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Messianic Judaism (view source)

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*regards its members to be committed [[Jew]]s.  
 
*regards its members to be committed [[Jew]]s.  
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*believes that Messiah [[Yeshua]] of Nazareth ([[Jesus Christ]]) is the [[Messiah]] spoken of in the [[Tanakh]] ([[Old Testament]]).  
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*believes that [[Jesus Christ]] is the [[Messiah]] spoken of in the [[Tanakh]] ([[Old Testament]]), they call Jesus , Yeshua.  
 
*believes that it is following the practices and beliefs of the very early church.  
 
*believes that it is following the practices and beliefs of the very early church.  
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*follows an [[Evangelical Christian]] [[theology]].
    
They differ from other Jews over their beliefs about the Messiah. Messianic Congregations are made up of people of Jewish and non-Jewish backgrounds, and are distinctly Jewish in [[culture]]. All celebrate Jewish [[Holy Days]] and support the State of [[Israel]], and most have their main service on the seventh day [[Sabbath]]. They believe that all of the [[Bible]], both the Tanakh and the [[New Testament]], is inspired by [[God]], and that the New Testament was written by Jewish writers to announce to the world the arrival of the long awaited Jewish Messiah.
 
They differ from other Jews over their beliefs about the Messiah. Messianic Congregations are made up of people of Jewish and non-Jewish backgrounds, and are distinctly Jewish in [[culture]]. All celebrate Jewish [[Holy Days]] and support the State of [[Israel]], and most have their main service on the seventh day [[Sabbath]]. They believe that all of the [[Bible]], both the Tanakh and the [[New Testament]], is inspired by [[God]], and that the New Testament was written by Jewish writers to announce to the world the arrival of the long awaited Jewish Messiah.
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Virtually all other Jewish [[denomination]]s reject Messianic Judaism on the principle that belief in Messiah Yeshua automatically makes them [[Christianity|Christian]], and therefore outside of the Jewish community. (<small>''See [[Jewish opposition]] below.''</small>) Many view Messianic Judaism as a dangerous and subversive form of [[apostasy]]. However, Reform [[rabbi]] [[Dan Cohn-Sherbok]], Professor of Jewish Theology at the University of Wales, has pointed out that the Jewish community, and Judaism itself, no longer holds to a single authority to determine correct belief and practice, and as such Messianic Judaism is as valid a form of Judaism as any other.<ref>Cohn-Sherbok, Rabbi Dan. "Messianic Judaism" (Continuum International, 2000) ISBN 0-8264-5458-5</ref> David M. Hargis stated: "Since the first Jewish followers of Yeshua never left the faith of the God of Israel, YHWH, but rather came into a more personal covenant with Him through trust in Messiah Yeshua, their faith was and is the only complete Biblical Judaism and thus a superior Judaism."<ref>Hargis, David M. [http://www.messianic.com/articles/basics.htm ''Basics of Messianic Judaism''] Messianic Bureau International. Accessed 21 February 2008</ref>
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All Jewish [[denomination]]s reject Messianic Judaism on the principle that belief in Jesus automatically makes them Christian, and therefore outside of the Jewish community. In fact, Messianic Judaism fits the defenition of Christian provided in the dictionary. Many view Messianic Judaism as a dangerous and subversive form of [[apostasy]].  
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==Ambiguity==
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<!-- We need more here about this rejection. I'm not "fact-tagging" this. I'm fairly sure it's true. But we need to know who says this and WHY they say it. For example, WHY does believe in Yeshua automatically exclude a person from the Jewish community? When did this this exclusion become automatic? -->
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The phrase "Messianic Judaism" is ambiguous in popular usage, as many sects and people, including members of [[Jews for Jesus]] and some [[Charismatic]] Christian organizations also refer to themselves as Messianic Jews, a stance rejected by the mainstream Messianic congregations and bodies. Jews for Jesus, for example, is a [[Baptist]] Christian missionary organization, whose aim is to [[Conversion|convert]] Jews to Christianity. Rabbi Adam J. Bernay of the Beit Tefillah Messianic Fellowship summarizes the Messianic stance towards Jews for Jesus as: "We do not approve of their [[theology]], their ideology, or their methods... They are not a part of the Messianic movement and [they] have never been in favor of Messianic congregations."<ref>Bernay, Rabbi Adam J. [http://beit-tefillah.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=40 "Who we are"] Beit Tefilah.com. Retrieved 20 November 2008.</ref>
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==Governing bodies==
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Some of the major organizations within Messianic Judaism include:
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*the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA)
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*the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC)
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*the International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues (IAMCS)
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*the Fellowship of Messianic Congregations (FMC)
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Two further organizations, while smaller, are still influential:
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*the Association of Torah-Observant Messianics
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*the International Federation of Messianic Jews
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There are several hundred Messianic congregations worldwide, with a membership somewhere between 250,000 - 300,000. Israel alone has around 15,000 Messianic congregants. They are believed to be the most rapidly growing group in Judaism.<ref>Cohn-Sherbok "Messianic Judaism" op cit p.ix</ref>
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However, Reform [[rabbi]] Dan Cohn-Sherbok, Professor of Jewish Theology at the University of Wales, has pointed out that the Jewish community, and Judaism itself, no longer holds to a single authority to determine correct belief and practice, and as such Messianic Judaism is as valid a form of Judaism as any other.<ref>Cohn-Sherbok, Dan. "Messianic Judaism" (Continuum International, 2000)</ref> David M. Hargis stated: ''"Since the first Jewish followers of Yeshua never left the faith of the God of Israel, [[YHWH]], but rather came into a more personal covenant with Him through trust in Messiah Yeshua, their faith was and is the only complete Biblical Judaism and thus a superior Judaism."''<ref>Hargis, David M. [http://www.messianic.com/articles/basics.htm ''Basics of Messianic Judaism''] Messianic Bureau International. Accessed 21 February 2008</ref>
    
