That cult movement that is know as messianism is extremely confusing to the uninitiated.  I remember once seeing on a messianic person's facebook profile that he suggested that they start using labels (i.e. orthodox, reform, conservative, etc…) to help differential between their different groups.

Problem with that is that you can't just use a label unless you have a definition for that label.  So here I am, bringing order to their chaos.  This isn't for them, but so that Jews can better spot a messianic and steer their children away.

So without further addo:

Unaffiliated - Because they gave into the pressure from a friend at church and want to stand out, they've gone to a "secret home church."  Now they feel like they are apart of a secret order.  However, they will still go to their same church but they will feel "unplugged from the system" and eager for another taste of something different.  They still dress mainstream and typically have decent social skills, but they are starting to get a feeling of not belonging with the crowd and will start trying to find others with which they have an affinity.

House Church – You just found out that you don't have to go to an official church.  It's liberating, isn't it?  There are both Jews and goyim in this phase as can be found in all groups of messianism.  Anything goes for clothing, and you just found out that the bible was originally written in Hebrew… but that Constatine came a fixed it to the "correct" greek.  These people are typically very clingy to each other and are easy to point out because they have are hard time enjoying crowds.

Reform – Everyone starts making their own beliefs and definitions.  Men and women experiment with tallisim, tefillin, kipot, etc.  You believe that surely you are the most advanced person on earth and that no one else could possibly know the truth that you know.  You just realized that the "day of rest" mentioned in Bereshis is not Sunday but actually the Shabbos that Jews have been keeping. 

Conservative - Now you know the absolute truth.  Doesn't everyone know that Ezekiel saw the messianic/x-ian messiah above the chasmal?  You just discovered that tzitzit should be any color you choose (preferably rainbow colored) and that they should be tied to your pants belt loops. A kippah looks good on you, especially since you just found out about a messianic "shul"… but you make sure to take it off when your driving home from services on Shabbos.

Traditional -  As a man you are starting to grow a beard and the women are wearing skirts all the time.  Oy veh.  But don't worry about those elbows… were not like those crazy orthodox!  However, you probably have 5-10 seforim that grace your bookshelf making you look knowledgable.  That said, you are very self conscious when in public because you are afraid that a real Jew will see you and question you about where you live, where you buy glatt kosher (you're not sure what it is though), and why your tzitzit are tied to your pant's belt loops.

Holy Ghost -  You're tired of all the rules and religion!  Surely G-d doesn't care if you have a beard, wear tzitzit, kipah, etc… he just sees your heart.  You've linked up with others in the messianic movement that are more into the "deliverance" side of it all. WOW!  You never knew so many demons ran around… no wonder you lie all the time, a demon made you do it.  But no worries, you've learned the secret art that all the prophets knew of how to cast out demons.  Now you are having people over every night and are delivering them from their demons right in your living room!  Aren't you a sly one!

Hippy-ditional – OK, so you went a little over board on the Holy Ghost thing.  But you've now found out that linen emits a certain wavelength that stimulates health, therefore you are never caught without it on… no, the sandels don't do anything special but they match the linen nicely.  You are into a health diet and only eat all natural… thank G-d for juicers.  You've put down some money and are paying someone with land to plan crops for your consumption… but only if they observe shmittah.

Carlsbachian - Kinda like hippy, but much more orthodox.  You wear only white tziszis with your linen and sandels.  You want to study everything via Sod… no more pishat for you.  You know who Avraham Fried is and know what the initials MBD mean.  You have finally arrived.

Orthodox - Now you have come full circle.  You've put your kipah back on, you've now realized that tziszis are worn on a four corner tallis katan, and now know that you don't know everything about Judaism… but think you can figure it all out in a year or two.  You might still drive on Shabbos but if you are really "in-the-know" you only walk… yeah, 5 miles while carrying a backpack, the whole time outside an eruv.  Your bookshelf now has at least 20 seforim and you are planning on ordering the English/Hebrew Schottenstein version of Talmud Bavli from Artscroll.  You've spent 1 month in Israel and are therefore an authority on all things Jewish.  You've been going to Tuesday night classes at Chabad or a local modern orthodox shul and no one has figured out that you're messianic.  If you're a single guy, then you spend all you money and time at the local kosher pizza joint hoping to hit on single Jewish girls.  You're thinking about growing peyos.  You go to the Israeli consulate to apply for aliya but are rejected because they don't consider you Jewish… whatever, you think you are and that's all that matters.

Ruraldox -  It's all a conspiracy and the only way to beat it is to live off the grid.  Yeah, so you might have been wrong about Y2K, but your not wrong now.  You've got 15 years worth of food, 20 chickens, raised garden beds, a stocked pond, 5 acres, 7 rifles all chambered in 5.56, 4 pistols in .45, and enough ammo to back a small country's military coup.  The closest city is 100 miles away and you are trying to find a more rural location than what you have now.  Yes, you keep Torah… according to the ancient Yeminite Jews.

Angerydox – You've figured it out.  You've been lied to.  You are tired of all this pretending… enough with this.  It doesn't matter if your mother and father are both not Jewish.  If you say you are Jewish then that should be good enough.  You're going to tell everyone you are Jewish until someone believes.  Who ever said that the rebbeim have the authority to declare someone Jew or not!  You are done with their system and are going to figure out a way to start your own beis din.  That should do it! AHHH!

 

Now that you know the different types of messianics, feel empowered!  Knowing is half the battle =)

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One Response to Messianic Groups

  1. Britta says:

    this blog should be printed out and installed on every bus in the city

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