Secular Jew Tries To Become A Christian

[Unafraid]

Hi Ya'll,

 

I've been on quite the journey over the last 7 months.  I'm a 34 year old professional.  I was introduced to a beautiful girl 7 months ago, who happens to be a devout Christian.  I'm Jewish but never took it seriously.  In fact, I refused to go to Sunday school from a very early age, and I am not a Bar-Mitzvah.  Looking back I made a huge mistake in not taking my faith seriously and my Jewish education seriously.  I missed out on so much beauty, history, knowledge, and culture.  Anyways, my girlfriend made a huge impression on me.  I want to spend the rest of my life with her.  So I tried to "evangelize" myself.  Her internal and external beauty is nothing like I've ever seen, and we fell in love and are a perfect match.  However, my Jewish soul pulled me back to my Jewish heritage, forcing me to examine all sides of Christianity from the Jewish perspective, Christian perspective, and atheist/secular perspective.  I've read many scholarly books from all types of authors, listened to hundreds of hours of podcasts and youtube videos, and talked to many people from all faith walks.  It is clear to me now that I can say Christianity is not true.  Not that I THINK Christianity is not true, rather I KNOW Christianity is not true.  Of course this finally came out in my relationship and I broke up with my girlfriend over it.  We decided to take a break, and today I write this note a few hours before her and I will meet, probably for the last time (although I pray that she will allow me the opportunity to study the bible together so she can at least understand why I started to have serious problems with the bible).  This is the long story made short.

 

Anyways, for those of you who have rejected Christianity, please don't give up completely on HaShem.  I encourage you to learn more about Judaism and how it relates to non-Jews.  We are all created in the image of God.  We are all His people, Jew and non-Jew.  It saddens me to see how folks on here lose their faith in God because of the Church.  GOD WANTS YOU TO FOLLOW HIM, AND HIM ALONE!!!.  The Torah, as I've learned, is exquisite.  It makes the New Testament look like a cartoon.  If you haven't explored the 7 Noahide Laws, please look into this.  There is so little about this topic published, but I finally found a book called "The Rainbow Covenant".  Check it out here on Amazon: 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Covenant-Michael-Ellias-Dallen-ebook/dp/B0041OSB7K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1470494671&sr=8-2&keywords=rainbow+covenant#navbar

 

Additionally, please look at www.jewsforjudaism.ca and www.outreachjudaism.org. The information presented on these websites is powerful, and for all seekers, not just Jews.  Rabbi Michael Skobac and Rabbi Tovia Singer are extraordinary men who are educators of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.  I also purchased Rabbi Singer's books "Let's Get Biblical" which are powerful writings.  Find them here on Amazon:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Get-Biblical-Judaism-Christian/dp/0996091300/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470494911&sr=8-1&keywords=lets+get+biblical

 

Be sure to get both volume one and two and listen to his free audio series on www.outreachjudaism.org.  Finally, many of their works are presented on youtube including some amazing debates.  While I've always believed in HaShem, I never took my faith seriously which is sad.  I even began to question whether HaShem existed, but my relationship with Him is stronger than ever as a result of my journey.  Before you let go of God all together, please study Judaism and Torah by a learned Jew, such as these men.  Let me know if you have any questions.  

[Guest]

Hi there Unafraid,

 

Thank you for sharing your story. I wish you all the best in your conversation with your former girlfriend.

 

I think you'll find that many of us do not believe in any god or gods, and that we have done much research and pondering to get to that point. However, the Ex-C community is very diverse, and there are people of very different beliefs and in different stages of belief.

[florduh]

As this is not the testimony of an ex-Christian but rather a PSA for Judaism, the topic has been moved to the Den.

[Lyra]

I looked at the 7 Noahide Laws. They're slightly better than the 10 commandments, but I still don't buy them. They condemn gay relationships, but make no mention of child abuse or rape? Also, 2 of those 7 laws are "Do not deny God" and "Don't blaspheme God," which basically just amounts to speech and thought control. Why is it so evil to discuss doubts of an entity that there's no explicit proof for? I will give credit for the "don't eat of a live animal" one though, because there is a lot of inhumane cruelty within the meat industry.

 

If I were a goddess deity making my own commandments for humanity, they would be like this:

 

- Don't kill, rape, assault, or otherwise physically violate or harm anyone, with the exception of self-defense

- Don't lie, and don't knowingly teach other people lies or let them believe in lies as manipulation

- All sex and relationships must be consensual, between human adults who are mentally/physically able to consent, and with no cheating on partners. As long as no one is a child, an animal, unable to give consent, or being cheated on, it's Ok.

- Don't treat animals in abusive ways. Animals killed for food must be allowed to live humane lives, and killed in non-torturous ways. Pet abuse and animal-abandonment wouldn't be ok either.

- Children are humans with rights, not chattel for parents to abuse or treat as mere extensions for an agenda

- Governments cannot oppress their people through genocide, unjust imprisonment, sexism/racism/anti-gay legislation, etc.

- Governments must settle disputes in ways that don't involve sending innocent men and women to war, blowing up civilians, etc

- Humans must do their best to honor and respect the earth ,environment, water and animals for future generations to come

 

 

I could go on, but you see the idea. How come religious commandments never address issues like child abuse and environmental problems and rape and war, yet condemn things like blasphemy or idols or consensual harmless sex acts? Why is it that I, a random 20-something year old girl of average intelligence, can come up with better laws then a supposed perfect deity? 