==Early history of Messianic Judaism==
 
==Early history of Messianic Judaism==
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Many people assume that Messianic Judaism originated from Christianity, or that it is a hybrid religion formed comparatively recently by combining Jewish and Christian beliefs and practices. However, Messianic Judaism predates Christianity by several decades, and Christianity evolved from the Messianic Judaism of the first century. Messiah Yeshua and his [[disciple]]s (''talmidim'') were all Jews, and did not convert to another religion; furthermore, as the [[Bible]] clearly states He came to earth to be the prophesied Messiah of Judaism, not to form a new religion.
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Following Messiah Yeshua's death and resurrection, his messiahship was proclaimed by these Jewish followers, called Nazarenes, who continued to observe Jewish law and worship in the [[synagogue]]. [[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] informs us that they were based in [[Jerusalem]] under the leadership of [[Saint Peter|Simon bar Yona]]. As members of this group began to travel in order to spread the [[Gospel]], it began to drawm more members from among the [[Samaritans]] and provinces.  
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Messianic Judaism predates Christianity by several decades, and Christianity evolved from the Messianic Judaism of the first century. [[Jesus]] and his [[disciple]]s (''talmidim'') were all Jews; furthermore, as the Bible clearly states He came to earth to be the prophesied Messiah of Judaism, not to form a new religion. Whether the early Jewish followers of Jesus "left" Judaism to follow him is still debated today.
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The first people to be known as Christians were the Gentiles in [[Antioch]] (Acts 11:20,21,26) but Christianity was still widely considered to be a sect of Judaism. In 70 AD, the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] general [[Titus]] sacked the city of [[Jerusalem]] and the [[Second Temple]] was burned down. It is estimated that as many as one million Jews died during the revolt.<ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/revolt.html ''The Great Revolt''] Jewish Virtual Library. Accessed 18 February 2008</ref> Many Jews were taken captive and deported to [[Italy]] where they were forced to build the [[Colosseum]] in [[Rome]]. The emperor [[Vespasian]] then introduced a tax (the "Fiscus Judaicus") to be paid by all Jews to finance the reconstruction of the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. Even after construction was completed, the tax was still levied, and was used as a measure to deter people from converting to Judaism.<ref>Lendering, Jona [http://www.livius.org/fa-fn/fiscus/judaicus.html ''Fiscus Judaicus''] "Articles on Ancient History" Livius. Accessed 18 February 2008</ref> Well into the second century, Gentile Christians were also required to pay the ''fiscus judaicus'' and persecuted as a sect of Judaism. To escape this persecution, Gentile Christians sought to widen the division between themselves and the Jews, and their practices became less and less Jewish.
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The first people to be known as Christians were the Gentiles in [[Antioch]] ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2011:20,21,26;&version=9; Acts 11:20,21,26]) but Christianity was still widely considered to be a sect of Judaism. In 70 AD, the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] general [[Titus]] sacked the city of [[Jerusalem]] and the [[Second Temple]] was burned down. It is estimated that as many as one million Jews died during the revolt.<ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/revolt.html ''The Great Revolt''] Jewish Virtual Library. Accessed 18 February 2008</ref> Many Jews were taken captive and deported to [[Italy]] where they were forced to build the [[Colosseum]] in [[Rome]]. The emperor [[Vespasian]] then introduced a tax (the "Fiscus Judaicus") to be paid by all Jews to finance the reconstruction of the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. Even after construction was completed, the tax was still levied, and was used as a measure to deter people from converting to Judaism.<ref>Lendering, Jona [http://www.livius.org/fa-fn/fiscus/judaicus.html ''Fiscus Judaicus''] "Articles on Ancient History" Livius. Accessed 18 February 2008</ref> Well into the second century, Gentile Christians were also required to pay the ''fiscus judaicus'' and persecuted as a sect of Judaism. To escape this persecution, Gentile Christians sought to widen the division between themselves and the Jews, and their practices became less and less Jewish.
    
