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DonViejo

(60,536 posts) Wed Oct 31, 2018, 08:45 AM Oct 2018

Mike Pence scrambles to distance himself from defrocked "Jew for Jesus" rabbi

Days after the mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue, Pence invited a “Messianic rabbi” to “offer a prayer”

MATTHEW ROZSA
OCTOBER 31, 2018 9:52AM (UTC)

Vice President Mike Pence is facing harsh criticism over his decision to appear at a campaign rally in Michigan with a so-called "Messianic rabbi" who cited Jesus Christ while mourning the deaths of 11 Jews from a synagogue shooting near Pittsburgh.

Rabbi Loren Jacobs is the founder and senior rabbi of Congregation Shema Yisrael in the community of Bloomfield Hills and prayed for the 11 Jews who died by invoking "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, God and father of my lord and savior Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, and my God and father, too," according to NBC News. The most conspicuous group associated with Messianic Judaism is "Jews for Jesus," and the group, in general, believes that the New Testament represents the word of God and that Jesus Christ was the Messiah.

In other words, they are Christians who only claim to be Jews.

Thus Pence has been widely criticized for having Jacobs come onstage to “offer a word of prayer” at a campaign rally on Monday following the massacre at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life Synagogue just days before. Lena Epstein, the Republican candidate for the open congressional seat in Michigan's 11th District, defended Jacobs' appearance, arguing that she was the one who invited him and blasting those who criticized her choice as practicing religious intolerance.

"I invited the prayer because we must unite as a nation — while embracing our religious differences — in the aftermath of Pennsylvania," Epstein explained in a statement on Twitter. "Any media or political competitor who is attacking me or the Vice President is guilty of nothing short of religious intolerance and you should be ashamed. This was an effort of unity, yet some are trying to create needless division to suit their political goals."

more
https://www.salon.com/2018/10/31/mike-pence-scrambles-to-distance-himself-from-defrocked-jew-for-jesus-rabbi/

11 replies

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Highlight:

Mike Pence scrambles to distance himself from defrocked "Jew for Jesus" rabbi (Original Post) DonViejo Oct 2018 OP

Such a disrespectful asshole. ismnotwasm Oct 2018 #1

He says criticism of him equals religious intolerance Beakybird Oct 2018 #2

My mother is in the Jews for Jesus church alittlelark Oct 2018 #3

One of their offices is right around leftynyc Oct 2018 #5

There's a much darker issue here. mn9driver Oct 2018 #4

+1 GeorgeGist Oct 2018 #6

EXACTLY THIS MagickMuffin Oct 2018 #8

... Jacobs did not name the 11 victims of the Pittsburgh shooting in his prayer, but struggle4progress Oct 2018 #7

WOW O WOW, how offensive and disgusting MagickMuffin Oct 2018 #9

It's hard to distance yourself, Mike NastyRiffraff Oct 2018 #10

It's adorable lindysalsagal Oct 2018 #11

ismnotwasm

(42,005 posts)

1. Such a disrespectful asshole.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Oct 31, 2018, 08:47 AM

Oct 2018

Ugh.

Beakybird

(3,333 posts)

2. He says criticism of him equals religious intolerance

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Oct 31, 2018, 09:05 AM

Oct 2018

Yet this religion believes that Jews who don't embrace Jesus are going to hell!

alittlelark

(18,890 posts)

3. My mother is in the Jews for Jesus church

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Oct 31, 2018, 09:47 AM

Oct 2018

.... and TRULY believes that the earth is flat. 😑

leftynyc

(26,060 posts)

5. One of their offices is right around

Reply to alittlelark (Reply #3)

Wed Oct 31, 2018, 10:09 AM

Oct 2018

the corner from where I work. Some mornings I sit down close by and enjoy my coffee and have had several approach me. I'm very polite and explain that I am truly Jewish, find their schtik offensive but allow them to have their say. None have ever insulted me or even raised their voices. I'm usually just surprised at how young all of them are (early-mid 20s).

mn9driver

(4,428 posts)

4. There's a much darker issue here.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Oct 31, 2018, 09:58 AM

Oct 2018

Eleven Jews were slaughtered on Saturday. Not messianic jews. Unconverted Jews. Unconverted Jews are not the dominant religion in the US and they have a history of being slaughtered all over the world when those in power need a scapegoat.

In many cases over the last thousand years or so, Jews could avoid being slaughtered by....

....wait for it....

Converting.

So who does Pence call up to pray for the victims and their families? A converted Jewish rabbi who is now a Christian. The message is clear. And frightening.

GeorgeGist

(25,323 posts)

6. +1

Reply to mn9driver (Reply #4)

Wed Oct 31, 2018, 03:26 PM

Oct 2018

MagickMuffin

(15,951 posts)

8. EXACTLY THIS

Reply to mn9driver (Reply #4)

Wed Oct 31, 2018, 03:34 PM

Oct 2018

Pence knows and understands the Optics.

And now we know what the term OPTICS means.

struggle4progress

(118,334 posts)

7. ... Jacobs did not name the 11 victims of the Pittsburgh shooting in his prayer, but

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Oct 31, 2018, 03:31 PM

Oct 2018

he did in his prayer for Republican politicians, including Pence, the presidential cabinet, and four Republican candidates for office. “I pray for them and for the Republican Party and its candidates so that they would honor you and your ways, that you might grant them victory in this election,” Jacobs said ...
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/10/30/18042224/mike-pence-christian-rabbi-loren-jacobs-messianic-jews

Unity and healing, Republican style

MagickMuffin

(15,951 posts)

9. WOW O WOW, how offensive and disgusting

Reply to struggle4progress (Reply #7)

Wed Oct 31, 2018, 03:35 PM

Oct 2018

there is no low, no bottom, that they will go.

NastyRiffraff

(12,448 posts)

10. It's hard to distance yourself, Mike

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Oct 31, 2018, 03:58 PM

Oct 2018

when you invited him on stage to pray.

Pence has to know exactly what "Messianic Judaism" is. The only good Jew is a converted Jew.

lindysalsagal

(20,727 posts)

11. It's adorable

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Oct 31, 2018, 04:49 PM

Oct 2018

how religious people argue about these imaginary gods and their imaginary words and songs and prayers and stories.

"No, he didn't! The Tooth Fairy was wearing green socks! Get out!"

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