Yes, so-called Messianic Jews provoke violence and even solicit it with their offensive beliefs and their provocative behaviors of pushing their radical, fundamentalist views onto unsuspecting innocent bystanders. These provocateurs rightly need to be exposed for who they truly are. I believe it is important that we set the record straight on a number of issues.

First, the name "Messianic" Jews as applied to Jewish converts to Christians is a deceptive misnomer. It is a principle of Torah faith to believe in the coming of the messiah, therefore, in a way, all Torah faithful Jews are "messianic." However, when these so-called "Jews" use this term, they do so with the specific and clear intent to hide their association and affiliation with Christian beliefs. Personally, I feel that Christians should find this term more insulting than do we Jews. This term "Messianic Jews" clearly distinguishes and separates this group from the greater Christian community. I would think that Christians would view this term as divisive and seek the end of its usage.

The term "Messianic Jews" is the title that Jewish converts to Christianity have taken for themselves in their attempt to psychologically convince themselves that they still maintain some semblance of connection to Judaism and the greater Jewish community in spite of the fact that the theology they have embraced makes such a connection impossible.

Second, Christian theology in its present form is rather absolute. It presents Christianity as the replacement of Judaism and its superior. It replaces the requirement of observing Torah commandments with the belief that Yeshu is the "son of god" and one's "personal savior." Needless to say, Torah is based upon the necessity of observing the Law and one of those Laws is the repudiation of belief in a triune deity and in believing that a human being is a god or should be worshipped as god.

There is no Christianity without belief in the divinity of Yeshu and there is no Judaism without belief in the repudiation of idolatry. Therefore the two religions are mutually exclusive. In the theological arena, there is no room for compromise; it is an "either/or" situation. I might add that regardless of whatever religious disagreements the Torah community may have with the Reform and Conservative Jewish communities, in this one area all seem to agree. Once a Jew embraces Christian theology, he has removed himself from Judaism.

Good Jewish/Christian relations therefore are not built upon futile discussions about theology, but rather upon addressing other issues of mutually important moral and social concerns. There are millions and millions of good, G-d fearing, moral and righteous Christians in this world, many of whom are sincere and true friends of the Jewish people. These sincere and good people stand firm in their faith and encourage Jews to do the same. These sincere and good people are not the ones sending missionaries into the heart of the Holy Land attempting to rip Jews away from their people, culture and heritage. Then along comes the dangerous missionaries and create all kinds of havoc attempting to wreck the otherwise good relationship existing between the two communities.

These so-called Messianics have created an identity for themselves where they are neither welcomed nor embraced by either sincere Christians or by sincere Torah Jews. These groups have created an identity for themselves which causes everyone great consternation. Messianic Jews are thus neither Jews nor Christians but some rather strange cult-like bizarre group somewhere on the fringe.

Messianic Jews are an embarrassment to sincere Christians and they are a source of hostile emotion to Jews. Their spewing of fire and brimstone, spiritual death and condemnation for all "non-believers" should be investigated by the appropriate legal authorities to see if it is protected religious speech or if it is nothing other than virulent hate speech directed at everyone who does not accept their views.

Messianic Jews are a group to be pitied. They are misguided and rejected, and mostly due to their own faults. They want to be something that they are not and can never be. They want to be accepted as full-fledged Christians when at the same time they embrace elements of Judaism unacceptable to Christianity. They want to be accepted as full-fledged Jews when at the same time they embrace elements of Christianity unacceptable to Judaism.

Rightly so do Jews find this group to be repugnant and offensive. Righty so do sincere and true Christians share with Jews a rejection of this group. I believe that if more sincere Christians stood up and were outspoken and said to these so-called Messianics that if they truly wish to be accepted as Christians then they have to go all the way and abandon their shallow and deceptive embrace of trying to look Jewish. This would give these so-called Messianics moment to pause, to think and to choose where they wished to truly belong.

If many so-called Messianics choose the Christian path in fullness and sincerity, then so be it. It would not be the first time in Jewish history that we have lost many members to other faiths. I wish them good riddance. I will not pursue them nor miss them. I do however feel sorry for the other faith that they adopt. If they were lousy Jews, I do not expect them to all of a sudden upon converting to become anything better within their new chosen path.

If there are those Messianics who cannot emotionally disconnect themselves from their Jewish origins then maybe that tug on their hearts is something that they should explore. Maybe the Voice of Torah is calling them home to their native people and natural path. Maybe if the Messianics would open their minds and hearts to the proper study of the Bible they would find what they seek in the sacred and ancients Halls of Torah.

Messianics may have to give up their theology about Yeshu, but in doing so they would find what they call the Living Word of G-d that was with G-d in the beginning. This is the sacred Torah; the same Torah that has been maligned and misunderstood for centuries. There is no place like home - but one cannot see home from the outside or from a distance.

Sincere Christians and Jews need to unite and jointly reject the Messianic Jewish cult phenomena and call upon its members to stop being the continuing source of hateful provocation that they are.