www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall A fond farewell..

For several months I've been struggling with trying to reconcile what I truly believe with what Christianity teaches. Unsuccefully. I've also been studying Judaism, and have felt drawn to it. Long story short, I stopped attending church several months ago and have been attending a local shul for quite sometime. I won't get into a deep Judaism vs. Christianity debate, since that isn't Byzcath's purpose.

Since I now identify as a Jew spiritually emotionally and intellectually, I feel my time on the Byzcath forum has come to it's close.

I wish everyone here the best.
Shalom,
David

Not to stir controversy, I'd like to ask a question. Which rabbinical texts have you been studying?

I have read a little from the Babylonian Talmud. A translation of it will be one of the texts on an e-reader if I ever get one. I was reading it to better understand parables and their use in rabbinical literature. On the other hand, I found a good use of humor and wit in the rabbi stories I came across.

Terry

David,

Keep in mind that Rabbinical Judaism since Jamnia bears only a slight resemblance to the historical faith of the Old Testament and of Ancient Israel. Your shul, I'm afraid, is only a de-messianized version of Old Testament teaching and life, a form of "spiritualized Judaism" with no temple, no sacrifice and no Messiah.

As a believer in the fulfillment accomplished by Christ of the Old Testament (not the revised, de-messianized version touted by post-Jamnian rabbis), I am very sorry to see you abandon faith in Christ for such a thing. I pray that you will return someday after realizing your profound error. God's mercy is infinite and He always desires our return when we have fallen away from the true path of salvation.

God bless,

Fr. Deacon Daniel

God bless, and may the Holy Theotokos and your guardian angel intercede unceasingly to Christ our God for the salvation of your soul.

Alexis

Dear David,

I respect the freedom of conscience that all of us are given from God and I wish you the best. I, too, am sorry to see your apostasy from Christ; but I do understand the difficulties that you, and many people, have. Christianity is not an easy faith (you will find that the more Orthodox versions of Judaism are not easy either). And please listen to what Father Deacon Daniel has said. Today's Judaism (even Orthodox Judaism) is profoundly different from the biblical faith of the ancient Hebrews. Go with God.

Joe

I really love the Jews because my Lord Jesus Christ was Jewish on this earth, and I can certainly understand the attraction to the strong bond and traditions of Judaism and the Jewish people, but I really cannot understand how one can just put aside and discount Jesus after knowing Him.

I hope that within your heart you still believe in Him as Lord and Messiah, even if you are attracted to the outwards of Judaism...(in that case, I don't think that you would be blaspheming agains the Holy Spirit).

What about Messianic Judaism? Have you considered looking into that?

In Christ our salvation,
Alice

L'Chayim. May God be with you.

David,

Be at peace. While I cannot say that I understand the choice that you've made or the reasons behind it, I respect that you believe it to be correct and you have my prayers in your spiritual journey.

Many years,

Neil

David, be well and go with G-d.

If this is the way to which you feel you are being drawn and you cannot do other than respond - then so be it.

Many of us are on journeys that we do not understand .

Be at peace

May the Lord be with you, and may you find the Lord who is beside you.

I must say that I have been tempted to go to Judaism given their testimony of courage but with the blessed Polycarp at his trial when
"...the proconsul urging him, and saying, "Swear, and I will set you at liberty, reproach Christ;" Polycarp declared, "Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?"

CDL

My thoughts are as Alice is saying. My prayers are for you.

Dear David,

I can understand an attraction to Judaism, especially in its Orthodox form. After all, as Christians acknowledge, it is a revealed religion. I have read many books on Judaism and been fascinated.

That being said, I must now speak the truth in love. You have been a Christian. You have presumably known the Messiah. You have known God incarnate. Whatever hope a Jew who has not known Christ has of being saved, cannot be yours. In denying Christ, my friend, your salvation is lost. Your only hope is to repent of your apostasy. I will be praying for you. You may discount what I say now, but Jesus has a place in your heart. Woe to you if you deny Him.

