Keith Devens .com

Entry 31

The most recent Jews for Judaism newsletter reiterates what one of the Rabbi's said on the Larry King Live show last week.

One of the reasons he gives as to why the Southern Baptist Convention has been deceptive is because "You have co-convened with a "Messianic" organization the recent "To the Jew First..." Conference in New York City." I don't know how that is deceptive, and I like the name of the conference. Those are Paul's words in Romans

Here are some excerpts: "Though Hebrew Christianity claims to be a form of Judaism, it is not... ". He claims that Christianity is "a belief system antithetical to Judaism" and "another religion". He says "Those who adopt another religion discard any true connection with their Jewish faith and heritage, thus making any claim at Jewish identification devoid of meaning, disingenuous and, ultimately, false." And finally, "Jewish converts to Christianity may pray in so-called synagogues, they may go through the motions of observing Jewish holidays, they may even use Hebrew words and Jewish rituals, but their religion is Christianity, not Judaism. To claim otherwise is wrong. You say that you do not want to offend. Please understand, the Southern Baptist Convention's support for this mis-use of core Jewish symbols, rituals and terminology is not merely offensive, it is deceptive."

I agree that to him, and by his definition of Judaism he is right in calling Christianity "another religion" etc. but that is the very question at issue, and why the SBC is doing what it is doing. To say that the SBC is being deceptive because of this begs the question and is silly.

There's a big difference between saying, in a letter to the Southern Baptist Convention, that "Yes, we understand what you believe, but we don't think that Jesus is our Messiah" and calling them deceptive. Because they do so I can just as well reverse the charge on them. And if they're not actually being deceptive because they don't understand what Christianity is in the first place, then they have no right to level the charge that the SBC is being deceptive.

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