(1) Is marital assimilation (i.e. intermarriage of Jewish Believers and non-Jewish Believers resulting in loss of ethnic Jewish identity and the ethnic homogenization of the Kahal of Believers) a problem?
(2) If marital assimilation is a problem, what is the best solution to this problem? Phrased differently, how should ethnic status (e.g. Kohanic, Levitical, Jewish) be safeguarded?
I'd be interested to see how others respond to this.
ReplyDelete1) To narrow down the question a bit, it might be helpful to clarify what you mean by "assimilation." My guess is that you're not talking about a Messianic Jewish believer marrying an unbeliever -- the problems in such a scenario are pretty self evident. If you're talking about a Messianic Jewish believer marrying, say, a Sunday-Christian, then I would say there is definitely potential that the Messianic believer might "assimilate" by abandoning Shabbat, the Feasts, etc., though I would argue this wouldn't be *full* assimilation, because many Sunday churches do keep a great number of the Torah's commands -- so perhaps we might call it "partial assimilation"?
Ideally, young couples who are thinking about getting married should iron out these big ticket issues *before* entering into covenant with one another. In the case of a Messianic believer (Jewish or not) marrying a Sunday Christian, if both parties aren't agreed, someone is going to have to buckle and "assimilate" into the other's practices.
Before I take a stab at #2, I should probably ask if this is the kind of example you have in mind, or if you're thinking along different lines.
Rob,
ReplyDeleteYes, to clarify, when I say "marital assimilation" I'm referring to ethnic assimilation that occurs via intermarriage between a Believing Jewish spouse and a Believing non-Jewish spouse. And thanks for being open to discussing such a controversial question!
1) It can be a problem if the next generation marries non-Jews and the grandkids will say, "Oh, my grandpa was Jewish." I would like to see Jews encouraged to marry Jews to the greatest extent possible. You can't claim that Yeshua made you, "more Jewish," as you parade around your non-Jewish wife," and it is mostly the men who are voting with their feet that non-Jewish women are preferable and Jewish women are not desirable as wives. It seems the only leaders with Jewish wives are those who married prior to their faith, so how does that add up? Don't expect Jewish women to want to stand around and bless this. This is especially true as those who set themselves up as leaders shun Jewish spouse in this way. I read a post, I believe here, by a lady who complained that, "you aren't accepted in a congregation until you marry a Jewish guy." Okay, so why are you coming into a Jewish congregation to steal the men? Is that your ministry? Obviously, I don't have any control over who my sons marry, if they marry, but I am sure pointing them in that direction. Sending No. 1 son to Israel when he graduates, so that might help :) Even Yohanna Chernoff (not Jewish) insisted all of her children marry Jews, and they did.
ReplyDeleteEthnic assimilation today is lost, on two major points, there is no more tribal affiliation, the blurring of tribal members has already happened a long time ago, gone with the wind. Second, we also see historically, where God allowed for strangers to join Israel, with a massive multitude coming out of Egypt, with more than likely more gentiles than Israelites, and on this alone, we have in all technicality, the possibility that more people among Israel even today (Jews) have a gentile ancestor and not full blood ancestors of Abraham. Which is not wrong, as God allowed for that.
ReplyDeleteSo pertaining to the question, is a Jewish spouse being married to a non Jewish spouse an issue? Well, it wasn't for Ruth and Boaz...