STICK TO SEX SHMULY II

I knew this series on Michael Jackson's Rabbi would have legs. See STSS part I

Article discussed in this angry rant: My love affair with evangelical Christians, by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.
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First, Rabbi Shmuley, I have not forgotten that you are the Jewish genius who disliked Passion, primarily because you worried "This is bad for evangelicals because Mel Gibson is closing Jewish hearts to Jesus"

Now, whenever I hear you talking about Jesus I begin to worry that you're trying to open my heart to Jesus, which is the sort of missionary trick that might one day keep my son out of the Yeshiva of his choice. You've encouraged me to "run to read Jesus' beautiful teachings on forgiveness in the New Testament" but if I were to do as you suggest, Shmuley, and open my heart to Jesus, those ancestors of mine who were murdered by Christian brigands and prelates might feel their sacrifice was in vain. So, if it's all the same to you, I'll pass on the New Testament.

Anyway, Shmuley, I'm being coy so let me get right to it: Your argument is nonsense.

Elsewhere you've written that you "believe in the authenticity and integrity of both faiths, as they worship God in their own way" and here you go on for paragraphs and paragraphs about the towering moral superiority of evangelical Christians. Unfortunately our sages (who I admit had no students so illustrious as your Michael Jackson) didn't see it this way. They saw no authenticity and no integrity in Christianity; therefore Jewish law forbids Christianity as idol worship. I know my readers need no reminding of this fact, but you seem to have lost sight of it, so let's review: "Anochi Hashem Elokecha / I am the Lord Your God" -the very first of the 10 Commandments. Also, Christianity stands in opposition to at least four of the Rambam's ikurim. Yet, Shmuley you don't care. Perhaps because you are in love, and love sees no faults.

I'm sad Shmuley, that none of this love is reserved for Liberals. You are quick to suggest that liberals are depraved, that liberals "love making up their own morality," but what is the idea that Jesus is mankind's one and only chance at salvation if not "made up morality?" Anyway, if we agree to follow the Rambam's definition of sin, we agree that a person who worships Jesus is morally flawed and intellectually flawed. Embracing the moral and theological lies of Christianity indicates shortcomings in the mind, character and soul.

Liberalism is not nearly so dangerous. Liberalism believes in freedom. At the end of the day, freedom is liberalism's only doctrine. Freedom. In of itself, freedom is no sin, and a zealous love of freedom does not suggest intellectual or moral shortcomings. Sure freedom can be misapplied, like anything, but at bottom freedom is theologically neutral.

Christianity is different. Christianity has among it doctrines the belief in a man-god, and the keen desire for Jesus to restore his kingship on earth. These are sins and worse: These are also delusions, dangerous to Jews and to rational thought. They are also dangerous to the torah's idea of human interaction. After all, which of these two doctrines is closer to Hillel's view that the Torah's prime teaching is "what is despicable to you, don't do to others? The liberal commitment to freedom, or the Christian commitment to Jesus?

Our sages warn: Esiav soneh es yackov. As you cuddle up to Christians please remember that warning. Please remember Christianity's inglorious past of massacres and death camps and other tortures in the name of Jesus over these past two millennia. Please remember that the Jews of Germany were also convinced that thier Christians were different. Compared to Christianity's disgusting record toward Judaism, the last 100 years with Islam has been a Sunday walk in the park, and none of our sages thought the Muslims were idolators. (Anyway the Muslims are Yishmoel. Shmuly's friends are Eisav.)

We don't need the Christians or their made-up morality. We need the protections of Liberalism so we Jews are free to pursue our own definitions of morality, and not some cheap Christian approximation.