R
Righteousone
Guest
Now, who can’t handle the truth??
- Status
K
Kaninchen
Guest
Oh dear. (you have to imagine the tone of voice)
H
HashemEchad
Guest
The ignorance in this thread is astounding to me.
“The NT is part of the Bible”, and so must be taught in Jewish schools? REALLY? Its only “part of the Bible” to Christians, and last I checked, Christians are not the only people in existence who follow a Bible.
As (I think) LaMar said, there are Catholics on this thread/forum who sound very tense and hostile; and he’s right, to me it does not sound like a religion that would give someone inner peace.
Traditional Judaism has given me true inner peace; I have a personal relationship with the God of Israel, and He has done many miracles for me, both on a small and large scale, that I would rather die a horrible death than betray Him by joining another faith. I told this as well to the bornagain nurse who had the audacity to blatantly try to convert me in the hospital room where my mother lay terminally ill (this was in early March 2008) She responded with, “Well, I can see your mind is not open”. “Open” to dialogue and mutual understanding, YES. But not “open” to apostasizing and betraying the God of Israel!
But the ignorance and hostility as we’ve seen in this thread is what happens when you have religions (Islam, Christianity) that believe “our way is the only way, and everyone had better believe it too!”
How very sad.
(To LaMar: Yes, I have seen The Believer, a very disturbing yet interesting film. Its based on the life of Daniel Burros, so its based on a true story.)
“The NT is part of the Bible”, and so must be taught in Jewish schools? REALLY? Its only “part of the Bible” to Christians, and last I checked, Christians are not the only people in existence who follow a Bible.
As (I think) LaMar said, there are Catholics on this thread/forum who sound very tense and hostile; and he’s right, to me it does not sound like a religion that would give someone inner peace.
Traditional Judaism has given me true inner peace; I have a personal relationship with the God of Israel, and He has done many miracles for me, both on a small and large scale, that I would rather die a horrible death than betray Him by joining another faith. I told this as well to the bornagain nurse who had the audacity to blatantly try to convert me in the hospital room where my mother lay terminally ill (this was in early March 2008) She responded with, “Well, I can see your mind is not open”. “Open” to dialogue and mutual understanding, YES. But not “open” to apostasizing and betraying the God of Israel!
But the ignorance and hostility as we’ve seen in this thread is what happens when you have religions (Islam, Christianity) that believe “our way is the only way, and everyone had better believe it too!”
How very sad.
(To LaMar: Yes, I have seen The Believer, a very disturbing yet interesting film. Its based on the life of Daniel Burros, so its based on a true story.)
R
Righteousone
Guest
I am a very happy person. I went to Mass this morning and felt wonderful afterwards…perhaps you should try it.
K
Kaninchen
Guest
Perhaps one of the most dangerous illusions in the world is to believe that one knows what will make another person happy.I am a very happy person. I went to Mass this morning and felt wonderful afterwards…perhaps you should try it.
R
Righteousone
Guest
H
happyseppy
Guest
As someone else has said in a slightly different way, Catholics, or even Evangelical Protestants, are bound to share their faith. Now, the how of that can certainly be called into question. But now,( I am a convert to Catholicism from Protestantism) when I am approached by an Evangelical, or even when a Jehovah’s Witness comes to my door, I try to first remember that they are trying to be the best (insert religion) they can, usually with pure intentions, they want “all souls to go to heaven.”.
Carol’s Daughter, I truly am sorry if any proselytizing on these boards was too aggressive or lacked Charity. Hopefully, though, all of it was fueled by a true concern for you soul, even if you feel it was misguided. Ideally, these boards are a place to debate and air issues with charity!!! And build faith and receive support. It is true, if you want to enter into a Catholic board, you should expect some of this stuff, but you seem to me to be trying to be the best Jew you can, and living by your convictions, which I believe I have heard Father Groeschel say is a very good thing for you to be doing.
God Bless you
Peace,
Kelly
Carol’s Daughter, I truly am sorry if any proselytizing on these boards was too aggressive or lacked Charity. Hopefully, though, all of it was fueled by a true concern for you soul, even if you feel it was misguided. Ideally, these boards are a place to debate and air issues with charity!!! And build faith and receive support. It is true, if you want to enter into a Catholic board, you should expect some of this stuff, but you seem to me to be trying to be the best Jew you can, and living by your convictions, which I believe I have heard Father Groeschel say is a very good thing for you to be doing.
