going to be easy. I suggest that you contact a Catholic Apologist who ispecializes in dealing with Protestant sects designed to appeal to the young. I also suggest that you really study the parts of the Bible which support the Catholic Faith.

The Church started celebrating the days of our Lord’s Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit (“Pentacost”) before St. Paul’s first missionary journey. the same with celebrating the first day of the week as The Lord’s Day. They went into the Synagogues on the Sabbath to evangelize and to arrange Sunday services, This is all in the Book of Acts.

The proper name for Easter is “Pascha”, which is the name used by the Orthodox, and is the basis of the word “Paschal”. Christmas was timed to co-opt a pegan holiday and to keep new Christians (Christianity had recently been legalized) from becoming syncretists and worshipping their pegan gods during the Winter Solstace. If you strip away all of the Victorian and post-Victorian imagery from Christmas, you would have a fairly solemn celebration of the Lord’s First Coming in humility that also looks forward to his Second Coming in glory. You could remark that all the commercialism, Christmas parties, etc. have nothing to do with the Preparation to receive the Lord in our Hearts or with looking forward to His coming in glory.

I would hope that your son would come back to the Church when he starts to have problems with his girlfriend or her father, but you can’t count on that. The small house churches form very strong bonds that aren’t easily broken, even when people begin to see the problems with their Doctrine.

Because of that, I suggest you post your son’s name on the prayer forum with the same information that you shared here.

I hope all of this helps, and yes, I’ve been involved in a Christian Community, and I know someone who’s in a situation like your son’s. His Beit Din is over an hour away from his work. If we Catholics were as willing to sacrifice ourselves for our Faith as people like the ones your son is dealing with, I suspect we’d lose a lot fewer people to them.

Peace be with you.

In Christ, Michael
 
I_A_:
Get him the book “Hail Holy Queen” written by Scott Hahn.

It doesn’t deal with Judaism, but rather with Mary.

He consistenly goes through the book and links the old with the new testament.

Mary is awesome. Ask for her help. As the mother of God and therefore the queen of heaven I think she can be a pretty powerful intercessor.

Actually, why don’t you read the book first, then give it to him. Catholic respect for Mary is very scriptural and Old Testamentish. It would be my guess that they proably won’t give Mary enough honor, it might make him question their ecclesial community.
Click to expand...
I_A:

That they probably give Mary little, if any, honor is probably true. It’s amazing that “Hebrew Protestants” do that, since the Davidic Kings alrways took their seats SEATED NEXT TO THEIR MOTHERS! That the Davidic Kings’ first advisors were always their mothers who sat AT THEIR RIGHT HAND! The mothers of the Kings of Judah were accorded the same honor as their sons, with the exception that their sons were the kings.

If the “Hebrew Protestants” treated Mary as the mothers of Davidic kings were treated, they would show her seated on a throne at the right hand of Jesus.

I’m sure they don’t.

The “Hebrew Protestants” also don’t have the three-fold sacred ministers (Episcopoi, Presbytereoi, Deaconae) described in St. Paul’s leters ort in the ECF. It might be intresting to ask them why they substituted their own judgement for that of the Holy Spirit.

The same goes for the “Hebrew Protestants” and the Holy Eucharist. It’s always interesting to see Protestants circumlocute the 6th chapter of John or the passage in 1 Cor. where St. Paul describes us as sharing in Christ’s sacrifice.

Not even a Paraphrae like The Living Bible can keep Protestants from having to deal with those stubborn truths.

As I said in my last post, know the Bible - It just might be the Holy Spirit convicting your son, his gf and her father of the Truth.

Just make sure the person delivering the message is as blameless as you can find - Their Faith values that.

Peace be with you.

In Christ, Michael
 
Mother of 4

I’m orry, but I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before… Please follow this very carefully, for the people your son has become involved with are no different than the JUDAISERS who plagued St. Paul and scared St. Peter in the Book of Acts. They are claiming the same thing as they did, that is, that we are bound by the Law of Moses.

This is the ruling in that case from the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem:

*This is the letter delivered by them: "The apostles and the presbyters, your brothers, to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia of Gentile origin: greetings.

Since we have heard that some of our number (who went out) without any mandate from us have upset you with their teachings and disturbed your peace of mind, we have with one accord decided to choose representatives and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So we are sending Judas and Silas who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:

‘It is the decision of the holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’" Acts 15:23-29 *

This was the reasoning being that decision. Our Lord Jesus stated that not one single part of the Law of Moses would pass away until it was fulfilled or accomplished.

*After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, 12 Jesus said, “I thirst.”

There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit. John 19:28-30 *

We don’t need to follow the Law of Moses, because Jesus fulfilled the Law of Moses, and because the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem said it was an unneeded burden.

We are, however, bound by the MORAL law as that arrises from our natures and our obligations to each other. Catholicism has always upheld our MORAL and ETHICAL oligations to each other under “The Law of the Gospel”.

You’re the one who knows your son, but he does need to see these scriptures before he becomes joins the Church of the Judaizers.

He also needs to see some example of the Catholic Faith in its fulness so that he has a comparison.

In Christ, Michael
 
Sounds like a cult to me…I’d be very careful, and try to get your son out of that before it’s too late. He’s young, he’ll find another girlfriend!!!

Anna x
 
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