Posted by fschmidt on
URL: https://coalpha.arkian.net/Choosing-a-Church-tp5806523p6707790.html

I recently found out that there is a Messianic Center in El Paso, so I went today.  The basic idea of Messianic Judaism sounds appealing.  Jesus was Jewish and Messianic Judaism claims to return to Jesus's basic message which includes Torah observance.  In Matthew 5:17-20 Jesus says:

"Don't assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For I assure you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all things are accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever practices and teaches [these commandments] will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

All of Christianity ignores what Jesus said here and instead accepts Paul who constantly contradicts Jesus.

So I had high hopes for Messianic Judaism.  But what I saw was probably the worst service to far.    It was a Liberal Christian core with a Jewish veneer.  People wore common clothes with Jewish symbols like yarmulkes and prayer shawls.  The room had the standard things one find in a synagogue.  The service started with a small band playing.  A bunch of women went to the front and started dancing.  It looked like I imagine some of the more corrupt goddess worshipping religions of Rome must have looked.  There was singing.  Then came the Torah reading.  In a Jewish synagogue the Torah is really read so that everyone can hear the words of Torah.  But here only bits were read to support the views the "rabbi".  Of course men and women were mixed and there were much more women than men.  This service is a reminder of how easy it is to corrupt a good thing, even the Torah.  So this is another religion to write off.