Spiritual Musings for Shabbat...
Sep. 4th, 2015 08:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fiberaddictAli made an interesting post, saying (basically) that Christianity is screwed up. Not wanting to blog her comments, I'm posting it here. This *might* upset some of you - but please, before going off in a ranty rage, please THINK about what I'm saying, OK? This isn't aimed at ANYONE specifically, it's just me trying to put my thoughts in some sort of order.
OK. Christianity IS screwed up. Basically because Constantine - in the 4th Century - declared all things Jewish forbidden in *his* religion. Which became the core of the Catholic church, which has become - thanks to the Protestant Reformation - the entire Christian church. Problem......JESUS, the Messiah that ALL Christians profess to follow, IS Jewish. (Which....actually explains a lot of what I don't understand in modern churchiantiy. Anyway...)
If you profess to be a Christian, you claim to follow Jesus. A JEWISH man. The JEWISH Messiah. He kept Torah. He followed Tradition. He kept the Biblical Feasts. He was Jewish. Let that sink in for a bit. IF you are Christian, you worship the Jewish Messiah.
Now. Most churches espouse "replacement theology" - even if it's not stated outright, they have the mindset that Christianity has *replaced* Judaism as God's people. I have asked for Biblical support for this idea....and have NEVER gotten it.
Oh, they try to use Paul's words from Acts...but that doesn't work. See, you have to read the ENTIRE thing, not just cherry-pick....and it simply doesn't work. (An aside: this is why I have a problem with those who claim circumcision is gone....um. That's NOT what was said. Yes, Paul said it's of the heart now...but he was talking about circumcision on adult males. It's hard, it's painful. Remember Shechem, where Jacob's sons attacked the men the 3rd day after they were circumcised? Because the prince had raped their sister, then wanted to marry her? Paul was saying, hey - don't put that burden on the adult men, because pretty soon they won't want to join us. Instead, give them a pass - they WILL circumcise their sons, in accordance with the Abrahamic covenant (which has NEVER been overturned, BTW). Anyway....) The original Gentile Christians became Jewish - but ones who believed that Jesus WAS the promised Messiah. They kept Torah. They kept kosher. From the outside, they would have looked JEWISH.
When you removed the Jewish bits from Christianity, you are left with......not much, honestly. Pagan bits creep in (just take a look at Christmas traditions. Seriously. And don't get me started on Easter....) - even though Scripture clearly states to NOT mix the Holy with the profane. But without the foundation that Jewishness gives you, there's nothing there - so things have to be added to make it "work".
And......why is it that so many Christians are anti-Semitic? I mean....Jesus IS Jewish. Why, oh why, do they HATE the Jews? How can they function with that kind of disconnect....I mean - really? How can you claim to follow Jesus, and yet support a 2-state solution? (Seriously, how can anyone claim to follow Jesus, then scream for Israel to GIVE UP land that GOD HIMSELF gave to THEM?????? I just......I can't think that way.)
It's not just Christians, either - the Messianics are also messed up, but in the opposite direction. They want to be TOO Jewish.....:sigh: Yes, Believers are grafted in - adopted, if you will. IF you believe that Jesus IS the Messiah, then, in God's eyes, you ARE one of His chosen...which IS Jewish. Which goes against most of what modern churches teach...but it's all there, in the Bible (in the Torah, even, which makes it more "real". The NT was never intended to be held to the same holiness (for lack of a better word) as the Torah/OT was. The NT was, basically, commentary on HOW to live a Torah-based life for those not raised with it. Gentiles, in other words. The Jews that believed didn't change how they lived - except they shared the news of Jesus with everyone they met. They were *still Jewish*.
:sigh: I have more, but it's hard to catch to put into words. I'm also trying to frantically get a Physics course set up for Himself - we are 1 week (or so) from finishing Chemistry, and he told me Monday that he really, really HATES this author. :eek: So, I have been googling my little eyes out. I found a promising looking, Homeschool-designed Physics course ( donttouchthephotons.wordpress.com ) that he said looked "OK", so I have been scrounging up the money to get the books. :grumble: Thank the Lord for eBay and HPB.com! 4 books ordered, for under $20. 3 to go....but I think we can get started with just these 4. :sigh: Ah, well...