Fr David Straut

Sorry to be so blunt David, but I'll repeat the words of our Saviour spoken in the gospel of St Matthew 10:33 "But he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven" I pray that you return to the true faith.

David,

We wish you only all the best. I know that if your heart is open to the Truth the Lord Jesus will speak to you and lead you home to Him.

I ask any future posters to limit their posts to offers of prayer for our brother, David. Father David has given correct teaching. That is enough. The rest of us can best serve David by praying for him.

John

David,

Shalom. May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob guide you in your decisions. Amin.

Sincerely,


Robert

Prayers and all the best for you.

Also Alice,
There are Hebrew Catholic Groups with their own particular liturgy too.
I guess we have to say with St John, that David was never a part of our company, or else he would not have left.
Stephanos I

Dear Father Stephanos,

I was not aware of that. Thank you for informing us.

Respectfully,
In CHrist our Lord,
Alice

Alice,

Here is a link to the site "Association of Hebrew Catholics".

Association of Hebrew Catholics [hebrewcatholic.org]

Here is the website, "Remnant of Israel."

Remnant of Israel [remnantofisrael.net]

God bless,

Fr. Deacon Daniel

A reminder that this thread is now a prayer thread. Posters may offer their prayers. Other topics should be discussed in new threads.

I celebrated my first true Passover this week by attending a Seder at the home of a family from my shul. It was wonderful!

I am sorry, but as a convert from Judaism I do not see or understand how it is attractive to Orthodox Christians.

I love the Jewish people, however Judaism and its understanding of salvation ( and that is after all why we are all here I hope, to attain salvation ) is sorely lacking. The Judaic understanding of the Kingdom of God is an earthly kingdom with earthly rewards established by an earthly Messiah. It is a very materialistic understanding of rewards and punishment. Granted this understanding has infiltrated some forms of Christianity, but the Orthodox understanding of salvation and peace transcends the Judaic understanding of Shalom ( earthly peace ). Just read the Old Testament carefully. Not only does it prefigure Christ, but it is also a very limited and human doctrine of punishment and reward.

I beg you to pray and reconsider you decision.

Again, I have nothing against the Jewish people. Most of my family are Jewish, however I pray every day that they come into the fullness of faith and are illumined by the light of our Lord and Savior Yeshua, the only true Meshiah.

I echo Subdeacon Borislav. I am a convert from Judaism as well. I feel like I have never been more of a Jew since when I became a Christian. This is because our acceptance of Yeshua as the Moshiach completes us, we no longer have to wait in anticipation as did our forefathers. We have what Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had been waiting for, what our ancestors pined for, we are complete in our faith in Christ the Messiah. I am praying for you my dear brother, please reconsider your choice.

Elohim hakadosh, Elohim hakol yakhol, rakhem aleinu, veal kol haolam. Amen.

Dearest Ira,

This is one of the most beautifully articulated paragraphs I have ever read or think that I might ever read on this topic...Truly, the Holy Spirit spoke through you here...

May our Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless your spiritual journey!
Alice

There really are fewer things in the gamut of the human experience which pain me more than a person's rejection of Jesus Christ as the Lord God Incarnate and the Savior of all men.

I will dedicate the remainder of my Divine Mercy Novena to the salvation of your soul, David, and for the conversion of the Jewish people.

Alexis

Agreed. Let us pray for the day when the Lord bursts through into David's life, and David embraces Him once again. Christ is Risen!

Christ is Risen!! Indeed He is Risen!!

On another thread, we discussed reasons for believing in the Catholic Church--which embraces all Orthodox and Catholic Christians because we all recite the same Nicene Creed.

For me, when all the reasons are reduced to nothing, there is Christ, standing there in front of me asking, "Who do you say that I am?" As the 13th chapter of St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians says, all this "stuff" will pass away; faith and hope will fade but the greatest of all the virtues is love. And love is a Person; all love arises from and IS His Person.

And HE has come to bring me to new and everlasting life now and forever IN HIM.

BOB

Yes well said!
But we could add along with St Paul, that beside love, truth also will not fade away, because then we shall know even as we are know.
Stephanos I