Posted on 09/25/2006 9:56:31 AM PDT by presidio9
Edited on 09/25/2006 10:02:37 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Also true, but keep in mind that the man is an actor.
Indeed. Thanks for the ping!
Different hard-wiring?
Now Gibson is off badmouthing Pres. Bush. People should not look up to him - he also hangs out with Michael Moore.
That is a flat-out lie cpmposed by the anti-Catholic left. Look: I respect your faith, and I believe that you are going to Heaven if you are a good person. So does Mel. That being said, Christ's death WAS at the hands of Jews. It happened 2,000 years ago. Get over it. We have.
> Die Hard, believe what you want to believe, pray the way you want to pray but do not look down on a religion that hs survivied over 5,000 years in spite of jerks like Mel Gibson, et al.
I have a great deal of respect for Judaism and for those who follow it -- tho' I do not myself follow as I am a Christian. I try to have respect for all religions.
What Mel Gibson said about Jews was perfectly ludicrous and offensive, the spewings of an obviously drunken man with serious problems with alcohol and self-control, in serious need of help. That doesn't diminish his responsibility: equally, it doesn't give anybody license to bring out the tar and feathers. Religious folk are supposed to rise above that -- something the Salvation Army does extremely well.
> What Mel Gibson said, in effect, is that Jews are to blame for every single misery on the planet. A flaccid, imbecilic overstatement, albeit having been the modus operandi of one Adolph Hitler.
Drunks say and do crazy things -- I see it on the street every day. It's pointless to take any of it personally: they have allowed a demon of irrationality to take control of them. This doesn't diminish their responsibility, it merely explains their behavior.
Vincent Van Gogh cut his own ear off & tried to give it to a prostitute. He was still a wonderful artist.
> Truths found through study of the history of the religion can be difficult for some--even study begun with subjective documents from the same religion...
True. One line of such study seeks to demonstrate that modern Judaism found its roots via the Pharisees and Sadducees from Ezra and Nehemiah who (it is said) set up apostate religious practises that deviate significantly from the Law of Moses in many areas. And, by the time of Christ it had deviated so significantly that it bore little resemblance to it: hence it was easy for Christ to poke holes in it.
Now this may or may not be so: I don't know. What I *do* know is that no good can come of such study: not for Christianity and not for Judaism.
Therefore I'm not prepared to touch *that* study with a barge-pole, despite having had it carefully explained to me, many times. Neither will I defend it: some aspects of Faith are best left unexplored by revisionist history, as nothing good can come from poking sticks into a hornets nest.
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
I'm rather stunned Hollywood let him get away with it, though. There are plenty of Jews in Hollywood.
> I'm rather stunned Hollywood let him get away with it, though. There are plenty of Jews in Hollywood.
With one or two exceptions, you're right.
Perhaps Forgiveness is a virtue not unique to the Christian Faith.
Dear elcid1970,
Traditionally, Jews recognized a person as born Jewish if his mother was Jewish. This has been the criteria used by Jews since the time of the Roman conquest of Judea. It sometime results in some interesting "Jews" - for example, Harrison Ford's maternal grandmother was a Jewish immigrant from Russia - therefore his mother was technically Jewish, and technically so is he (according to "Halacha" - traditional Jewish law) - although this may come as quite a surprise to him.
In the late part of the 20th century, Reform Judaism decided that they would recognize a child of either a Jewish mother or Jewish father as Jewish, provided that the family lived a Jewish lifestyle and participated in "Jewish life-cycle events." This concept is not shared by the Orthodox or Conservative movements.
On the other hand *anyone* who has a sincere desire to become Jewish may do so following a course of study - this usually takes a year or more, and the depth and intensity of study will depend on which "branch" of Judaism is involved.
If you are sincerely interested in becoming part of the Jewish people, so a rabbi to discuss it. Many rabbis, by tradition, will try to discourage you (not because of any prejudice against gentiles, but because it's not easy to learn and accept the many obligations of traditional Judaism - and a prospetive convert should be aware that it's not all a bowl of cherries) but if you are truly sincere keep coming back and after two or three tries, the rabbi will usually start you on the process of study and practice of Judaism. If you are interested in doing this, I recommend that you go to an Orthodox rabbi, as then there would be no question as to the validity of your conversion.
According to Jewish law, a person who converts to Judaism is considered just as Jewish as one born into Judaism (although you will always find paskudnyaks among Jews who just can't get this through their thick heads.) In fact, the most famous convert in the Hebrew bible is Ruth, who was the grandmother of King David, from whose descendants will come the Messiah.
Meanwhile, wishing you all the best,
SteveR
Touche. OTOH, it remains to be seen if there will be repercussions! ;o)
Glorious Truth Bump! The Root and Offspring of David: King Jesus Who Lives Forever! Our Vine and Source! The RIGHTEOUS Branch! Hallelujah!
IN vino veritas. He said what he really believes. I am sick of him - he is a drunk and a dimwitted one at well. His latest movie will bomb.
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