If anyone is interested.......

[Ivy]

........in participating in this thread, the door of invitation is open! Please give your input if this topic interests you. Title is "How can Christians love the Jewish people?" :wave:


http://christianforums.com/showthread.php?t=7236689


Thanks, Ivy

[ChavaK]

I'm not sure we are free to make suggestions there...
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/static/pictures/_old/11528.jpg

[Ivy]

Maybe I will just re-post my whole OP here so there won't be any awkwardness :-)


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http://www3.christianforums.com/images/icons/icon3.gif How Can Christians Love the Jewish People?
Okay, now, I want to get it from the horse's mouth. :)

I of course believe that God meant for a precious friendship between Jews and Gentiles, and I want to see this happen.

Some Jewish people say (and who wouldn't say this?) that they do not want to feel persecuted, hated, etc. That makes sense. And others say "We don't want to be loved to death either!"
So suppose you could go into the laboratory, and clone a "perfect Gentile Christian friend"? :idea: What would this person do and not do? What would they say and not say? If they wanted to hang out and get to know you better, how could they do that?

One of the reasons I believe that the Messianic movement has arisen is that there is a genuine desire in the hearts of some Christians to understand the Jewish roots of their faith and to have some sort of meeting-ground for friendship. Maybe the Messianic movement is this meeting-ground at the moment.

Do you believe this meeting could be done in a better way? And if so, how?
__________________

[ChavaK]

Maybe I will just re-post my whole OP here so there won't be any awkwardness :-)
Excellent idea!


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http://www3.christianforums.com/images/icons/icon3.gif How Can Christians Love the Jewish People?
Okay, now, I want to get it from the horse's mouth. :)

Christians should try to stop encouraging Jews to become Christians,
and should encourage them to remain Jews, believing in Judaism,
without Christian beliefs. Let Jews be Jews.

Christians should quit trying to emulate "how Jesus lived and worshiped" and leave Jewish observance to Jews.

I of course believe that God meant for a precious friendship between Jews and Gentiles, and I want to see this happen.T'would be nice, but as long as Chritians attempt to convert Jews
and copy our ways, I don't think it is going to happen.
If Christians would involved themselves in their own religion,
and leave us to ours, we would have tremendous respect for them.

Some Jewish people say (and who wouldn't say this?) that they do not want to feel persecuted, hated, etc. That makes sense. And others say "We don't want to be loved to death either!"
So suppose you could go into the laboratory, and clone a "perfect Gentile Christian friend"? :idea: What would this person do and not do?
This person would practice their Christian faith to the fullest, without
trying to convert Jews, and indeed would actively discourage missionary attempts to Jews. They would realize Jews have a holy
mission and reason for existence, that HaShem has a special relationship with us that should not be tampered with.

They would not attempt to intermingle Jewish and Christian observance, rituals and faiths.

They would support Israel, support Jews by fighting anti-semitism
and conversion attempts.


One of the reasons I believe that the Messianic movement has arisen is that there is a genuine desire in the hearts of some Christians to understand the Jewish roots of their faith and to have some sort of meeting-ground for friendship. Maybe the Messianic movement is this meeting-ground at the moment.I don't see a "Jewish roots" of the Christian faith, in that it's beliefs
are so foreign to Judaism. There is no common ground.
The Messianic faith, in Jews eyes, is an attempt by gentiles/Christians to follow the Judaism they are so attracted to
without giving up their Christian beliefs. They are trying to blend
oil and water and it can't happen.

Do you believe this meeting could be done in a better way? And if so, how?Each group should live their own faith, not mixing them together,
not trying convert or influence the other. Anything less will never work.


Please note I am not speaking of all Christians- many do exactly that. Worship in the Christian faith the
way Christians should, and believe G-d has a purpose for Jews to remain Jews. I am only speaking of
*some* here and of course this is a generalized answer...

[Ivy]

I have to agree with you about the matter of Jewish observance/practice. For one thing, from a practical standpoint, it's very hard to adopt a whole lifestyle that you were not born into, from the outside of it. I heard a funny saying once, "riding beside his bicycle," and I think this is what it would feel like. Trying to be someone we are not is a hardship that God never meant any of us to have.

When I say "Jewish Roots," I don't mean that Christians should adopt Judaic practice, but simply that our faith developed from a faith that was there before ours, which was Judaism. It's useful to study Judaism because, for instance, we can then, knowing the context, interpret the OT with more accuracy.

However, trying to live as Jesus lived is one of the main points to being a Christian, i.e. we want to be his disciples so that we can learn to have the same spirit and character as he does. We want to live our lives as he would live them in our place, do our daily duties with love......I guess I'm not thinking of things like wearing tzitzit or keeping kosher, even though I'd imagine he did that, but of the character he has.

I can also see your point about the pressure that is put on Jewish people to convert; I think I would resent people who came after me in faith trying to tell me what to do, if I were Jewish.

I think it's well-meaning--at least some times--because Christians have a huge concern about the afterlife, and they feel like it is being loving to help everyone get into the "good place"; and of course Christians believe that Jesus is the door into that. I don't know if they always realize that it comes across as trying to take away the Jewishness of Jews......though of course, there are Christians who do have a deliberate bad intent like that.......unfortunately :-(