Re: Messianic music should not be classified as Jewish

[Judy Ginsburgh <judy...>]

Judy,

I fully agree with you that this type of music does not belong in the Jewish
category.  You will find the same thing with books at Amazon.  There are a
number of titles written by Messianic Jews or written from a Messianic
perspective listed under the category Jewish.

Just so you know how Amazon and most of these other internet shops
work---with Amazon, you (the author/producer) decide what category to place
your products under.  It is not a decision of Amazon.  So Mr. McConnell
obviously decided to place his recordings under this Jewish category.
Amazon does not check into any of this - we are at liberty to select
whatever categories we choose.  So, writing to Amazon will probably prove
fruitless.  But you are doing a good thing by pointing out the difference.

Judy :)

Judy Caplan Ginsburgh, Professional Singer
1999 Louisiana Professional Artist of the Year!
judy (at) jewishentertainment(dot)net
www.jewishentertainment.net/judy
Director: Jewish Entertainment Resources - We Help You Find Jewish Talent!
www.jewishentertainment.net
Conference Chair, CAJE 23: www.caje.org
"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on
both hands. You need to be able to throw something back."

----- Original Message -----
From: "Judy Pinnolis" <pinnolis (at) brandeis(dot)edu>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Thursday, June 20, 2002 2:45 PM
Subject: Messianic music should not be classified as Jewish


> Friends:
> CD Baby is classifying "messianic" music as Jewish, which I firmly
disagree
> with.
>
> I think people ought to be aware that there are three albums that are by
> Steve McConnell in their list of "Judaica", which are intended to convert
> people away from Judaism, by appearing to be about 'Jewish music'-- but
it's
> really about worshipping Jesus, which is a form of Christianity.
>
> Whether or not the album cover has great graphics that 'look Jewish', and
> whether or not messianic music uses Hebrew, it is not functionally Jewish
> music, but music of a new American-flavored Christian sect, that uses the
> word "Jews" in its title. Since it's a free country, they can merchandise
> however they want. But that doesn't mean that this type of deceiving
> practice should go unnoted. I have found that even some Jewish book stores
> have been fooled from time to time. Mr. McConnell, is at least upfront,
and
> says clearly on his website that he is a "messianic Jew". Other websites
of
> this group are not even that honest.
>
> There are also other merchandiszing organizations that are starting to
> include this type of thing with the "Jewish" sections, which is
> unfortunately giving people who are less informed the impression that they
> are getting authentic Jewish music. Do not be fooled. Many people will not
> understand that they are singing music that is praising and worshipping
> Jesus as the true Messiah-- clearly a distinctly Christian, and not a
> Jewish, precept.
>
> In the lyrics of this type of music they blend famous Jewish phrases that
> any general Jew might recognize, such as the words of the Sh'ma, or the
> Hebrew word "Shabbat",...  and then follow those by the texts about Jesus
> being the Messiah and so forth. It's this interweaving in and out of
Jewish
> and Christian themes and sounds that is supposed to lull Jews into feeling
> comfortable, mixing the two ideas. Mr. McConnell has gone so far as to
place
> a "copyright" on words and texts, in that certain lines come from Jewish
> prayerbooks, claiming these texts were written by him as original words,
> which they are not. He then interweaves these phrases with his
proselytizing
> texts.
>
> Judy
>
>

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