I began studying Judaism with this purpose in mind. I had no intention of becoming Jewish. But as I studied it, it struck a deep chord in me. I felt that God was calling me back to the faith of my ancestors. Ultimately, I resolved my problems with Christianity by rejecting its truth claims.
Since you're the first Jew I've ever engaged in significant religious conversation, you're going to have to answer my questions. :-)
What specifically do Jews deny about Christianity? That there was a Jesus? That he was the messiah?
Thanks for the answers!
Well, I am happy to do so.
What specifically do Jews deny about Christianity? That there was a Jesus? That he was the messiah?
I don't think very many people anymore deny that Jesus ever lived. There may be a few Jews that do, but most Jews believe that he was an historical person.
Jews believe that Jesus was a man. He was a preacher who travelled around Israel and who attracted a following. Most of what he is reported to have taught is perfectly compatible with Jewish belief. Jews do not believe that Jesus was the messiah. We do not believe that he fulfilled the messianic prophecies of the Hebrew scriptures. We believe that the messiah will be a man, not divine (and not necessarily even a miracle worker). He will fulfill ALL of the messianic prophecies within his lifetime, and it is this fulfillment which will demonstrate that he is in fact the messiah. Jews do not believe that you need to "believe" in the messiah in order to be "saved". The messiah will be a man of the line of David who will fulfill certain scriptural prophecies, nothing more.
While Jews deny the divinity of Jesus, and believe that the Christian understanding of the nature of God (a trinity) is in error, we do recognize that we share a great deal in common with Christians. When Christians act as disciples of Jesus, living as he taught, they fit the category of what Jews call 'righteous gentiles'.