==The wild olive branch==
 
==The wild olive branch==
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However, by the time of the [[Council of Nicaea]] in 325, Christianity was both anti-Judaic and [[anti-Semitic]].<ref>As [[Constantine]] said at the Council: "''Let us then have nothing in common with the most hostile rabble of the Jews.''" Boyle, Isaac "A Historical View of The Council of Nicea" (T Mason and G Lane, New York; 1839)</ref> Messianic Judaism was presumed by many to have died out after the Council of Nicea. However, in the records of the [[Inquisition]] there are accounts of Jewish believers in Yeshua who were persecuted by the inquisitors well into the 12th and 13th centuries, but as persecution from the Roman church became stronger, Messianic Judaism became almost invisible to history.<ref>Chaimberlin, Richard Aharon [http://www.petahtikvah.com/Articles/MessianicForDummies.htm ''Messianic Judaism For Dummies''] Petah Tikvah. Accessed 18 February 2008</ref>
 
However, by the time of the [[Council of Nicaea]] in 325, Christianity was both anti-Judaic and [[anti-Semitic]].<ref>As [[Constantine]] said at the Council: "''Let us then have nothing in common with the most hostile rabble of the Jews.''" Boyle, Isaac "A Historical View of The Council of Nicea" (T Mason and G Lane, New York; 1839)</ref> Messianic Judaism was presumed by many to have died out after the Council of Nicea. However, in the records of the [[Inquisition]] there are accounts of Jewish believers in Yeshua who were persecuted by the inquisitors well into the 12th and 13th centuries, but as persecution from the Roman church became stronger, Messianic Judaism became almost invisible to history.<ref>Chaimberlin, Richard Aharon [http://www.petahtikvah.com/Articles/MessianicForDummies.htm ''Messianic Judaism For Dummies''] Petah Tikvah. Accessed 18 February 2008</ref>
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==Comparison table==
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Table comparing the mainstream '''beliefs''' of these movements with each other
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{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="2"
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|-
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|
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|Judaism
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|Christianity
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|Messianic Judaism
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|-
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|Trinity
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|no
 +
|yes
 +
|yes
 +
|-
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|Divinity of Jesus
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|no
 +
|yes
 +
|yes
 +
|-
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|Accept Talmud as authoritative
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|yes
 +
|no
 +
|no
 +
|-
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|Accept New Testament as part of canon
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|no
 +
|yes
 +
|yes
 +
|-
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|Jesus is the son of God
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|no
 +
|yes
 +
|yes
 +
|-
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|Jesus is the messiah
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|no
 +
|yes
 +
|yes
 +
|-
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|Hell exists
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|no
 +
|yes
 +
|yes
 +
|-
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|Second coming of Jesus Christ
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|no
 +
|yes
 +
|yes
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|-
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|Jesus was born of a virgin
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|no
 +
|yes
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|yes
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|-
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|Jesus died on a cross for the sins of humanity
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|no
 +
|yes
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|yes
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|-
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|Jesus was resurrected from the dead
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|no
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|yes
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|yes
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|-
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|Jesus is an intermediary between man and God
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|no
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|yes
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|yes
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|-
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|Original Sin
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|no
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|yes
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|yes
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|-
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|skepticism towards evolution
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|no*<ref>Even amongst Orthodox Jews, the mainstream belief is evolution happened, although generally Orthodox Jews believe in theistic evolution, meaning evolution but that it was caused by God.</ref>
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|yes
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|yes
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|-
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|follow teachings of past rabbis
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|yes
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|no
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|no*<ref>Messianic Jews have even been known to criticize Judaism by calling it Rabbinic Judaism, despite the fact that Messianic Jews call their pastors, rabbis.</ref>
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|-
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|Jesus was God made flesh
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|no
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|yes
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|yes
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|-
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|interpretation of the text by a scholar should be preferred
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|yes
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|no, the laity's interpretation is equally valid to that of a scholar's interpretation
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|no, the laity's interpretation is equally valid to that of a scholar's interpretation
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|-
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|Is Daniel a prophet?
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|no
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|yes, Jesus Christ called Daniel a prophet in the Gospels
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|yes, Jesus Christ called Daniel a prophet in the Gospels
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|-
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|Is Enoch a prophet?
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|no
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|yes
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|yes
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|-
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|Is Sarah a prophetess?
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|yes
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|no
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|no
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|-
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|Has the messiah came?
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|no
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|yes, he is Jesus Christ
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|yes, he is Jesus Christ
