I mentioned in my last post, that Noachidism (the Fearers of the L-rd) was quite popular in the first century BCE and for some time afterwards. We must add a question. Why did it not survive? Why was it so easily defeated and replaced by Christianity? I believe the answer is that being a Noachide is boring. It is wishy-washy. It's like being a "little bit pregnant". The grandeur of Judaism is before one's eyes, but he is not really part of it. Yes, one can convert, especially in those days when conversion was seen a s a very positive thing. But the realities of life in the Roman Empire made Jewish observance very difficult. Being a Noachide, one is not Jewish, but not Gentile, either. One has no house of worship. One has no community. There is no drama (not a major feature in Jewsih worship in general). In fact, all the Noachide laws are "Thou shalt nots". Feelings of celebration, spirituality, purposefulness, idealism, are little to nonexistent. Christianity, on the other hand, offered all of these things. The Jews, living under the yoke of Roman oppression (which was about to get much worse) were in no position to become the mentors of a Noachide nation. Many Jews took the attitude (and many still do) that Noachidism is simply G-d saying to the world "Look, it's all about the Jews. You just sit in the corner and behave yourselves. You will be rewarded if you do". When I came to Torah in the mid 1960s, as a teenager, I asked the rabbis who were teaching me "what about the non-Jews?" They always answered "Oh, they have the Noachide laws. But if they are good Christians, that fulfills their obligation. It's not our concern". (This was before the anti-Christian views of RAMBAM became well known). This answer was only partially satisfying to me. All the rabbis I studied with at that time, had numbers tattooed on their arms. Their experiences convinced them of the worthlessness of the non-Jewish world. But I was attending a public High School. I had many non-Jewish classmates, who were also my friends. I knew that they had the same aspirations that I had. Only in the late 1970s, did the Lubavitcher Rebbe begin speaking about disseminating the concept of Noachidism, and commanding his followers to spread this doctrine to all non-Jews they encounter. He was mocked and maligned for this in many circles. What, we don't have Jewish problems, that we need to involve ourselves with THEM? Are you crazy? You will incite antisemitism! If this is such a good idea, why did't the rabbis of previous generations speak of this? But the Lubavitcher Rebbe saw that the world was changing. There was now a thirst for G-d, that was largely going unsatisfied. Universal persecution of Jews was no more. Even the Catholic Church. long a force in Jewish repression, was now apologizing, and putting out a hand of friendship. Perhaps it was now the time to openly speak the Truth of Torah to the world! Several non-Jewish led Noachide groups sprang up. But they, too, faced the challenges of forming a theology, as well as a community structure.They devised various approaches on how to incorporate Biblical and Talmudic Jewish observances into their lives in a meaningful way, that would also be consistent with Torah and halachah. I will discuss this next time. At the same time, a sinister assault on Judaism backfired, causing a major upheaval within Christianity. Moishe Roisen, a Jewish apostate, became a Baptist Minister. He hit upon a plan to convert the Jews. Few Jews, even atheist Jews, were willing to abandon their Jewish identity. Efforts to convert the Jews, often with huge financial backing from evangelical groups, were always dismal failures. Roisen's plan was to not telling the Jews that they must become Christians, but rather that Christianity was the ultimate Judaism. He founded "Jews for Jesus". It was totally funded by the Southern Baptist Church. Members wore kippot. They took on many Jewish observances, while keeping a Trinitarian Christianity. Jewish rituals were given a Christian interpretation. Jesus, a name which runs a close second with Hitler in Jewsih consciousness, was given back his original Hebrew name, Yeshua, which had no emotional baggage. The "goyyim" had totally screwed up Christianity. Here is the "real deal" that only Jews can appreciate. Unfortunately, the ruse worked. Many Jews bought into it. Before Roisen's death in 2010, he said "I have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams". However, a strange thing began to happen. Non-Jewish Christians began to reexamine the Jewish roots of Christianity. Pagan elements, that had been readily adopted by the early Church, and had been little changed by Protestantism, began to be questioned...and discarded. "Messianic" Synagogues were now everywhere. The overwhelming number of members are now non-Jewish Christians. Some have simply put a more Jewish Jesus at the center of their Christianity. But many questioned the very validity of Christian doctrines that had come in in 325. While many still see Jesus as G-d, many began to reinterpret the concept of the Messaih in a Jewish way; not as a Divine personage, but as a man. Many now see Jesus as a "rabbi". Many ministers have begun to call themselves "rabbi". A few years ago, a non-Jewish "Messianic Synagogue", sent me a scan of their Torah Scroll, to inquire if it was kosher. While this movement has caused a lot of confusion for both Jews and Christians (About three months ago, I received a PM from a woman demanding to be supported financially by the Jews, as she is "an Orthodox Jew by the Spirit"), it has also made many Christians question not only the meaning of Jesus, but even the necessity of Jesus. Many are looking in the direction of Noachidism, or even Judaism, A similar movement in the First Century was vigourously fought by Paul. ("If there is Righteousness under the Law, then Christ died in vain" (Galations 2:21) This is causing a huge upheaval in segments of Christianity. But is there any Jewish response? Do we welcome them, or should we be suspicious? More to come.