Re: Jewish vs. Xtian music

[Chazzzan <Chazzzan...>]

A couple of questions:

1) Why do you use the adjective Xtian for Christian?  Is there some halachic
reason for not using the name Christ?  I know it is the Greek translation of
Mashiach, but when we use the adjective Christian, we are not acknowledging
that he was the Messiah.  So why use the x?

2) You said it was an aveira to think of Allah during a particular prayer.
Isn't Allah the same as G-d (Hashem)?  If so, the result is the same.  Unless,
of course, when you hear the tune, you think of Palestinians in full headdress
prostrating themselves 5 times a day towards Mecca.  Then I guess it would be
an aveira.

3) How come you know so much about Sufism?  And what IS Sufism? Related to
Islam?

4) You say "... we have so much aculturated
that sometimes when we examine our constituency, we note that there is so
little difference culturally, spiritually, or ethically from those around
us. What, then, makes Judaism holy?"

Erik, you have really hit the nail on the head here.  I am trying to
understand this myself.  This mail list -- and the whole Hava Nashira/NFTY
universe of which it is a part -- is a Reform effort.  I am still trying to
understand what Reform stands for.  What specific parts of Jewish ritual,
music, belief are required of a Reform Jew?

Or is it the Reform idea that any practice or belief is entirely the choice of
the individual?

I have always felt that some of the things that make us "special" and
"different" about being Jewish includes what we wear, do, sing and say in the
synagogue.  But it also applies to how we act anywhere else in our daily
lives.  I was always told that in other religions, especially Christianity, it
is good enough to say "I believe in J****" in order to be a good Christian.
In Judaism, belief is not enough; behavior is what counts for us.  Is this
still true?  Or have we become so much like our non-Jewish neighbors that we
are indistinguishable from them, except for what lights we display in our
windows? (Oops! Sorry!  Now I am offending those who celebrate both Chanukah
and Christmas!)