I want to make it clear that my intent in these posts is not to try and undersatnd Jesus, nor to try and show how "evil" Christianity is. My intent is to show that, despite all the horrific crimes Christians comitted against the Jews, we should, in my opinion, not see Christianity as some great sinister force. RAMBAM, although declaring Christianity as idolatry, nevertheless sees it as an improvement over paganism, and a way of getting all Mankind to be familiar with our Scriptures, in preparation for the real Messiah. I would say that ninety five percent of the teachings of Jesus are, on the one hand, completely consistent with Jewish tradition. But on the other hand, are in no way new or original. The other five percent is in opposition to our understanding of Torah, and verges on the pagan, and certainly the antisemitic. I do not know if Jesus actually said these things (Synagogue of Satan, Den of Vipers, etc.) or if they are the words of others. But I do not care. For me, Jesus is a footnote on a single page of Jewish history. He did nothing significant. Deuteronomy 13 warns u8s against beleiving miracle workers who oppose Torah.. Paul made the main point of Jesus' life out of Jesus' death and its meaning. One eighteenth century rabbi, Jacob Emden, even thought that Jesus and his disciples were actually making a Noachide movement, that simply went terribly wrong. Few take this idea seriously today, but I see it as healthy approach to a great problem. Unhealthy, is the approach of many Jews, who refuse to even say the name of Jesus, or who cross the street when coming upon a Church. This kind of fear breeds an unhealthy, and undeserved, awe. Let's go back in history. In the years before Jesus. Greek and Roman paganism were crumbling. It offered neither hope of Eternity, nor a better life in this world. Many "Mystery Cults" branched of from the old faiths, that did promise these things. The cult of Persephone,gave birth to the Eleusinian mysteries. More exotic, and therefore more exciting were the "imported" religions. The cult of Isis from Egypt, and the cult of Mithra from Persia, were especially important. Mithraism had taken over large parts of Roman society; especially the military. It was an offshoot of Zoroastrianism; the persian religion at that time. Zoroastrianism (now a persecuted minority in Iran), teached Dualism, the existence of a god of good and a god of evil. We owe to them the concept of a Devil, at war with G-d, as well as the concept of Hell. (Thank you very much!) A later form of Zoroastrianism taught that the god of good begat a son, out of a rock, on December 25th. That son was Mithra or Mithras. (Not to be confused with Mothra, of early '60s Japanese monster movies). Mithra slew the Bull of Heaven, an embodiment of the god of evil. He sprinkled its blood upon the righteous, thereby cleansing them from sin. If a man would sacrifice a bull to Mithra, and wash in its blood, he would forever be cleansed, and join the army of Mithra forever. One drawback of Mithraism, however, was that Mithraism and its hopeful promises, only were open to men. Many people were also attracted to Judaism. A Noachide movement (Called "Fearers of the L-rd) sprang up; even meriting a special place in the Temple precincts in Jerusalem.(A sign, delineating that area. was discovered in Jerusalem). We know that there were Jewish missionaries, all around the Mediterranean basin. Some particularly "sneaky" ones, even forged books of the Sybil; the oracle of Apollo, urging conversion to Judaism. Many did convert, but the masses did not. The first obstacle was circumcision. But Shabbat restrictions were almost impossible to keep in a society with a seven day work week. Then, along comes Paul. Want to be Jewish and merit Eternal life? No need for circumcision (Peter disagreed). Simply get sprinkled with some water, and believe in Jesus! No need for laws (the letter of the Law killeth, the Spirit of the Law maketh to live). New Sibylline oracles were "discovered" with Apollo urging conversion to Christianity. The new religion answered all the aspirations of many Romans. One could be connected with the G-d of Israel without the necessity of doing anything but believe. But you had better beleive REAL HARD, because your eternity depends on it! Unlike Mithraism, it was "family friendly". Belief in Jesus is your ticket to Heaven. I know many converts who are told by their parents "we don't care what you do, but you must continue to beleive in Jesus, or you will go to Hell" Jesus is an insurance policy. the required premium is continued belief. (In Judaism, belief is a relatively minor point, overshadowed by acceptance of the Will of G-d). Now we can understand why even people who have rejected Christian doctrine, still cling to a belief in Jesus. Do you want to bet your Eternity that your conclusions are right? Be safe, and beleive! The compulsion to convince others is, essentially, an urge to reinforce your own (perhaps shaky) beliefs. "Well, THEY'RE believing it, so it must be true". To allow others not to believe, is like admitting that you may be wrong. You can only feel safe when everyone around you believes! But can these people, if they observe the ethical requirements of Noachidism, be considered Noachides? According to RAMBAM, no, as their belief is not rooted in the Torah obligations. But according to most others, yes. When a missionary approaches me, I feel sorry for their insecurity. But that is the nature of the human experience. We need not hate, but have compassion, until all men and women come to the Truth. May it be soon! Next, i will deal with the limitations of Noachidism.