11/15   I read that Jesus was a Jew. Can anyone explain this? I don't
        know much about religion. TIA.
        \_ Christ is accepted by Christians as the first coming of
           the Messiah, the son of God.  The Jews view him as
           another prophet (eg. Abraham), not the son of God.  The
           \_ Um, no.  The Muslims accept him as a prophet, but most Jews
              accept him as a rabbi, not a prophet (and neither the Muslims or
              Jews accept him on equal footing with Abraham).
           Jews (and Romans) had Christ crucified because his doctrine
           \_ Umm, no.  The Jews did not crucify Christ.  This is FUD used to
              justify anti-semitism.
              \_ What you say is true, but misleading. The Jews did not
                 crucify Christ, the Romans did, but they were carrying
                 out Jewish law and will when they crucified Xt. The crime
                 Xt was crucified for was blasphemy, a crime in Jewish,
                 not Roman, law. See Matthew 26-27. I do agree that this,
                 unfortunately and unfairly, has been used to justify
                 anti-semitism.
                 \_ what you say is true but misleading.  Jesus' death is far
                    more complicated than Pilate simply following Jewish law.
                    it would take hours to explain in person.  a single
                    passage in M26-27 doesn't cut it.  life is never that
                    simple.  the reality is that Jesus was asking for it
                    starting with the donkey ride into the city which was a
                    known prophecy for the Coming and getting under the skin
                    of every powerful person he came across and always doing
                    or saying the thing that was most likely to get him
                    killed right up to his death.  he could've left the city
                    at any time in the week before his death but didn't,
                    even though a child could've seen the consequences of his
                    actions.  or we could just say the Jews killed Jesus and
                    all hate the Jews and be done with it.  that's the easy
                    way out.
                    \_ Fair enough. My main point is that it's not effective
                       to say the original statement is false because
                       it has been used to justify anti-semitism. The
                       original statement has some truth to it (though,
                       as you point it it is much more complicated), and
                       it has unfairly been used to justify anti-semitism.
                    \_ The Jews chose between Christ and
                       and a thief, the chose to crucifiy Christ.  No
                       need to sugar-coat it or make excuses.
                 \_ christ christ christ christ fuck fuck fuck fuck
                    maybe you should take a long hard look at your
                    dumbass faith.  do you really think your god cares
                    if you post his name to the motd?  does that actually
                    make sense to you?
                    \_ What are you talking about? I'm not Christian.
                    \_ You pathetic abject atheist.  Nothing but
                       a shell of hedonistic addictions.  Sorry,
                       but the West you live in is the living
                       embodiment of monotheistic, primarily
                       Christian, dogma.  The West has prospered
                       because of these tenets, not in spite of
                       them.  But of course you are too smart...
           and claim was heretical in their view.  In the very early
           days of Christianity only Jews were allowed to convert
           Christianity, however after Jesus's death the apostles
           spread the gospels to gentiles.
           He was viewed by his non-believing contemparies as
           a Jewish prophet.
        \_ Before Christ, the Jews and the Christians were one.
           The word of God was with the Jewish people.  Jesus Christ
           was born practicing the Jewish religion.  Jesus was even
           circumcised.  Christ went to the temples, read scriptures,
           and was a loyal Jew, because the word of God was with the
           Jewish people, passed down through Abraham (today's Jews
           and today's Christians both value Abraham, Moses and others
           very much).  Later, after Christ's death, some Jews didn't
           believe Christ was the Messiah.  However, many (including
           non-Jews, the Gentiles) converted.  The people who converted
           and believed that Christ was the Messiah are called Christians.
           In the Christian Bible, the "Old Testament" and the Jewish
           Holy Books are virtually identical.
        \_ The New Testament is actually very short, and you could read just the
           Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and the book of Acts pretty
           quickly.  There are free copies of it online and just about anyone
           can give you a hardcopy free.