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|-
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|Who was the greatest prophet?
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|Moses
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|Jesus Christ
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|Jesus Christ
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|}
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==Criticism of Messianic Judaism==
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Criticism of Messianic Judaism is predicated on the assumption that Judaism and Christanity are implacably incompatible: one must be either a Jew or a Christian: there is no such thing as a Jewish Christian or a Christian Jew. Attempts by groups like [[Jews for Jesus]] are seen in this light as outrageously deceptive.
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The Central Conference of American Rabbis has stated: ''"For us in the Jewish community, anyone who claims that Jesus is their savior is no longer a Jew and is an apostate. Through that belief she has placed herself outside the Jewish community. Whether she cares to define herself as a Christian or as a 'fulfilled Jew,' 'Messianic Jew,' or any other designation is irrelevant; to us, she is clearly a Christian."''<ref>Robinson, B. [http://www.religioustolerance.org/mess_jud4.htm ''Opposition to Messianic Judaism''] Religious Tolerance. Accessed 21 February 2008</ref>
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In acknowledging Jesus and the Christian Scriptures, these congregations are accepting many other theological concepts contrary to the Jewish belief system, including original sin, the devil and demonology, “vicarious blood  atonement,” and the trinity, Margolis said.<ref name="a"/>
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One rabbi said the following concerning Messianic Judaism: “Messianic congregations are Christians portraying themselves as Jews,” said Rabbi Richard Margolis, the leader of Temple Beth Sholom in Melbourne and a member of the Jewish Federation board of Brevard. In an e-mail, he added, “The issue is deceit. This is a deceptive missionary movement, organized and heavily funded by evangelical Christians whose sole purpose is to convert Jews to (fundamentalist) Christianity. There is nothing Jewish about any of this.”<ref name="a"/>
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“I have great respect for the authentic Christian tradition and maintain an ongoing program of interfaith activities in our community,” Margolis said.
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“But I cannot countenance couching fundamentalist Christianity in Jewish symbols.”<ref name="a">http://www.religionnewsblog.com/12955</ref>
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Robinson states that "converts to Messianic Judaism are usually shunned by their Jewish families of origin and are excluded from the local Jewish community."
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Many people, see Messianic Judaism, as the Church's last resort to convince Jews to accept Jesus as their messiah. Anti-missionaries, Jews who try to counter the work of Messianic missionaries have reported being assaulted. <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rS35_UnHRw</ref> The Jewish community has produced several groups to counter Messianic Judaism, which it sees as Evangelical Christianity disguised in Jewish garb, such as, Jews for Judaism, Outreach Judaism, and produced the Lets Get Biblical Series, a tape series produced by Outreach Judaism. The Jewish community often perceives Messianic Judaism as Christianity hijacking Judaism in order to convert Jews and misrepresenting Judaism to gain converts. They believe that Messianic Judaism is a corruption of the most deeply spiritual rituals and customs that honor Judaism's connection to God through Torah. Dr. David A. Rausch, associate professor of church history and Judaic studies at Ashland Theological Seminary, [[Ohio]], summed up the attitude of many Jewish people in the comment he was given by a member of the Jewish Defense League: ''"These Messianics are the [[Nazi]]s - the spiritual Nazis. They pretend to be Jews and use traditional Jewish symbols to trap children and the unsuspecting."''<ref>Rausch, David A. [http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1339 ''The Messianic Jewish Congregational Movement''] Religion Online. Accessed 21 February 2008</ref> The sentiments are not confined entirely to Judaism; the same author was told by a Christian missionary: ''"To these "Messianic Jews" Jewishness means Judaism, a rabbinic Judaism of the Ashkenazic flavor. They neither have a real knowledge of Jewish history or of Jewish-Christian history, nor do they possess a good handle on biblical [[exegesis]]. Like the Ebionites of old they will finally blend into Judaism and deny the Messiah."''<ref>''ibid''</ref>
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In the summer of 1987 in Washington D.C. (USA), there was held an Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington. Partaking in the conference were representatives of various Protestant churches, Roman-Catholics, together with Moslems and representatives of Jewish organizations. The Conference concluded with an official statement (published in "Interfaith Connector" Vol. 8, No. 2) which stated:
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"We condemn proselytizing efforts which delegitimize the faith tradition of the person whose conversion is being sought. Such tactics go beyond the bounds of appropriate and ethically based religious outreach. Examples of such practices are those common among groups that have adopted the label of Hebrew Christianity, Messianic Judaism, or Jews for Jesus. These groups specifically target Jews for conversion to their version of Christianity, making claim that in accepting Jesus as the savior/messiah, a Jews 'fulfills' his/her faith. Furthermore, by celebrating Jewish festivals, worshipping on the Jewish Shabbat, appropriating Jewish symbols, rituals and prayers in their churches, and, sometimes, even calling their leaders 'Rabbi', the seek to win over, often by deception, many Jews who are sincerely looking for a path back to their ancestral heritage. Deceptive proselytizing is practiced on the most vulnerable of populations - residents of hospitals and old aged homes, confused youth, college students away from home. These proselytizing techniques are tantamount to coerced conversions and should be condemned."<ref>http://www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/09-Antisemitism/</ref>
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In 2008 the Israeli Supreme Court, ruled Messianic Jews can immigrate to Israel.<ref>http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1208870469395&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull</ref>
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[[Jews for Judaism]] claims that
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Messianic missionaries have used deceit to trick Jews into converting, such as not mentioning that Messianic Jews believe Jesus is God to people who they evangelize to to.<ref name="a1">http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=375&Itemid=420</ref>
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==Jewish opposition==
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Messianic organizations get most of their funding from Evangelical Christian organizations.<ref name="a1"/> In fact many Messianic organizations are former Evangelical Christian missions to Jews. For example, Messianic Jewish Alliance of America, one of the most well known Messianic organizations, was originally named the, Hebrew Christian Alliance of America, an Evangelical Christian organization geared towards spreading Christianity amongst Jews. Chosen People Ministries, another Messianic organization was originally named the, American Board of Missions to the Jews. Another organization called Jews for Jesus, which some identify with the Messianic movement, was founded in 1973 by Martin Meyer Rosen, an ordained Baptist minister. He had been a missionary for several years in the past geared towards converting Jews to Christianity, when he was unsuccessful he came up with Jews for Jesus.
    
