I'm sure any religious book, be it the book of Mormon, the Quaran, whatever, would have verses that encourage believers to recruit new followers. I don't see what the big deal is.

Oh, jeez. I was reponding to a verse from the bible. The chapter calls it 'the good news' and is saying that those that spread 'the good news' will be saved and those that accept it will also. This was written 2,000 years ago (or so) in an attempt to draw the Jews to believe in Jesus Christ. This bible verse should really not be offensive. Its only about trying to recuit people to Christianity and was written in the early days when it was still new. I'm sure any religious book, be it the book of Mormon, the Quaran, whatever, would have verses that encourage believers to recruit new followers. I don't see what the big deal is.

No problem, NNYFan. I'm not at war with Christians or looking to stigmatize you with every terrible historical event that's ever happened under a Christian banner. I've known plenty of religious Christians who have shown me nothing but kindness, and I've also known Jews who have been complete assholes, so it's not that being one or the other is an automatic pass to being a good person.

I think we can always find common ground and friendship when there is respect and understanding for where our paths diverge. This holds true not just with Jews and Christians, but also agnostics, atheists, Moslems and pretty much any other belief or faith, too.

Unless, of course, you're a Sens fan.

More to the point, Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God or the Messiah promised to the Jews. Jews, I'm told, believe that Jesus was a good guy, they don't believe that he is the Messiah they are waiting for. Am I right, ETC?

The thing is, Christians seems to forget that Christianity (from our frame of refrence) is the completion of Judaism, and that Christ came to fulfill, not destroy Scripture

ETC, i now poise these questions to you

1. What, from the Jewish frame of reference, is Christianity?
2. This is curiosity, more than anything else. What type of Jews are you, orthodox, conserative, or something else?

Common Jewish views of Christianity
Main article: Judaism's view of Jesus

Jesus plays no role whatsoever in Judaism. Jews are familiar with Jesus primarily through the western world since it is a relatively Christian-oriented society. Many view Jesus as just one in a long list of failed Jewish claimants to be the Messiah, none of whom fulfilled the tests of a prophet specified in the Law of Moses. Others see Jesus as a teacher who worked with the gentiles and ascribe the messianic claims they find objectionable to his later followers. Because much physical and spiritual violence was done to Jews in the name of Jesus and his followers, and because evangelism is still an active aspect of many church's activities, many religious Jews are uncomfortable with discussing Jesus and treat him as a non-person. In answering the question, "What do Jews think of Jesus," philosopher Milton Steinberg claims, for Jews, Jesus cannot be accepted as anything more than a teacher. "In only a few respects did Jesus deviate from the Tradition," Steinberg concludes, "and in all of them, Jews believe, he blundered."[35]

On a religious level, Judaism does not believe that God requires the sacrifice of any human. This is emphasized in Jewish traditions concerning the story of the Akedah, the binding of Isaac. In the Jewish explanation, this is a story in the Torah whereby God wanted to test Abraham's faith and willingness, and Isaac was never going to be actually sacrificed. Thus, Judaism rejects the notion that anyone can or should die for anyone else's sin (see Spiegel, 1993). As a religion, Judaism is far more focused on the practicalities of understanding how one may live a sacred life in this world according to God's will, rather than hope a hope of a future one. Judaism does not believe in the Christian concept of hell but does have a punishment stage in the afterlife (i.e. Gehenna, the New Testament word translated as hell) as well as a Heaven (Gan Eden), but the religion does not intend it as a focus.

Judaism views the worship of Jesus as inherently polytheistic, and rejects Christian attempts to explain the Trinity as a complex monotheism as invalid.

Christmas and other Christian festivals have no religious significance in Judaism and are not celebrated. Celebration of Christian holy days is considered Avodah Zarah or idolatry and is forbidden[citation needed]; however some secular Jews in the West treat Christmas as a secular (but not religious) holiday.

Not sure what you mean by "Jewish frame of reference" regarding Christianity, Montalo. I guess the best answer, though, is none at all from a theological perspective, but plenty from a historical and cultural perspective. We also share many of the same values and general morality, too.

What type of Jew am I? Not easy to answer. Well, I guess the best answer would be modern orthodox since that's the synagogue and community we belong to, though that's not exactly a liturgy.

Christianity and Islam are exceptions in that they are proselytizing religions (encouraged to convert others). Perhaps that is why they are the two religions in the world with the most adherents.

The Eastern religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Sihkism, etc.) are generally pluralistic, teaching that while there is one god, there are many prophets and many paths. Unlike Christianity, they argue that people of all religions can achieve union with god.

the father + the son +the holy spirit = 1 god... Duh