A Trip to the Local Church

Small-Town Christians vs. Modern Chareidim on the identity of Messiah

The church. The hareidi censorship committee made us censor the cross. Oh well.

(NOTE: This post is meant to be read together with this post and this post on the Rationalist Judaism.)

Yesterday, I did something I never thought I would do, and took a trip to my local, small-town church. I wasn’t expecting much. But you know what? I can’t say I was unimpressed. Because I saw something I never saw before. I saw the (alleged) Messiah. As we all know, the Messiah is a pretty elusive concept. From the last chapter in Genesis throughout the prophets, he is a tantalizing promise of the future Redemption of the Jewish people. However, the extremely vague and often contradictory prophecies are problematic, questionable, and often irrational, leading many to wonder about the identity of Messiah, when he will appear, and what he will do.

The chareidi approach has always been to avoid these hard questions, and for good reason. If they let their community probe too much, it might open a Pandora’s box of uncomfortable questions and exposure to the cold, hard truths of modern worldly knowledge that threatens to destroy everything chareidim hold sacred. Some chareidi figures have tried to skirt around the issue by claiming that these prophecies are “difficult to understand” or “Only Hashem knows”; however, these disingenuous responses are seen as evasive and intellectually dishonest. In general, the approach of the cult-like leaders of this insular, intellectually backwards community, is to discourage too much thought about the matter (Chabad a notable exception).

This is in contrast to the rationalist, Modern Orthodox approach, that has no qualms about dispensing with anything questionable or counter to rational thought. Some rabbinic Modern Orthodox leaders have heavily downplayed the messianic aspect of the Redemption. Other Modern Orthodox intellectuals have openly asserted that this Messiah figure will not in reality appear, banishing him to the realm of the supernatural. The late, great Yeshayahu Leibowitz famously said משיח שבא הוא משיח שקר, the Messiah that comes is a false Messiah. While this may seem radical, it too has its place. Modern Orthodox Rationalists realize that Judaism has always been a religion in flux, and what were “Fundamental Principles of Faith” yesterday are totally unserious and intellectual untenable today.

The Messiah according to Christians

In contrast to both of these groups, Christians don’t use the rational solutions, but nor do they shy away from the tough questions. In fact, they take a keen interest in the Messiah, and take an enthusiastic, head-on approach, claiming to know exactly who he is and when he will come (spoiler: he already came). And that’s what I observed when visiting church. Everywhere I looked, there were crucifixes with images of this odd-looking man in underwear with messy brown hair, impaled on a utility pole. His name is Jesus of Nazareth, he lived (and died, and then reportedly lived again) 2000 years ago, and the Christians are pretty darn sure he was the Messiah. Like, REALLY sure. They even have holy books and reams of sacred literature with all sorts of fantastic stories about him, and sing hymns about him every Sunday.

Although this belief is irrational and unscientific, the difference between them and the chareidi approach couldn’t be starker. Christians are refreshingly honest about the Messiah, even if misguided, but the insular, backwards chareidi “cavemen” (please don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean that as an insult) quiver in their boots at the thought of broaching this subject. If only they would just accept the Rationalist Modern Orthodox approach, of dispensing with anything irrational, and updating the Torah to fit the times. What an embarrassment these people are.