Any ethnically Jewish mamas who found Christ?

[Janelovesmax]

I don't want to start controversy, but just would like to know if there are any Jews for Jesus?
I found Christ about 3 years ago and it was such an eye-opener.

[christianmomof3]

I was born and raised Jewish, and am now a born again Christian. I am not messianic, nor do I have anything to do with the Jews for Jesus movement.

I did not know or experience the Lord as a Jew. For me, the Jewish religion was just a bunch of dead rituals with no love of the Lord, no life of the Lord and no meaning other than doing things because that was what you were supposed to do to be a good Jew.
Now that I have received the living God Himself as my life, I know He exists, I experience Him and His love, and I enjoy Him and I am enjoying growing in His life and being built up into His body, the church along with the other saints.
In Christ, Dana

[Janelovesmax]

Thank you for this reply and congratulations

I don't specifically belong to the group of Jews for Jesus or movement...but I feel in my heart still Jewish (celebrate Yom Kippur, etc...).

I just wanted to know if anyone is on the same wave with me.

Lots of Love,
Jane

[christianmomof3]

I imagine there may be some ethnic Jews among the messianic Jewish congregations, although most of them are gentile Christians who want to celebrate the Jewish holidays and stuff. I guess since I never got anything out of being Jewish when I was Jewish, I see no reason to celebrate the Jewish holidays and stuff now. I would imagine that any Jews who become Christians and still want to practice the Jewish religion as well would meet with a Jews for Jesus or messianic congregation.

[talk de jour]

Originally Posted by christianmomof3

For me, the Jewish religion was just a bunch of dead rituals with no love of the Lord, no life of the Lord and no meaning other than doing things because that was what you were supposed to do to be a good Jew.

:

[christianmomof3]

Originally Posted by talk de jour

:

I am not saying it is like that for everyone. But that is what it was like for me. That was my experience.

[mshollyk]

Originally Posted by christianmomof3

For me, the Jewish religion was just a bunch of dead rituals with no love of the Lord, no life of the Lord and no meaning other than doing things because that was what you were supposed to do to be a good Jew.

yeah this doesn't sit right with me either. i left christianity, but i don't feel that it's right to trash my former religion just because it didn't work for me. and omg how many times did i hear the Judaism is filled with "dead rituals" script from pastors over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again...

[hotmom]

My MIL was raised religously and is ethnicly Jewish but became a Jehovah's Witness (christian).

[Snowdrift]

I guess I am "ethnically" Jewish. My father's family is Jewish and my mother converted to Judaism. I was raised Orthodox Jewish, went to Bais Yaakov, seminary in Israel, the whole deal.

I am now Roman Catholic. I can't talk here and now really about why and how I became Christian, but it was a combination of frustration with aspects of Judiasm, appealing things about Christianity, inspiration, and mentoring.

I am not a messianic Jew and am not in any way affiliated with Jews for Jesus, although I do belong to a mailing list for Jewish Catholics. Within the Catholic community, most people in my situation find that their Jewish origin does no impact their theology or their worship (other than in extemporaneous prayer)--indeed the Roman Catholic theology really does not allow for such significant differences that combining Catholicism with Judaism would entail--but it is nice to be in touch with people who have had similar experiences and are of similar backgrounds.

[TigerTail]

Originally Posted by christianmomof3

I imagine there may be some ethnic Jews among the messianic Jewish congregations, although most of them are gentile Christians who want to celebrate the Jewish holidays and stuff.

in my experience the only gentiles in the congregations are generally there by marriage. (and 'jews for jesus' is just one small prosyletizing organization, albeit with the catchy name people make snide jokes about; messianics have no official ties to them.)

[merpk]

Originally Posted by tie-dyed

Within the Catholic community, most people in my situation find that their Jewish origin does no impact their theology or their worship (other than in extemporaneous prayer)

Am just a tourist, but am curious: What does this mean, how could Jewish origin impact a Christian's worship with regard to extemporaneous prayer?

[Snowdrift]

Originally Posted by merpk

Am just a tourist, but am curious: What does this mean, how could Jewish origin impact a Christian's worship with regard to extemporaneous prayer?

Many, including myself are more comfortable saying some of the psalms in Hebrew rather than English or Latin. My vocabulary of prayer is mostly Hebrew (well, the Jewish mix--Hebrew, Aramaic, Yiddish, y'know?) and so often a quick prayer--either psalms or just my own thoughts--will be expressed in those languages.

It's not only the language, but the thought process. I get the feeling that my perceptions of the trinity are different than most cradle Catholics. They conform to Church doctrines, but they're different. For example, most of my prayers are addressed to "G-d," although I still prefer one of His other commonly used Hebrew designations. I'll tend to address prayer to G-d as Jesus more in a few fairly specific types of situations, usually when I'l frustrated with some aspect of my humanity. To me that particular aspect of G-d in my faith is incredibly comforting when I'm all frustrated with major human limitations of various kinds.

Hope that is more or less articulate...

[mamaverdi]

That was interesting.

mv

[eilonwy]

I'm not one of you; I was raised Jewish and still think of myself as a Jew, but I just wanted to ask a question:

I don't understand this at all. If you feel no spiritual connection in Judaism, why wouldn't you seek out different Jews before looking to another religion entirely? Is it just easier to relate to a person than to God directly? If you want to relate to a person, why a person who chooses to call themselves God-or-something-like-him, why not Muhammed, or someone else?

