A question for Jews about Christians?

Question

Why is it everytime someone asks a question about Christianity, Jewish people are quick to say mean things about it? For example, about Jesus. Jews always say rude things about that topic. Why is it Jews bash on Christianity?

lana_rai, your the one thats assuming

Answer 1

I think it might have something to do with that there are many Christians out there who spend much of their week either badmouthing Jews or trying to convert them, and then on Sunday they go to Church and bow down to one. It's actually kind of funny.

How about thousands of years of oppression and mass murder from people acting in Jesus' name? Is that sufficient reason?

Let's try a little role reversal. Let's pretend that you have a spiritual system that has worked for you and your ancestors for thousands of years. Then another religion comes along, claiming to speak for you, using your own holy book (which most of the members of this new religion don't even understand in its original language - let alone understand the context or have the slightest grasp of cultural nuances, but they still have the gall to maintain that they understand the scriptures and you don't) to prove their religion despite the innumerable contradictions it creates. Let's then say that your group is denounced as those abandoned by G-d, children of the Devil himself! And then you... you know, I don't even have the strength to continue this.

In short, if you really want to know why there are Jews out there who think ill of Christianity, well, suffice it to say that 2,000 years of "Christian love" will do that to people!

Most of the Jews I know (myself included) have no beef with Christians as a group, and are willing to let the past stay there. And the fact is that most Christians today are on an entirely different spiritual plane than their ancestors, and aren't about to start any crusades or inquisitions. Nowadays, though, the persecution is more subtle. Rather than seeking to destroy the Jews physically, missionaries are content to destroy the Jewish way of life, killing them with kindness, as it were. To a religious Jew, physical genocide or spiritual genocide, it makes little difference. In fact, I once heard a holocaust survivor (he fled his home country of Hungary during the war) say that what is happening in America today, to him, is worse than the horrors he lived through.

Jews typically don't waste their time bashing Christianity. In fact, if you're not Jewish, and Christianity helps you to be a better person, more power to you, I say (and I know many Jews will back me on this). Christianity teaches plenty of good, honorable things, and most of the observant Christians I know are decent, upstanding individuals. We have nothing but contempt, however, for those who would speak based on a religion founded by a Jew, a religion whose primary merits come from Jewish teachings, a religion in whose name Jews have been mercilessly persecuted for two thousand years, and STILL try to sell it to us! Try putting yourself in the other guy's shoes, for G-d's sake! I have (actually coming from a Christian background), and I understand that most missionaries are coming from a place of benevolence, seeking only to "save the souls" of people, Jews included. But if the missionary could only understand the arrogance and the hypocrisy of this exercise (all the moreso in the case of Jews), maybe he could concentrate his efforts elsewhere.

I believe Montesquieu put it best in his "Spirit of Laws," when he wrote (and I believe this is directed to the Spanish Inquisitors):

"But it must be confessed that you are much more cruel than this emperor. You put us to death who believe only what you believe, because we do not believe all that you believe. We follow a religion which you yourselves know to have been formerly dear to God. We think that God loves it still, and you think that he loves it no more: and because you judge thus, you make those suffer by sword and fire who hold an error so pardonable as to believe that God still loves what he once loved."

If the above doesn't answer your question, I fear you'll never find an answer because you won't be willing to hear it.

The things I hear so-called Christians saying about Judaism (and about Jews as individuals) are, frankly, far worse. But you don't hear us bitching. Well, actually, we founded the ADL so they could do all our bitching for us, but that's beside the point. If you had Jews following you around for your whole life constantly trying to cram their religion down your throat (and is it just me, or is Christmas getting like, a week longer each year?), you'd probably be pissed off too!

Answer 2

That happens. I've seen it. Perhaps saying, "everytime" is a bit overstated, but I'm sure it feels that way.

So here's why. Of the 14.5+ million Jews in the world about 1.5 million actually practice their faith to the same level as their grandparents. Most Jews are no longer practicing Judaism but identify with Jewishness as an ethnicity, cultural alignment, cultural heritage, or something along those lines.

Now the question arises, if a person is a Jew who doesn't practice Judaism, eats what his non-Jewish neighbor eats, dates who his non-Jeiwish neighbor dates, in the way his non-Jewish neighbor dates, and has very little feeling except possibly animosity or ignorance for G-d as presented in traditional Jewish sources, why would it be important to keep identifying as Jewish, and what is the source of that identity?

SO to most people you'll ask that, the answer will have something to do with the State of Israel, the holocaust and other persecutions, and not believing in Jesus. Their whole cultural identity is based on those three points, so they have to be way over the top in their reaction to people's positions on those three topics in order to keep feeling authentically Jewish.