God Bless you
Peace,
Kelly
R
Righteousone
Guest
We will ALL see when we die, lucky enough to see before then.
No one but NOONE on these boards can judge others. God can only do that. There is so much confusion and chaos in this world, Catholicism is the only thing that makes sense and keeps me sane.
Has any Jewish person here actually read the NT? Simple question rewards with a simple answer.
Must go now, Nordstrom’s is having a big sale here…
No one but NOONE on these boards can judge others. God can only do that. There is so much confusion and chaos in this world, Catholicism is the only thing that makes sense and keeps me sane.
Has any Jewish person here actually read the NT? Simple question rewards with a simple answer.
Must go now, Nordstrom’s is having a big sale here…
H
HashemEchad
Guest
Have you actually ever READ any of Edith Stein’s writings? Because, you know, I have.
She said several times in her writings that she had **already left Judaism **when she became a Catholic. What her family was means nothing, because she had **already left **Judaism. She could properly be considered a convert from atheism, not Judaism, since she had **already stopped **practicing the religion by that time, by her own admission.
To claim she was a convert from having been a practicing Jew is as disingenuous as claiming someone became a fundamentalist Protestant from a life of having been a religious Catholic, when they had become a lapsed Catholic decades earlier.
H
HashemEchad
Guest
It seems you have not read anything I’ve written, in this or other threads.We will ALL see when we die, lucky enough to see before then.
No one but NOONE on these boards can judge others. God can only do that. There is so much confusion and chaos in this world, Catholicism is the only thing that makes sense and keeps me sane.
Has any Jewish person here actually read the NT? Simple question rewards with a simple answer.
Must go now, Nordstrom’s is having a big sale here…
I’ve read the NT many, many times. I HAD to, in order to work in spiritual rescue of Jewish children ensnared in cults, esp. Christian cults such as Children of God, COBU, the Moonies and many others over the years.
I have large portions of the NT committed to memory (which makes it easy when working with kids in cults–it saves having to carry a NT around all the time!)
H
HashemEchad
Guest
I originally stumbled upon this forum through a Google search engine, where I was researching to find the origin of something my late mother had once told me about Holy Week. When I saw all the Jewish-related threads here, I decided to stick around to see what it was all about.
Before coming to this forum, I had spent 30 years working to get Jewish kids out of cults, but also, I have been active for almost as long in Jewish-Christian ecumenical dialogue and understanding. I’ve worked with some of the most well-known Christian and Jewish leaders in this area. I also had the great honor and privilege years ago, of corresponding personally for a year, with the late John Cardinal O’Connor, who was a very important man in the field of Jewish-Catholic relations, as well in the pro-life movement (another movement I am active in). I save all his letters, and cherish them. He encouraged me to be the best Jew I could be, and he **never once **tried to convert me to Catholicism. He was a far better human being, and a far better Catholic, than some of what I see on this forum.
But after my experience here, I don’t know what to believe anymore about Catholicism. Until now, I encouraged Jewish-Catholic interaction, believing as I did that the Catholic church was no longer the way it used to be in some ways. But maybe I was wrong: dead wrong.
Maybe the position of the very Orthodox (Jews) is the right one after all: we keep our distance from them, and we hope they will keep their distance from us.
Maybe that is for the best, after all.
R
Righteousone
Guest
I seriously hope you are not comparing my Catholic faith to the moonies etc…
As for Edith Stein, like I said she came from a strict Jewish family. To me that would be VERY important, and yes, I have her book as well as the movie. Would you like me to elaborate more on Ms. Stein? Some things may shock you.
H
HashemEchad
Guest
I know all about her, trust me. Its been my hobby to study all groups and religions that try to convert Jews, or who have those kinds of overtones. All the Jewish apostates that have been mentioned to me on this forum, I was already well aware of…the Ratisbonne brothers, Edith Stein, Rosalind Moss, David Moss…in my replies, I even threw in a few that some here did not know about, such as Paul Drach, the Drogins and Ronda Chervin. Our people have always had those willing to apostasize for whatever reason, just as your religion has as well. It does not say anything about the religion they left; if anything it tells more about the person who did the leaving.
You sound like a very unhappy person, “RighteousOne”. Maybe you should focus more on improving your own spiritual relationship before trying to convert anyone else to your faith.
Go in peace.
C
Catholic_Mike
Guest
I think people need to look at the perspectives of others who believe different things than them. I believe the New Testament is part of the Bible, but I know that Jews do not, so it makes no sense to expect Jews to teach about it in Jewish schools.
