How a Jew Becomes 'Rapture Ready'
Wednesday May 14, 2008
Categories: Books
It was just a few weeks ago that I blogged about the interesting piece Daniel Radosh wrote for the New York Times on what he thinks are the top ten Christian songs. Then I read a review of the self-proclaimed...
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
Advertisement
Advertisement
Search This Blog
Recent Posts
About Idol Chatter
Subscribe
Most Popular Posts
- Is Jon Gosselin Now Jewish?:
- Horror Movies Not Halal?:
- 'Sell the Vatican, Feed the World':
- Suri Cruise Attends Catholic School?:
- The 10 Commandments in 'Star Trek':
- Why I Won't See 'Where the Wild Things Are':
- Madonna: Judaism's New Ambassador?:
- R. Crumb's 'Book of Genesis Illustrated' Is Rated R:
- 'Sesame Street' Anniversary: Beliefnet Staff Share Lessons Learned:
- Director Paul Haggis Leaves Scientology:
Tag Cloud
American Idol, Barack Obama, books, Britney Spears, celebrities, celebrity, Christian, Christian music, Christianity, DVD, giveaway, Islam, Judaism, movie, movie clip, movies, music, politics, religion, Scientology, spirituality, Stephenie Meyer, Tom Cruise, top list, tv, TV, Twilight, Twilight Series, vampires, video
These are are the same folks I would expect to actually like the "Buddy Christ" figurines, brought to you by "Cardinal (George) Carlin, in the movie "Dogma" (thank you, Kevin Smith). They wouldn't even get the joke.
There are thousands of Messianic Jews who believe in Jesus. Not only do they celebrate all the feasts days the Lord set down in the Old Testament, but they believe in the New Testament and that Jesus came for all believers and died for our sins. I have been Messianic for the last 20 yrs. I keep the Saturday Sabbath and attend the Seder. I also participate in Praise and Worship services with Singles Reaching Singles In Christ which is a Christian organization. We must join together Christian and Jew.
This was highlighted under "Judaism Features" section on Beliefnet- IT IS NOT. Rapure is not Judaism and Beliefnet should keep the definitions and boundries much sharper. The previous comment from the "Messianic" properly fits into Christianity- he admits he is Christian and his faith is not Judaism even as he may say he feels "Jewish".
Beliefnet- You can not pretend to be a plce for various faiths if you do not respect them- So, cut the obvious fascade.
What has this got to do with Jews? Jews DO NOT believe in the "Rapture", nor do we believe that Jesus is the messiah and "died for our sins". This article does NOT belong as a link in the Jewish newsletter, nor be titled that it is for Jews, pretending to have something to do with Jews and Judaism. I know and love many Christians (I work with two who are devout in their belief). I respect the Christian religion and support those who believe in it. I just think that it is proselytizing for Beliefnet to have links to articles and blogs relating to Christianity in the 'Daily Torah and Jewish Wisdom' newsletter. There are currently 2 links to articles in the Jewish newsletter, both titled to make it appear that they are related to Jewish issues, both of which have nothing to do with Judaism and instead, link to a blog and article that have to do with Christianity. Messianic Judaism is a sect of Christianity and, outside of the fact that it has borrowed some of the Jewish holidays, does not teach and is not a belief in Judaism. As a Jew, I am really insulted that Beliefnet is surreptitiously promoting Christianity in their Jewish newsletter. Additionally, the sponsor that Beliefnet has chosen to include in the Jewish newsletter is for Christian self-help and prayer. Please don't take this as an attack on Christianity. I am just very frustrated in this new trend of beliefnet which as a Jew, feels like a betrayal and coercion to become Christian. This started when Beliefnet ceased the Virtual Talmud blog that WAS about Judaism and was led by Jewish Rabbis. I agree with the previous Comment that Jews and Christians must join together. This does not mean, however, that Beliefnet has the right to promote the Christian belief in its newletter for Jews. BAD Beliefnet! This is akin to a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Are you kidding me? How a Jew Becomes Rapture Ready? I was ready to read something OTHER than this article in a Jewish section. Show some respect!
The author ended his review by stating "...creating special studio brands to market DVD schlock to the churched masses." Talk about the Pot calling the Kettle Black. For beliefnet to link his shlocky article to the the Daily Torah and Jewish Wisdom page is trashy at best, and disrespectful of Judaism at worst.
Beliefnet, you owe all your Jewish subscribers one big apology for linking the above article to our Daily Torah Page. The best analogy I can give you would be for you to have linked a KKK site to an NAACP page. I grant you neither are part of beliefnet, but that should give you an idea of the depth of the insult you have made.