[Janelovesmax]

Originally Posted by eilonwy

I'm not one of you; I was raised Jewish and still think of myself as a Jew, but I just wanted to ask a question:

I don't understand this at all. If you feel no spiritual connection in Judaism, why wouldn't you seek out different Jews before looking to another religion entirely? Is it just easier to relate to a person than to God directly? If you want to relate to a person, why a person who chooses to call themselves God-or-something-like-him, why not Muhammed, or someone else?

I didn't seek out another religion, nor was I looking for someone to idolize or pray to. Christ found me, I then I found Christ. I guess you can say we found each other. It came naturally and unexpected. After reading the Bible (including the Old Testament), the realization came that Jesus is the Messiah. It was as cleas as day to me, like something or someone just spoke to me and opened my eyes. It's not about religion at all to me, but about the faith. I am relating to God directly since I consider Christ to be his son, not just a man. And again, I'm only speaking from myself, I can only speak for myself here and my beliefs and not at all trying to offend other people beliefs at all. Just since you asked...
Also, I never said that I didn't feel any spiritual connection to Judaism, it didn't cross my mind to look for one, quite frankly. I lived for many years in Boropark, Jewish comminuty in Brooklyn and was surrounded by Orthodox Jews and other conservative Jews. I had plenty of chances to connect to them if I wanted to.

[tikva18]

tie-dyed, may I ask you a question?

How can you say that C is the messiah, what happened to the concept that when moshiach comes that everyone will know that he is here? If even one person does not know/realize that he is here, then it's a false messiah - like the Shabtai Tzvi. How do you reconcile this? And, if I may go a step further, why not (and please, I truly mean no offense, I'm just trying to understand this) become mormon? Why not believe that Joseph Smith found the gold plates that contained the book of mormon. Why not believe that an angel came down and translated them for him. Why not believe that J.C. when he died went and visited the Indians in the Americans - and why not tie in the legend of Quetzalcoatl? Why just stop with the New Testament? What made you decide that Mormonism was not for you? They ahve a strong sense of family and believe in J.C. as well - and even then some.

thank you so much for the opportunity to ask these questions; I have wondered about this for a long time, but generally do not have the right person to ask. Again, I mean no offense in any way.

[Snowdrift]

Originally Posted by eilonwy

I don't understand this at all. If you feel no spiritual connection in Judaism, why wouldn't you seek out different Jews before looking to another religion entirely?

First of all, that's a big "if" and one that does not apply to many "ethnic Jews" who are Christian.

Second, many people who make the journey from Jew to Christian have found it to be a long, fairly convuluted journey. To assume that they/we haven't sought out "different Jews" or haven't thought it through is a bit of an oversimplication to put it mildly.

Is it just easier to relate to a person than to God directly? If you want to relate to a person, why a person who chooses to call themselves God-or-something-like-him, why not Muhammed, or someone else?

I don't understand this question. Christians do not believe in "someone who chooses to call themselves God or something like Him." Christians believe in God. Asking a Christian why they believe in a God-impersonator is kinda' like asking a drummer why they like things banging together noisily. They don't. They like music. Far from a perfect analogy, but really, if you want to ask a group of Christians about Christian beliefs, you might get a more positive response if you recognize that Christians do not view the whole of Christianity as being a Jewish heresy. If you wish to view Chriistianity that way, that is up to you, but Christians are not going to agree with you.

[Snowdrift]

Originally Posted by Janelovesmax

I didn't seek out another religion, nor was I looking for someone to idolize or pray to. Christ found me, I then I found Christ. I guess you can say we found each other. It came naturally and unexpected. After reading the Bible (including the Old Testament), the realization came that Jesus is the Messiah. It was as cleas as day to me, like something or someone just spoke to me and opened my eyes. It's not about religion at all to me, but about the faith. I am relating to God directly since I consider Christ to be his son, not just a man. And again, I'm only speaking from myself, I can only speak for myself here and my beliefs and not at all trying to offend other people beliefs at all.

Thanks for this post. I cannot speak this frankly about my faith on these boards, but you do so very well.

[tikva18]

Tie-dyed, please read my above post - I goofed and addresssed it to the wrong person .

[eilonwy]

Originally Posted by tie-dyed

I don't understand this question. Christians do not believe in "someone who chooses to call themselves God or something like Him." Christians believe in God. Asking a Christian why they believe in a God-impersonator is kinda' like asking a drummer why they like things banging together noisily. They don't. They like music. Far from a perfect analogy, but really, if you want to ask a group of Christians about Christian beliefs, you might get a more positive response if you recognize that Christians do not view the whole of Christianity as being a Jewish heresy. If you wish to view Chriistianity that way, that is up to you, but Christians are not going to agree with you.

I've heard many different things from Christians. Some believe that Jesus was God's son, others believe that Jesus was God, and still others believe that Jesus was a person. I can't wrap my head around these ideas being compatible with one another, because nobody's ever managed to explain that to me, but my understanding is that there are Christians who believe that Jesus was two or all three of those, so I said "God or something like him" in an attempt to cover all of those configurations.

I do recognize that Christians don't veiw Christianity as Jewish heresy, I just don't understand how they reconcile the whole person/God thing with monotheism. I also don't understand how the idea the Jesus was the Messaih can possibly be accepted if you've read the scripture in Hebrew, or if you've read a Jewish translation; it's simply not there. That's a different question, though, so feel free to skip it. I really am curious about these things, like Tikva I've always wondered but never found the right person to ask (and I've asked many).