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From: pellegri@ittral.UUCP (Dan Pellegrino)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian
Subject: Christian Jews
Message-ID: <500@ittral.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 17-Jan-85 14:24:46 EST
Article-I.D.: ittral.500
Posted: Thu Jan 17 14:24:46 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Jan-85 00:48:49 EST
Lines: 40


This is the way I see it.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.

A Christian, by definition of the term, is a follower of Christ.  Jews are a
*race* of people chosen by God.  Scriptures clearly state that only certain
genealogies of Jews could become priests (Levites, I believe) others kings,
etc.  Scripture states that the Messiah must come from the lineage of David.
Heredity, lineage, etc. is of tremendous importance in scripture.  The covenant
was with Abraham and his *descendants*.  These things indicate that people are 
born as Jews and, furthermore, each is from a specific division or tribe of 
Jews.  (This doesn't mean Orthodox vs. Reformed, etc. but, rather, Tribe of 
Benjamin, Tribe of Judah, etc.)  

Although a person could convert to Judaism, a person that is born a Jew is a 
Jew.  I have known a number of people that profess to be Jews but have no 
religious side to their lives at all.  Some do not even acknowledge the 
existence of God, much less keep his commandments.  Yet they tell me they are 
Jews.  This, plus many scriptures, lead me to believe that those born as Jews 
are simply members of a race or genealogy of people chosen and separated by God 
from the rest of the human population.  Hereditarily, all are either Jews or 
non-Jews (gentiles).  (Note: This is not intended to be an oversimplification 
of an important part of God's plan, nor is it intended to refute the fact that 
many Jews are very serious about their spiritual lives.)

A Christian, however, had to become a Christian.  I don't believe that one can 
be born a Christian because to truly be a Christian one must be a follower of
Christ and, therefore, one must be old enough to have an understanding of what
following Christ entails.  True Christianity is something that each individual
must attain. 

An individual can be born into the tribe of Benjamin, for example, - born a 
member of a race that God set aside long ago - born a Jew, and they will always 
have their genealogy, their "Jewish blood".  They are born and forever a Jew.

Now, if one of this chosen race - a Jew - believes that Jesus is the promised
Messiah of God and is a follower of Jesus as the Christ, then that person is 
*also* a Christian.  That person is a Christian Jew.


Dan Pellegrino (born of Italian descent and a gentile whether I like it or not.)ittvax!ittral!sysdev!pellegri