[HANASHIR:2216] Re: Fwd: Do you believe?

[Adrian Durlester <durleste...>]

Rosalind:

I posted you privately on this, however, since you have replied to the list,
I feel I must explain to the list what I said to you in a private email-that
the "love" message was blatantly Xtian, and it is a favorite technique of
proselytizing churches to utilize seemingly innocuous and friendly messages
of that type to "spread the gospel" in the same way that the evangelical
conference "created" messianic Judaism in order to find a way to attract
Jews for conversion by removing the obvious Xtian symbologies. For that
reason, I felt it was an inappropriate post for a Jewish list. Yes, it was
neat, and yes , LOVE is a beautiful message and something we all embrace.

In terms of simple net and list etiquette, posting messages of that type is
considered passing on junk email or spam. They are like chain letters. Some
of the most famous and enduring net hoaxes and urban legends are those which
tweak the heartstrings and have apparently good intentions. But their
authors' intentions were not synonymous with the message.

It was thoughtful of you to offer this gift, but I would suggest that
sometimes it is wise to consider the nature of the gift and the recipients
and decide when the best time and place to offer it is.

What I am saying to you is offered with the same love you offered me and the
list. Love does NOT preclude boundaries.

Adrian


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org [mailto:owner-hanashir (at) 
shamash(dot)org]On
Behalf Of RaizelD (at) aol(dot)com
Sent: Friday, January 22, 1999 7:45 AM
To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
Subject: [HANASHIR:2215] Re: Fwd: Do you believe?


Dear Adrian et. al.,
Just a couple of responses...
1)  This is a neat running message, admit it.
2)  Love is the ONLY reason I exist, and MUSIC is my medium!  This is email
message is totally relevent and I offered it as my gift to you.
3)  There was no subliminal Xtian message here.  I changed the title from
"Valentine's Day wish" to avoid "popular" culture with gentile roots.
It really is harder to believe in love--and I mean it in the fullest sense
of
Emunah (Amen).  How different is this from the message of "Shema and
V'ahavta"... You shall love Gd with all your heart, soul and being?"  But
even
harder than believing is living love.  Beyond the trite-ness of the word the
message is to keep love alive in every day living--daily, with faith, with
passion!  Love belongs to no faith, and ought to be, as far as I am
concerned
set aflame like a CONSPIRACY.  (This world and everyday survival needs this
healing...how many songs can YOU conjure up that are all about THIS!!!!!)

OY!  Does everything we do and say have to be so controversial?

Shabbat Shalom!
Rosalind

addenda:
1)  Parashat Bo this week--what do you think will get Pharoh to soften his
heart, and Gd to stop hardening it back up?  What's that about??????

2)  By the way--
Several students at RRC:  Reconstructionist Rabbinical College where I am
fininshing my first semester gave very positive responses to "Prince of
Egypt".  There were definite crticisms, but overall comments included that
it
was a good attempt at artistic "midrash" and positive Jewish exposure in
public media.