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!linus!philabs!cmcl2!lanl-a!wkp From: wkp@lanl-a.UUCP Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: Solutions or illusions? Message-ID: <14373@lanl-a.UUCP> Date: Fri, 5-Oct-84 00:17:39 EDT Article-I.D.: lanl-a.14373 Posted: Fri Oct 5 00:17:39 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 6-Oct-84 02:25:30 EDT Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory Lines: 54 >Bill, Christianity did not Judaize the pagan world in any sense. >Rather, Christianity paganized (Roman-ized) the teachings of a >Jewish sect known as the N'tzarim and spread the corrupted >teachings to the world. Christianity is not Jewish in any sense >and cannot therefore, Judaize. You can't have it both ways. Either Christianity is not Jewish in any sense, or it is a paganization of the teachings of a Jewish sect that spread its corrupted teachings around the world. >Secondly, materialism was never the primary motivating factor >in the presecutions under Constantine, the Crusaders, the >Spanish Inquisition, nor Hitler...the persecutions were fueled >by Christian concerns more than materialism. The persecutions >would never have caught on due to materialism alone, but the >converse does not hold. Therefore, I conclude that Christianity >is FAR worse than materialism. Your view is too simplistic. Most of the crimes which you ascribe to Christianity should instead be ascribed to a combination of religious fervor, racism, nationalism, materialism, economics, etc. >On behalf of that Jewish mother I'm deeply offended >and grieved by your callous and cavalier 'holier-than-thou' >attitude. She may be ashamed to confront you but >someone needs to point out the effect of such attitudes >and the consequences. It is this attitude which has >alienated so many who were brought up in religious homes and who >once attended synagogue themself. You seem to think there is >something wrong with them. I feel there is something wrong with >the way we are doing things - and this is one. I don't think that I conveyed a cavalier or callous attitude in regards to that woman. I agree with you that we need to do something about alienated Jews, but perhaps you should agree with me that it is not *our* fault that such Jews exist. Yiri, you insist that I don't have any feelings towards the poor. What is your feeling about synagogues *selling* seats on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for $250 upward? How can the poor afford that? Or *selling* aliyot to recite the brachot over the Torah? How can any religious Jew defend that? No, I refuse to accept responsibility for such hypocrisy. However, all of us are responsible in some degree for not trying to right the wrongs we do see. Is that your point? If so, do you have any suggestions? Gamar Hatimah Tovah to everyone. Bill Peter