The nurse you encountered was rude, but from her perspective
she was not trying to get you to betray the God of Israel. She thinks that becoming Christian would bring one closer to the God of Israel. Even if she is wrong, but her intention was not “I want to cause apostasy and betrayal! Wahaha!”
Judaism and Christianity share some things in common but have some major differences that are mutually exclusive. Either God is a Trinity or he is not, for example. I don’t think we should gloss over differences or pretend that there isn’t a true answer out there, but acknowledge them respectfully. That said, I argue the following (based on more traditional versions of each religion):
If Judaism is true, then it is a bad thing when a Jew converts to Christianity.
If Christianity is true, then it is a good thing when a Jew converts to Christianity.
R
Righteousone
Guest
I don’t try to convert anyone here. I am not unhappy sir, I could say the same of you that you sound very angry. As to who needs to focus more on their spiritual behavior, well, I won’t go there…
Like I said, must go to Nordstrom’s now…
H
HashemEchad
Guest
If you had truly been reading my posts, you’d know I’m a she, not a “sir”,I don’t try to convert anyone here. I am not unhappy sir, I could say the same of you that you sound very angry. As to who needs to focus more on their spiritual behavior, well, I won’t go there…
Like I said, must go to Nordstrom’s now…
I’m not angry in general, but when people in ignorance try to tell me I have to join their religion, it tends to be annoying (even though I should be used to it by now.)
How would you feel if a fundamentalist Protestant where you work kept leaving “Are Roman Catholics Christian?” or “The Jesus Cookie” tracts on your desk, and kept telling you you were going to a Christless eternity in hell because you are a “Papist”?
I know Catholics who have had that done to them, and they got even more annoyed than I have been when Christians try to convert me.
J
Jerusha
Guest
It is no wonder that there is such a serious problem with anti-religious people and militant atheists in this country, with all the spiritual abuse from people trying to impose their religion on others. “If you can’t walk the walk, don’t talk the talk.” It may be well-intentioned (saving a person’s eternal soul), but it more often than not backfires. So long as a person does their best to walk in God’s will and shows it in their behavior, you have no right to criticize them for their beliefs. Let’s learn from each other, not harrass each other.
As for Jewish people who convert to Christianity, they also have that right, so long as they do it for the right reasons. To call them apostates is a bit harsh. Our God IS your God, and your scriptures are the foundation for ours. Jesus came to bring an adapted Jewish message to the whole world. It is tragic that anti-Semitism crept into Christianity. This was certainly not the intent of Jesus and his disciples.
As for Jewish people who convert to Christianity, they also have that right, so long as they do it for the right reasons. To call them apostates is a bit harsh. Our God IS your God, and your scriptures are the foundation for ours. Jesus came to bring an adapted Jewish message to the whole world. It is tragic that anti-Semitism crept into Christianity. This was certainly not the intent of Jesus and his disciples.
L
Lapell
Guest
I have a copy of a book titled “Le livre des 613 commandements” which I found in a bookshop of used books in Quebec City about 10 years ago. If nowadays Jews don’t stone some categories of people any more, I can tell you that it’s not thanks to that book, except maybe for the fact that the law of the land prevails, and in Western Europe and in the Americas stoning would certainly look bad and wrong. Maybe even without the law of the land Jews would choose not to apply this any more. But it was still there in that book, though! Which 1930s propaganda are you referring to?
But I mostly had in mind the case of the adulterous woman in the Gospel according to John, and then the deacon Stephen was stoned by a group including the young Saul of Tarse, who later converted to “the Way”, as Christianity was called then (some portray him as having been the leader, but there were people older than him among them!); also, the Apostle Paul of Tarse himself was stoned in Lystra according to the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 14, verse 19. He did not die then though…
So stoning might not be in use nowadays, but it still happened in the first century of what Jews call the Common Era… I don’t believe the Jews would stone anyone nowadays, let this be clear!
I don’t think that because some Jews did stone some people that the whole Jewish people should pay for it. Like Tevye said in “Fiddler On The Roof”, if “a tooth for a tooth” and “an eye for an eye” necessarily had to be applied strictly, “then everyone would be one-eyed and toothless!”
L
Lapell
Guest
Well, I believe Judaism and Christianity to be both true. Both come from the One true God.
L
Lapell
Guest
And what then? 
- Status