[florduh]

The Abrahamic gods as depicted by the religions built around them are despicable. There is not a shred of evidence for Moses, the Exodus or any of the religious narrative taken by most believers as actual history. Christianity must be rejected first because it is based on an older, false religion of Middle Eastern Bronze Age thought. Beyond that shaky foundation, Christianity evolved even more falsehoods on its own. The legalistic framework, the jealous and vindictive deity and absurd accounts of creation cannot be honestly viewed as the work of an all powerful and wise creator of the universe.

[Deva]

Your first paragraph was fine.  It is the rest that is the problem. 

[Thought2Much]

"It saddens me to see how folks on here lose their faith in God because of the Church."

 

I didn't lose my faith in your god because of the church. I lost my faith in your god because I realized it didn't exist.

 

"GOD WANTS YOU TO FOLLOW HIM, AND HIM ALONE!!!."

 

Then he can come talk to me anytime he wants. He knows where I live.

 

I'll note that if this god of yours from the Old Testament and the Torah exists, it is a sadistic monster beyond comprehension, filled with hate, and does not deserve to be worshiped. One of the ways to tell it doesn't deserve to be worshiped is that it keeps insisting that it be worshiped. I don't worship pathetic, insecure deities.

[Jeff]

You've lost the perfect-fit love of your life over religion.

 

Your about to get your last chance to patch it up with her in an hour or so... and you spend it here with an incredibly weak attempt at evangelism?

 

She dodged a bullet I think.

[Lyra]

She was devoutly Christian, and the OP isn't. They've been together for 7 months, which is a relatively short period of time when compared to a multi-year-long marriage. Breakups are always sad, but isn't it much better to breakup after a 7-month relationship than to marry the wrong person?

 

My college partner of 2 years and I broke up mutually after college (a few years ago) because, while we truly cared about each other, we realized that the paths we wanted in life were incompatibly different. Was it hard at the time, yes, but I also realize it was definitely for the best. Marrying the wrong person and being indefinitely locked into a wrong life would have been much, much worse.

 

The OP's girlfriend dodged a bullet perhaps, but so did he. 

[midniterider]

Anyways, for those of you who have rejected Christianity, please don't give up completely on HaShem.  I encourage you to learn more about Judaism and how it relates to non-Jews.  We are all created in the image of God.  We are all His people, Jew and non-Jew.  It saddens me to see how folks on here lose their faith in God because of the Church.  GOD WANTS YOU TO FOLLOW HIM, AND HIM ALONE!!!.

 

 

God can tell me this in person, right? I'll wait for that to happen.

[Blood]

The Torah isn't any better than the New Testament. Both are "cartoons" as you put it, entirely disconnected from reality, their sole appeal being the myth that they aren't as mythical as all other religions ancient or modern. 

[Unafraid]

Sorry guys I posted in the wrong section.  I appreciate your insights and comments.  I totally see where you guys are coming from.  Yes I sounded maybe a bit overzealous.  It's been a crazy day.  But there are many people who realize Christianity is untrue, and still believe in God.  I guess my point was those who believe in HaShem who are not Jews have a path to know HaShem completely and fully.  It doesn't have to be Christianity or Atheism, which seems to be the case most of the time.  Anyways, I'm done.  

[rjn]

Why should any non-Christian Gentile care about your tribal God? Do you give a damn about the Gods of other cultures? And what's the benefit of following YHWH/HaShem/Elohim/Adonai for a non-Jew? If he IS the one true God, but the NT is false, he won't send me to Hell, since no such thing exists in traditional Judaism, so why should I care? This goy ain't buying what you're selling. 

[Unafraid]

You don't have to follow him.  Again, if you want to learn more about the Bnai Noach, the info is out there.  Have you ever studied the Hebrew Bible by a learned Jew?  If 

God is not part of your life, then that's ok.  At least it's not idolatry.  

[Thought2Much]

Anyways, I'm done.  

 

And then you responded to rjn. Why do you theists always, always lie by saying you're leaving, and then you don't.

 

"That's okay. I just wanted you all to hear what I have to say. Now I'll leave you alone, except I'll respond to every. single. blasted post that people make in reply to me, and go on and on and on about my beliefs that no one else gives a shit about."

 

Isn't lying part of one of those big commandment thingies you all love so much? Or is lying okay as long as it's done in the name of talking about your deity? Seeing you lie doesn't exactly make me want to find out more about your religion, because it obviously doesn't make you a better person.

[rjn]

What makes your argument any different from that of a Christian? "My Holy Scripture says it's true, therefor, it is" DOES NOT cut it here. We've rejected one of the bastard children of your religion, why should we accept its parent? 

 

What's "idolatry" according to you, and why is it wrong? 

 

Edit: You didn't provide a single argument or answer for any of the questions I asked. Good going with the evangelizing there! HaShem must be proud

[midniterider]

Unafraid: " I even began to question whether HaShem existed"

 

...........

 

When a being created in your imagination (say from your family culture) doesn't give any indication that it's actually alive then you would most likely start to question it's existence. So you pray about it and start looking for clues and signs and 'get' a feeling that your god is real because you want it to be real. Even though your god probably never says anything and never appears in person.

 

Now there's nothing wrong with imaginary friends. They can be a joy. I just wouldn't try to sell them to other people.

[Jeff]

Your fu is weak