Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site lanl-a.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!unc!mcnc!decvax!genrad!wjh12!harvard!seismo!cmcl2!lanl-a!wkp From: wkp@lanl-a.UUCP Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: Re: Christian nation Message-ID: <13851@lanl-a.UUCP> Date: Tue, 25-Sep-84 13:03:35 EDT Article-I.D.: lanl-a.13851 Posted: Tue Sep 25 13:03:35 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 27-Sep-84 05:16:23 EDT Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory Lines: 31 I am somewhat disturbed--and at the same time somewhat sympathetic-- to Yiri BenDavid's views expressed in his "Christian naion" article. Yiri, while it is true that some parts of Christianity can be viewed as paganistic according to Jewish teachng, I feel it is very unfair to make the statement that Christianity--which in a sense Judaized the *real* pagan world--is worse than materialism. It seems to me that such a statement is at best, inappropriate, and at worst, antagonistic. Perhaps the real reason for your concern is the fact that you resent being Jewish in a predominantly Christian nation. Instead of confronting the fact, and perhaps moving to Brooklyn or Netanya, you are under the illusion that the dominant religion in this nation should cloak itself in secular garb, and not show its face to you. Most religious Jews probably do not have these conflicts because they do not care if a school district in Montgomerey County, Alabama prays to a Jewish carpenter. In fact, this is just what they want: non-religious Jews would then be confronted with their Jewishness (like that Jewish mother who found her kid singing So-and-so Loves Me). The problem of separating the holy from the profane (hamavdil ben kodesh l'chol) then becomes a lot easier, doesn't it? My advice: send your kids to day school, teach them Jewish ways, and let them be a light unto the nations: Don't worry about small political issues, and don't get bitter at other religious beliefs. Shanah tovah, bill peter (wkp@lanl)