We'll our scorn for messianic so-called Jews for a different place, except to ask, "What is next, Messianic Muslims?"
Everyboday take a deep breath. OK.
Hey, this is a book written by a Jewish author critiquing a segment of Christianity. In that sense it may be considered "Jewish Wisdom", I reckon, although the wisdom part applied to Mr. Rodesh may be stretching it a bit. Some of the Jewish members here are giving a knee-jerk reaction to the title ("Rapture Ready") and to the Messianic guy who made the first post.
I'm not Christian or Jewish. But I can appreciate a critique of Christian culture by a Jewish author who is appalled at the commericalized marketing that is rampant in Evangelical Christianity. One has to wonder if it has anything at all to do with Yeshua ben Yosef from Nazareth.
Like Rodesh, I don't want their "Jesus" either, no matter how glittery they make him look.
blessed be,
Cernowain Greenman
I agree with the comments about the inappropriate nature of this article. This is very similar to the "how to pray when you are depressed" article, which mentioned Jesus in every prayer.
Has the Jewish site on Beliefnet been taken over by people trying to convert us? If so, I will be off this list very quickly.
Why all the convert the Jews literature of late? Ther are sites for that, I am not used to this level of malignment from beliefnet. Thank G-d for Aish.com, I may need to drop off the list myself if this continues.
I'm a little surprised - when I logged on to Beliefnet to read items about my Jewish religion, all I got were articles on Christianity! Why is there an article about praying like a Christian when you are depressed, on "my" website? If this is really a site for Jewish wisdom, Torah readings, etc., stick to Judaism!
Is this a Jewish site or a
christian site????
I must agree with the comments made here. I think Beliefnet owes us as Jews a big apology and an explanation of what this was intended to do. I did not comment on the prayers-when-depressed topic, even though, as pointed out, it is a Christian topic that was headlined on the Jewish page, since I thought it might hav been a mistake. One is a mistake, two is looking like a pattern. What about it, Beliefnet?
I didn't know as a Christian that Jews really talked like that about Christians. We love the Jewish people, we respect the Jewish people, but most of all we love God (G-d)above all else. I know you all don't believe Jesus is the savior of this world as we do, but you don't want us (Christians)on this site? Wow, and I teach my Children Church to love all Jews because they are (G-d) chosen people! What do I tell them when they see one of (G-d) chosen ones look at them like they are from out of space? I'll be waiting for a reply! AND to think my Father and Mother believed every word in the BIBLE so much that they named my brothers and sistres names from the Old Testament.
What's going on here.....everytime I come to this site....it seems to be getting even more "christian",,,,I've been there and done that.....and I don't want to hear "christian" views any more.....I thought this was a Jewish site......think I'll start going "elsewhere"....
It's often hard for people who've been raised and educated as Christians to understand why Jews feel offended when they are looking for information about Judaism and, instead, find Christian material. The best way I can explain it is by a metaphor. Imagine that you are a committed vegetarian. Imagine that you are living in a culture that is overwhelmingly meat-eaters. Imagine you found a cookbook called Delicious Vegetarian Meals. You open the book and find that, although there are many vegetarian recipes, you also notice that some of the soup recipes in the book include 1C. chicken stock; some of the stir-fried vegetable recipes include 1-2 Tbs. lard; some of the salad recipes include adding optional chopped bacon bits. You might wonder what's going on - recheck the title - feel frustrated, disappointed, even angry. It's more complicated than that though. Imagine also that, historically, vegetarians all over the world had been forced to be meat eaters, or killed because they refused to be. Can you see why opening a supposed vegetarian cookbook that included meat ingredients could be very disturbing. It's a combination of 'what's going on here?' AND this is a bit evocative of old and unpleasant memories. I hope that's helpful. This doesn't mean Christians aren't welcome on a Jewish website. It does mean, though, that if the title is "Jewish Ways to Beat Depression" or "Jewish Ways to Rise with the Rapture," a Jew doesn't expect there to be Christian teachings.
I STILL want to know, what do we tell our Children Church? YOU tell me! G-d is love! YOU tell me what to tell children who love Him by the mention of Him. So, I can compare you all as: Blacks are to Whites, as Chirstians are to Jews? Keep talking, I'm learning a lot! Help us Heavenly Father!!!!!!
As the writer of this priginal post, I am al ittle disturbed and disheartened by the nature of this thread. The only reason for writing the post was to mention that I as a Christian found it refreshing - if not always enlightening - to read a smart book on Christian subculture from outside the religion. I think it is valuable to consider the perspective of someone wh is not a self-proclaimed Christian.
