Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: davidbu@tekigm2.men.tek.com (David Buxton) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Jews - Our Christian Attitude - (was advice to David Buxton) Message-ID: Date: 29 Nov 89 04:18:11 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Tektronix Inc., Beaverton, Or. Lines: 63 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu There are a number of topics where Christians find it easy to offer a contrast of how Christianity is superior to Judaism. I should make that more personal - there are a number of topics where I find myself using words that put down the Jews. Personally, I wish I knew more Jews and wish I had more Jewish friends. And yet I say these things. It is a dilemma - how to go about talking about the various topics relevent to the time of Christ here on earth, especially the death of Jesus, and not appear to condemn the Jew of today and not hold a grudge against the Jew of Christ's day? Clearly Jesus called out to His Father and said - "Forgive them for they know not what they do". It is clear to me that Jesus would not be at all pleased with me if I held any grudge againts any Jew, especially if any resentment focused upon the cross and the day Jesus died. The problem remains. How to speak of these things without sounding negative on Jews? Christianity, not having solved this problem, has turned away more Jews from Christ than anything else that Christians do. Turning the question back to myself: How can I speak of these topics without offending the Jews? How can I dialog with a Jew about Christianity without turning him off? There certainly are understandable reasons why Jews are not very enthusiastic about Christians and why a Jew might not be very enthusiastic about me. I have no glib pat answers. It is easy to simply appologize and hope that solves the problem. But the problem is bigger than that. We have a Jesus who grew up a Jew and died a Jew. Consider the crowds who loved Him and the few who did not. We can say the 'leadership' did it - the 'establishment' did it. Is that a decent answer? I don't know. I have a Jesus that I would like every Jew to meet in the same way that the Jews met Him on the hills and lakes of Galilee, and the other regions that Jesus visited. The vast multitude clearly loved Him and a few did not. The Jew has stood at the grave side of each of their enemies. Clearly God still holds His protecting hand over the Jew - both spiritual Jews and and Jews by birth. God is not at all pleased with me if I speak against the Jews. The problem remains. How to speak of these topics without being negative on Jews? A topic that I am considering for posting has to do with the covenants, especially the Messianic Covenants, and then on to the millenium which I believe will be in heaven. How do I discuss these conditional covenants and the millenium without sounding negative on Jews? A tough question with no easy answers. I would very much appreciate it if any Jews that might read this would be willing to strike up a dialog with me. Give me some pointers on how I can discuss these topics without offense and please take the time to be my friend. I would like to be your friend. Dave (David E. Buxton) davidbu@tekigm2.MEN.TEK.COM [My inclination is that the proper characterization is "the establishment". I think the best Christian piety on the subject of the Crucifixion has always assumed that in killing Christ, the government of that time represented the human race as a whole. I.e. that if he came to the modern world, we would kill him. Unfortunately I'm working in the middle of a student terminal room (a due date is tomorrow morning, and I'm helping people) so I don't have my books nearby. But I recall the passion chorale that appears in the St. Matthew Passion and elsewhere says "I crucified thee". --clh]