Shabbat Shalom! Please keep the comments civil - I don't block, but would like to be able to have a discussion about this, not screaming fights.
OK. Christianity IS screwed up. Basically because Constantine - in the 4th Century - declared all things Jewish forbidden in *his* religion. Which became the core of the Catholic church, which has become - thanks to the Protestant Reformation - the entire Christian church. Problem......JESUS, the Messiah that ALL Christians profess to follow, IS Jewish. (Which....actually explains a lot of what I don't understand in modern churchiantiy. Anyway...)
If you profess to be a Christian, you claim to follow Jesus. A JEWISH man. The JEWISH Messiah. He kept Torah. He followed Tradition. He kept the Biblical Feasts. He was Jewish. Let that sink in for a bit. IF you are Christian, you worship the Jewish Messiah.
Now. Most churches espouse "replacement theology" - even if it's not stated outright, they have the mindset that Christianity has *replaced* Judaism as God's people. I have asked for Biblical support for this idea....and have NEVER gotten it.
Oh, they try to use Paul's words from Acts...but that doesn't work. See, you have to read the ENTIRE thing, not just cherry-pick....and it simply doesn't work. (An aside: this is why I have a problem with those who claim circumcision is gone....um. That's NOT what was said. Yes, Paul said it's of the heart now...but he was talking about circumcision on adult males. It's hard, it's painful. Remember Shechem, where Jacob's sons attacked the men the 3rd day after they were circumcised? Because the prince had raped their sister, then wanted to marry her? Paul was saying, hey - don't put that burden on the adult men, because pretty soon they won't want to join us. Instead, give them a pass - they WILL circumcise their sons, in accordance with the Abrahamic covenant (which has NEVER been overturned, BTW). Anyway....) The original Gentile Christians became Jewish - but ones who believed that Jesus WAS the promised Messiah. They kept Torah. They kept kosher. From the outside, they would have looked JEWISH.
When you removed the Jewish bits from Christianity, you are left with......not much, honestly. Pagan bits creep in (just take a look at Christmas traditions. Seriously. And don't get me started on Easter....) - even though Scripture clearly states to NOT mix the Holy with the profane. But without the foundation that Jewishness gives you, there's nothing there - so things have to be added to make it "work".
And......why is it that so many Christians are anti-Semitic? I mean....Jesus IS Jewish. Why, oh why, do they HATE the Jews? How can they function with that kind of disconnect....I mean - really? How can you claim to follow Jesus, and yet support a 2-state solution? (Seriously, how can anyone claim to follow Jesus, then scream for Israel to GIVE UP land that GOD HIMSELF gave to THEM?????? I just......I can't think that way.)
It's not just Christians, either - the Messianics are also messed up, but in the opposite direction. They want to be TOO Jewish.....:sigh: Yes, Believers are grafted in - adopted, if you will. IF you believe that Jesus IS the Messiah, then, in God's eyes, you ARE one of His chosen...which IS Jewish. Which goes against most of what modern churches teach...but it's all there, in the Bible (in the Torah, even, which makes it more "real". The NT was never intended to be held to the same holiness (for lack of a better word) as the Torah/OT was. The NT was, basically, commentary on HOW to live a Torah-based life for those not raised with it. Gentiles, in other words. The Jews that believed didn't change how they lived - except they shared the news of Jesus with everyone they met. They were *still Jewish*.
:sigh: I have more, but it's hard to catch to put into words. I'm also trying to frantically get a Physics course set up for Himself - we are 1 week (or so) from finishing Chemistry, and he told me Monday that he really, really HATES this author. :eek: So, I have been googling my little eyes out. I found a promising looking, Homeschool-designed Physics course ( donttouchthephotons.wordpress.com ) that he said looked "OK", so I have been scrounging up the money to get the books. :grumble: Thank the Lord for eBay and HPB.com! 4 books ordered, for under $20. 3 to go....but I think we can get started with just these 4. :sigh: Ah, well...
Shabbat Shalom! Please keep the comments civil - I don't block, but would like to be able to have a discussion about this, not screaming fights.