That's it, folks.
One of the reasons I work at Belienet is because I appreciate the multi-faith setting and it helps grow as a person. I am not here becuase I am here to offend or to diminish other's perspectives.
I must agree with others who find the increase in Christian-oriented articles in a supposedly Jewish newsletter inappropriate. I am a Jew by choice and bear no ill will toward Christians since I grew up as one. So for me, it's not a matter of "I don't want Christians on this site" as one earlier poster seems to think we advocate. It's also not a matter of "not appreciating the multi-faith setting." This newsletter is supposed to focus on Jewish topics... or at least that's what I was led to believe when I signed up for it. I would expect the Muslim newsletter to focus on Muslim topics, etc. I just don't want to read Christian-oriented articles in this specific newsletter.
This site is soo offensively misleading! Please stop calling it a Jewish website.
The only thing offensive or misleading about this site is your unsigned blog... and no, I do not work for belief-fest... consider the name, in fact... a "fest" (related to the word festival) of beliefs....
Being Jewish has always, and I mean always, been discussed not only within the context of being a religious entity, practice, and doctrine unto itself, but has been consistently revealed, developed, and existed within the full spectrum of all related cultures and doctrines throughout its' history.
Who ever might think that being Jewish has nothing to do with anyone and anything not Jewish, hoo hah!!!, well think again. You should read the Torah and The History of the Jews to start with. No offense, but I fear that no matter how much you surf sites about Judaism, or read books about it, until you get that fact, you're not getting it...
Sorry, I know the site is "Belief-net".... but I always look at it as a belief fest, which is, to me, a wonderful thing...Please read the site's mission statement....
this appears to be another jab at trying to 'fix' jews. knock it off.
At first I thought this was a joke. The writer is reviewing a book and critiqueing it. Fine. But the writer does not seem to disagree with the author of the book on the desirability of Jews becoming Christians. Like the previous person who commented, I too am a Jew by choice. Many of my friends and all of my family are Christian. We respect each other's right to choose our own religious affiliation. We have great discussions. But none of them thinks we Jews have to convert (either now or at the "end time"). Did you guys just slip up? Did you think perhaps that anything with "Jew" in the title was appropriate for the Jewish section of Beliefnet? Or do you, too, hope that someday we will join the Christians?
Please, have some respect!
OK, sorry, I should have researched this further. The author is a Jew -- albeit secular -- and does not promote evangelical Christianity. However, I still think the writer of the BNet review was very misleading. Also, it looks at the book only from a Christian point of view. The title of the article makes no sense whatsoever. So my question remains, why email this to all the Jews on the board?
Can you all just shut up please? I'm Christian, not Jewish, but EVERYONE gets sick of people who complain and get offended by everything. I realize there are a lot of Christians who complain about everything, but my PRACTICING Jewish friend Jamie always tells me how tired she gets of Jewish people who get offended by everything and try to make everything relate to Judaism. I feel the same with Christians, but it seems much more popular among Jewish people. Jewish people have no right to complain about their beliefs "not being tolerated", considering there is MUCH more political correctness surrounding it compared to Christianity which is politically and socially acceptable to rip apart. In other words, you don't see books titled "Our Real Messiah Ready".
I wasn't offended by the original topic nor did I complain about it, and no, I wasn't trying to "fix a Jew".... I thought this was a forum to discuss the original subject which was a tongue in cheek review of a rather tongue in cheek book... The Greenberg tribe must be the lost tribe...the only one left, it would seem, with a sense of humor...
We are very sorry for the confusion this content has caused, it was an editorial error. Beliefnet in no way wants to convert our lively Jewish readers. Our sincere apologies to you.
I am only addressing the title here.
The term Jew means "chosen" and the only Jews are the remnant "chosen" to survive the end of civilization (Mat. 24:13). The means to survive the end is what I call living, as I do, with one foot in civilization [eating butter] and the other in nature [eating honey] (Isa. 7:14-22). As soon as civilization drops off we will be able to lift our foot off of civilization and place it in nature, to give birth to "the dead in the anointing" (Rev. 6:9-11) diring the millennium (Rev. 20:4). After it we will, acording to Mat. 20:1-16, give birth to "the dead of the world" (Rev. 20:5 with "resurrection" meaning reincarnation) to live in Atlantis (Rev. 21) and be raptured over the 6000 years (days of Genesis' creation) preceding Atlantis.
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.