==Support for Messianic Judaism==
 
==Support for Messianic Judaism==
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==External links==
 
==External links==
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*[http://www.JewsForJudaism.com JewsForJudaism.com]
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*[http://www.OutreachJudaism.com OutreachJudaism.com]
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*[http://www.MessiahTruth.com MessiahTruth.com]
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*[http://www.Drazin.com Drazin.com]
 
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2q_3sktQBY&feature=related ''Yeshua: High Star - Messianic Jewish believers in Israel''] - Israel's ''Channel 2'' news carried this report on the Messianic Jewish movement on 23 February 2007. It gives great insight into the movement, and some of the difficulties faced by its followers. (9 minutes; streaming video at YouTube.)
 
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2q_3sktQBY&feature=related ''Yeshua: High Star - Messianic Jewish believers in Israel''] - Israel's ''Channel 2'' news carried this report on the Messianic Jewish movement on 23 February 2007. It gives great insight into the movement, and some of the difficulties faced by its followers. (9 minutes; streaming video at YouTube.)
 
*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9111302178737676457&pr=goog-sl ''What would you say about a country that persecutes a group of citizens only because of their religious beliefs?''] - Israel's ''Channel 10'' news carried this report on the State-sanctioned persecution of Messianic Jews. (12 minutes; streaming video at Google.)
 
*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9111302178737676457&pr=goog-sl ''What would you say about a country that persecutes a group of citizens only because of their religious beliefs?''] - Israel's ''Channel 10'' news carried this report on the State-sanctioned persecution of Messianic Jews. (12 minutes; streaming video at Google.)
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