Re: Jewish vs. Xtian music

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The Christians would say you have to do more to believe in Christ to be a
good Christian. Also, I would use Xtian just as an abbreviation, not
because I have any problem with the word Christ.  Emily

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> From: Chazzzan <Chazzzan (at) aol(dot)com>
> To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> Subject: Re: Jewish vs. Xtian music
> Date: Wednesday, March 04, 1998 2:52 PM
> 
> 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!)