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Just plain Rivka's avatar

Hmmm I agree with you that persuading non-Jews cannot be the essence of Judaism. I don’t agree with you about Christians, though. I think all people with moral clarity are on the same side. Radical Islamists who murder innocents as their calling card are no friend to Christians, or their fellow Muslims for that matter. Why shouldn’t Israel/Jews accept any help or support available? I don’t think different philosophies that are recognized are a danger. I think the only danger are philosophies that are considered part of Judaism, that aren’t, like Jews who are Democrats who think anyone who is a Democrat is a Jew. But it’s unconscious; they don’t realize that they believe that.

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Esser Agaroth's avatar

Well, as I explained in the post, supporting Christians, including allowing them to directly perform mitzvot for us, increases their merit in Heaven, and delays their downfall. We also condone, even perhaps only passively, their beliefs which are indeed counter to Torah. Then their are the Christians with ulterior motives, such as residing in, if not believing in their right to inherit, the Land of Israel. Missionizing to these Christians has been put on the back burner for quite some time now. There are, of course, those Christians who exploit their relationships with us, and seek out vulnerable, secular Jews in particular for missionizing, especially now during the current war.

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Just plain Rivka's avatar

I pray for Jews who are vulnerable to Christian evangelizing. The whole world is so anti-religion, how could someone join a religion not their own? I don’t get it. I feel like worrying about Jews converting to Christianity is a luxury worry.

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Esser Agaroth's avatar

These are mitzvot mid'Oraitah. Avodah Zarah, as you know, is one of the big three. Allowing it in the Land of Israel, and allowing them to get a foothold here is also a red line. See the Laws of Avodah Zarah 10:1 of the Rambam. The same goes for any non-Jew, not observing the 7 mitzvot of Noah and accepting the entire Torah as truth... We may not have the capacity, and some would say the obligation today to r "fix" this demographic. However, we have no business welcoming and even inviting them to come and reside here. Definitely not a "luxury worry."

שנ׳ לא תחנם (דברים ז,ב)

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Just plain Rivka's avatar

Don’t you think a government that abided by Jewish law is a prerequisite to what you’re talking about?

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Esser Agaroth's avatar

No. I do not believe for a minute that there is any justification for Torah observant Jews to invite Christians (those who worship a false deity) to live here, nor to provide them a way to gain merit in Heaven.

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Just plain Rivka's avatar

I hear that.

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