Messianic Jews

GetReligion is writing about the cultural divide between Messianic "Judiasm" and the unleaded variety. More specifically they're talking about the trouble the press has expressing this objectively in a way that both sides can agree upon.

This kind of hits home for me. My Girl Amybear is a Reform Jew. I'm a Baptist (duh). We're seriously considering marriage at this point and we're wondering how the kids religious upbringing will work out. What's my point and how does this relate to the article? Well one of the things we considered (well I considered more on that later) was Messianic Judaism. They have the Jesus I want and some of the Jewish tradition she wants.

The problem? Well its twofold.

One is that a lot of Messianic congregations are pretty non-traditional in Jewish circles. Regular Jews do not, for instance, practice Davidic worship. Thats when parts of the congregation starts dancing up front during the worship section of a shabbat service. Its weird. Amybear and I are unanimous on its weirdness. Regular Jews have some traditional dances they do at wedding receptions and parties of religious significance, but in services? Don't be ridiculous.

The second problem is what GetReligion is talking about. Jews as a whole tend to be inclusive of all other Jews provided they are ethnically Jewish and not Christians or Muslims. The exclusion of Jewish Christians and Muslims has a lot to do with cultural/religious warfare and historical incidents of forced conversion like the Inquisition. Jews have been excluding Christian Jews from their fellowship since the Apostle Paul.

Our kids will technically be Jewish because Amybear is Jewish and Jews follow matrilineal descent. But Jews specifically exclude Messianic Jews from their congregations and gatherings. You can't even join a Jewish mailing list or online forum if they find out you're Messianic. Amybear doesn't want our kids to have to go through that and I see her point.

So we're going to have to do some tap dancing once we have kids. It should keep our lives interesting at least.