Answer 3

A messianic Jew is a Jew that believes that Jesus is the Messiah. Christians and Messianic Jews believe that Jesus is the Messiah. They are Jews. The point of view of the anti Messianice Jews is best summed up by Mark JPAS when he said "it is acceptable to blend some degree of foreign spiritual elements with Judaism. The one exception is Christianity, which is perceived to be incompatible with any form of Jewishness. This is the double standard that is applied to Christianity even though Jesus is considered the Jewish Messiah in Christianity. Messianic Jews are looked at with even greater disdain. Why? its a cover for there own deviations from Judaism. Some Jews need to maintain a connection to Jewish family because they have deviated so much from traditional Judaism that many Orthodox question their Jewishness. They need find some way to distract attention because of there deviation from the Torah. This is done by pointing their finger at others to direct attention away from their own actions. You can't give yourself a title and expect that it makes you something. This is the argument that has been used against Jews that decide that Jesus is the Messiah. We are told that the mere belief of a different nature of God immediately invalidated a Jews Jewishness. At the same time Jews that become atheists, pantheists or stop practicing any element of their religion we are told are still Jews. They say that you can believe in anything but Jesus. Jews call conversion "joining the tribe". Things that would never fly in Orthodox or for that matter Messianic Judaism can be found in the Reform and Reconstructionist movements. A good example of this is a previous question asked here. The person asking worshiped the God Ferris but did not believe in him or the Jewish God. The focus of the question was" ...would you PERSONALLY feel comfortable welcoming me not just as a fellow congregant at your Synagogue, but as a member of the Tribe?" (so he was clearly asking about converting to Judaism). The response was "Reform Judaism covers a wide swath of beliefs and practices and I am sure you will be wholly accepted. ... I personally would accept you whole heartily as a fellow Jew." So some Jews will accept all kinds of deviations from the Torah but not belief in "Jesus". Let's not forget the Reform movement wanted to change the sabbath to Sunday to be more like Christianity. Most Messianic Jews are Torah observant yet you can become an atheist, stop practicing their faith, become a Buddhist, join a Unitarian Church and still be a Jew in the eyes of Reform/Reconstructionist Jews. Most Orthodox when asked about other Jews will say they don't know what non Orthodox Jews are. The same applies to the other sects. Speaking of sects Jews will tell you there are no sects but its not true. Rabbinical Jews follow an understanding of their faith that was established 1,900 years ago. They have their own canon of Scripture. There are also non Rabbinical Jews such as the Ethiopian Jews that follows the pattern of the Christian Old Testament and they have many additional books that they consider to be scripture. A group called the Karaites is the opposite of the Ethiopian and only believe in the 5 Books of Moses. Rabbinical Jews call Karaites "a sect of Judaism". You can goggle it and see for yourself. Don't let anyone tell you that there are no sects in Judaism. They say the the teachings of Jesus are very different from Judaism. They also claim that Jesus taught nothing new from the rabbis before him. Then they we tell you that there were no rabbis until a hundred years after the time of Jesus. Its all about winning the argument to them not about what's true. The problem is not differences but similarities. You should know ALL the writers of the Christian Bible were Jews but one. Much of our Scriptures are shared. The vast majority of early believers in Jesus were Jews. So when you hear the exact opposite you need to keep that in mind. A Jew can believe in Jesus and still be a Jew. Edit: those that make personal accusations should include links or shut up.

Answer 4

I've never seen or heard a Jewish person bash Jesus. Have you ever actually experienced this? I think you're just assuming. Perhaps a zealot told you they do this and you believed them.

The only two religious groups I know of that are rude, ignorant and/or violent at times are right-wing Christians and extremist Muslims. Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Shintoists, etc. are all peaceful people. It's just those two religions that house the crazies.

Answer 5

Jews are normally quite tolerate of anyone who respects Jews' right to live and practice the Jewish religion in peace.

At the same time, Jews might be a little apprehensive if you go around brining up Jesus to them ... this might have something to due with 2000 years of mass-murder, rape, and forced expulsions carried out on Jews in the name of Jesus.

Answer 6

What Jesus said and taught changed everything that the Jews knew about God from the old testament. He said that He was God, and that the Jews needed to stop offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord and to believe that He (Jesus) would be the final perfect sacrifice for the worlds transgressions.
You are probably seeing the back-lash from the Jewish nation from having their "eyes covered up" like the bible says.

Answer 7

Perhaps they merely wish to remind people that there is more than one point of view on the subject. If the asker is sincerely seeking information, they should either butt out or answer respectfully. But if the asker is just trying to foist an opinion disguised as a question, I say blast away. But then, that should apply to anyone, even Christians.

Answer 8

The only time I would imagine a Jew said anything derogatory about Christianity, was if a missionary was trying to convert him/her. We have no need to knock Christianity because we believe that good non-Jews can get into heaven. G-d only demands Jews to observe Judaism.

Answer 9

Christians have blamed Jews for killing Him (even though He had to die for us)

And Jesus was a rebel to Jewish authourity and religion.
I love the Jews with all my heart.

http://www.migdalohrcanada.com/migdalohr.html

Blessings,
David

Answer 10

some of Gods chosen do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah they have been waiting for. but i haven't came across any rude ones yet. but they have been enslaved and murdered,by people that felt threatened by them so lets not judge them for a being quick to be on the defensive.