#like Christmas is just a Jesus thing which is just Xtian | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

awkwardpenguinproductions · 3 years

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My younger brother is autistic with one of his special interests being holidays, which has led to us celebrating hanukkah in recent years (except for last year, because he forgot about it bc Christmas was so close.) We do all the jewish prayers and never bring christianity into it, but I've never felt quite right about it. And I'm just wondering if thats appropriation or appreciation I guess? I feel like as an xtian its not my place to say

Wow, okay. First of all, thank you for coming to me with this, and for being so polite and considerate. I will state for the record that I am not a rabbi or any kind of authority, and that my opinions that are just that, and may or may not reflect the general consensus of Jewish thought.

So I think you’re reeeeeally skirting the appropriation line here, bubbeleh. I believe that your intentions are good and that you’re coming from a place of genuine interest and care, but I’m not really thrilled with the use of the b’rachot (blessings) and I’m assuming you’re using a menorah/hanukkiah as well? That’s religious language and ritual object, especially the menorah/hanukkiah, which represents the seven branched menorah that was in the Great Temples of Jerusalem. You’re using them as intended, which is a point in your favor, but they’re not really intended to be used by non-Jews without invitation or permission.

I’m not entirely sure what you mean by “never bring Christianity into it”; I can only assume that you avoid mentioning Jesus or saints or whatever else Christianity does that Judaism doesn’t. Thanks, I guess?

I think you’re very valid to feel a bit skeeved out by this whole thing. I’m a little skeeved out, honestly, and in the grand scheme of Jewish ritual, Hanukkah is a very minor holiday on the calendar, so that helps a bit. I’d probably be a lot more offended if you said you guys were doing this for Passover or (god forbid) Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur.

In my layman’s opinion, I think you guys need to put the kibosh on this until you can meet with a rabbi (or five) to explain the religious and cultural background of the holiday and its rituals. If your brother still wants to participate, see if a local synagogue will let you visit their communal celebrations, but if they don’t, don’t push it. I’m fairly open and liberal when it comes to welcoming non-Jews into my observances, but not everyone is. Maybe take this opportunity to explain cultural and religious appropriation to your brother (and your parents if needed) and why it’s not really a great look to conduct rituals for a religion you don’t actually practice/believe in.

Thanks for coming forward with this, and for being so respectful. If any other MOTs want to jump in on this and give their opinions, feel free!

I’m doing a #jewish on main q&a in honor of Passover! Come ask me stuff! Disclaimers and warning here.

#ask me stuff!#jewish on main #jewish on main q&a #curious anons #cultural appropriation #jewish rituals #jewish holidays #hanukkah

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peashooter85 · 6 years

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Merry Xmas Everyone!

Today it’s not uncommon for people to abbreviate the word “Christmas” into Xmas, something I am certainly guilty of when I mail out dozens of Xmas cards out to my friends and family. Some others are irked by this abbreviation, claiming that it’s part of some plot by secularists to take Christ out of Christmas. In 2009 Rev. Franklin Graham, son of televangelist Billy Graham stated,

"for us as Christians, this is one of the most holy of the holidays, the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. And for people to take Christ out of Christmas. They're happy to say merry Xmas. Let's just take Jesus out. And really, I think, a war against the name of Jesus Christ."

This brings up a good question, how did X become an abbreviation for Christ? What is the truth of the matter?

In the earliest days of Christianity Greek was a common language in the Roman Empire, and many of the first Christians had a Hellenic or Hellenistic heritage. In the Greek alphabet Christ was spelled “Χριστος” which many Christians shortened to merely “X” or “XP”. Since Christianity was frowned upon in the Roman Empire at best, and actively persecuted at worst, both symbols became a secret code used by Christians to identify each other, much like the popular “Jesus Fish”. Eventually “XP” was merged into one symbol called the Chi Rho, which also became popular.

In 312 AD Roman Co-Emperor Constantine was fighting a civil war against his rival, Co-Emperor Maxentius for control of the Roman Empire. On October 27th, the armies of Constantine and Maxentius faced off at the Milvian Bridge for a final showdown. On the night before the battle, Constantine received a vision from God telling him to have his soldiers paints a Heavenly divine symbol on their shields. That symbol was the Chi Rho. Or maybe not, it could have been a similar symbol called a staurogram, the sources don’t agree. Anyway, Constantine’s army won the battle the next day, Constantine legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire with Constantine becoming the first Christian Roman Emperor. Or so the story goes, historical evidence suggests Constantine made the whole “heavenly symbol” thing up after the fact for propaganda purposes.

Regardless, the Chi Rho or became an official symbol of the Roman Empire and the later Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. Today it is still used by the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Chruch, and many Protestant denominations. Use of the Chi Rho as an abbreviation for Christ continued throughout the Middle Ages. Then in the 16th century English scribes and writers began to use X as an abbreviation not only for Christ, but for anything with Christ in it. Christmas became Xmas, Christians became Xtians, even names like Christopher and Christine became Xtopher and Xtine. Hence why Christina Aguilera sometimes goes by the names Xtina. The use of the word Xmas especially became popular during the 18th and 19th century as a way for rich nerds to show off how they know their Greek. At the time cool people studied classical Greek. Today the tradition continues, a tradition which comes in handy when you have dozens Xmas cards to mail out.

