From https://kirkcenter.org/reviews/nobody-expects-the-spanish-inquisition-to-be-explained-fairly/ "But as Stark makes clear, by the standards of the day, the Spanish Inquisition was actually fairly innocuous. Torture, for instance, was a standard way of getting confessions at the time, and while the Inquisition employed it, it did so within strict guidelines secular courts often lacked. In fact, the Inquisition’s reputation was so much better than that of the secular courts that defendants would try to get their trials moved to an Inquisition venue." From https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/jun/16/artsandhumanities.internationaleducationnews "Cardinal Georges Cottier, a Vatican theologian, said: "You can't ask pardon for deeds which aren't there." European and North American historians have been searching the archives since a Vatican conference on the Inquisition in 1998. Their findings support the recent theories of some independent historians that the Spanish Inquisition has been exaggerated into a kind of legend." |
Even if you don't recognize that Jesus is the Messiah and G-d in the flesh, assume for the sake of argument that Jesus is the Messiah and G-d in the flesh. Assume that a minority of Jews recognize this, but that the majority of Jews do not. Would the "real" Jews be the majority? Or would the majority have gone off the derech? Answer: both the majority and the minority would be "real" Jews, but the majority would have gone off the derech. If you want to define a "real" Jew as a Pharisee then perhaps you should use the term Pharisaic Jew or Jew who follows Pharisaic teachings. From Romans 11 (New American Bible Revised at bibleegateway.com): God’s Irrevocable Call. 25 I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not become wise [in] your own estimation: a hardening has come upon Israel in part, until the full number of the Gentiles comes in, 26 and thus all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come out of Zion, he will turn away godlessness from Jacob; 27 and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” 28 In respect to the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but in respect to election, they are beloved because of the patriarchs. 29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Triumph of God’s Mercy. 30 Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may [now] receive mercy. 32 For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all." |
None of this has anything to do with actual Jews. |
So... the point of all this is that the Catholics who also claim they're Jewish are the real Jews, and the Jews who say it's not compatible with our religion to be both Catholic and Jewish are wrong. Got it. |