#history #christmas #xmas #ancient history #roman empire #christianity

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brehaaorgana · 7 years

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Hey so @jesus-is-jewish that other post was super long and I feel like this can kinda be its own post so here's my thoughts on what you said: > Yeah as a Christian I’m not sure how to remedy and correct the systemic antisemitism the church has been at the forefront of. It’s interesting though that antisemitic Christians use supersessionalism because yall…God “changing” his chosen people to gentile Christians? Considering the shit Christians have done repeatedly and nonstop through the centuries he definitely would be regretting that and most if these Christians would be going to hell.. Okay so I'm going to fully acknowledge that I have 100% looked at Christianity both Catholic and Protestant - and found that I simply didn't want to be Christian. Like I clearly as a Christmas/Easter Catholic/Presbyterian -> lapsed Catholic -> ex-Catholic -> Jewish convert have some bias as to how I feel about the religion as a whole. I don't hate it, I don't hate people who are Christian, there's lots of good things there. My family is Mexican Catholic and I do have some fondness for certain things (our lady of Guadalupe? Beautiful and uplifting. Gotta love Catholic art and architecture). But obviously I found the theology unsatisfying in many ways. So for the sake of honesty I mean, I have to point that out, haha. STILL, I did think about these things a lot. I never learned much supersessionist theories and frankly I never bought into them. It uh, made zero sense. And full disclosure: I never thought Jesus made sense either. Just to like kinda touch on the theological ideas aspect lightly: I did not buy the logic of needing Jesus. Setting aside the fact that his death broke multiple of God's commandments for sacrifices (and thus would have been invalid in the eyes of the Jews), and the fact that he didn't bring eternal world peace, Jews...don't really have a hell like Christians do. So why would anyone need to be saved from hell? There is far less concern about hell in Judaism - our "punishment" in the afterlife (if it exists), is temporary, not eternal. So Jewish people are not so much concerned about being saved from a hell which we don't have. And Christians believe in hell and that people must be saved from it. It's not really compatible belief wise, so for Jewish God it's not like he has a hell to put Christians in. Jewish God has a contract, see? Being "chosen" is about agreeing to a contract where we have to follow more rules. But Christianity sort of said "well you don't have to be Jewish or even agree to follow all those rules in the contract and Christians are the new chosen ones BUT if you're not a believer in Jesus, now you get sent to hell for your sins." Which!!! What a radical change. Before if you did something wrong you had to just...course correct and make reparations. Which unsurprisingly was viewed by the majority of Jews as a very bad agreement to make with God. Hell wasn't really in our original contract. Extreme or eternal punishment? That's Christian theology and Christian God. So I think naturally Supersessionist Christians aren't really concerned about going to hell for how they have treated Jews. They more or less theologically created the punishment of hell, and as people are want to do (especially to maintain privilege and power) have undoubtedly given themselves a million loopholes, excuses, exceptions, and "acceptable reasons" for their behavior towards Jews that wouldn't send them to hell, including the notion of "saving Jews from hell" and that they are "the new chosen people," or another common one "the Jews have angered God and unless they repent and convert they deserve to be punished (by us)." As for correcting any of these things I figure the course of action (very boiled down) would look like this: > don't accuse Jews of murdering Jesus > or eating Christian children (or any of the other antisemitic canards out there) > this whole "chosen people" thing literally just means we basically agreed on a contract with God. If he gave you (Christians) a NEW contract ("new covenant") then you have to insist that the old one is still valid and doesn't need to be updated or changed because God said no take-backsies and if Jews think God is a liar or has forgotten his contract, then *we* will SEE HIM IN COURT and Christians don't need to worry about that. (I'm half joking. It's funny but that's 100% how it works for us. We will definitely sue God.) > chosen people isn't like a free pass to heaven or something I think Christians just need to...not worry about that in general. As a whole concept Christianity has entirely failed to understand how "chosen" works. > Learn History! This is the big one!!! Everything comes down to learning history!!! Also just general efforts to understand that Judaism is verrryyy different in general is good! A bare bones intro to all or any religions is always good. The best book I've seen for second temple era/time of Christ biblical context stuff is something called The Jewish Annotated Testament put out by Oxford. It's a stunning work combining the text of the New Testament with essays and Annotations by Jewish scholars from various related disciplines. It tackles antisemitism found in the text and also elaborates Jewish practice and history of the time. It's not meant to convert anyone (either way) or sway someone, it's meant to be academic and accessible for Jewish scholars and those interested in serious scholarship of the era. So if you're the kind of person who regularly reads the NT, I would definitely recommend this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195297709/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_dmJPybFX9PAST I also have general Jewish history books I would recommend (or I would suggest like history of antisemitism, especially Xtian antisemitism) but basically I think the key to fighting it would be like...learning what has already happened and then working to make sure communities don't keep repeating the same mistakes.

#religion #religion taggity #antisemitism

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