The Washington Post reports that disgraced Bishop Eddie Long has, unsurprisingly, apologised after the universal condemnation that has come his way since Messer’s messed-up religious side-show at his mega-church:
Bishop Eddie Long said in a letter to the Anti-Defamation League that he didn’t mean to offend the Jewish community by taking part in the ceremony.
A video shows Rabbi Ralph Messer, a Messianic preacher, wrapping Long in a large scroll that is purported to be the Torah. Messianic Jews believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah, which is at odds with traditional Jewish theology.
The Torah is one of the most sacred objects in Judaism. Bill Nigut of the Anti-Defamation League has said the ceremony was “completely inappropriate and really awful.”
The whole of the Messianic Jewish movement condemned Messer, RPP being one of the first Messianic blogs to carry this story and critique the event.
However confusion still remains over Messer’s claims to be a Messianic Jewish rabbi. Every Messianic Jewish group in America has condemned Messer and have no knowledge of his ordination. AJC false reports that Messer “is active in the Messianic Judaism movement” when in reality he has no place in it, neither role nor ties to the Messianic Movement. He has simply used it as part of his religious routine.
Messer’s claim to be an Israeli are unsubstantiated, RPP’s own investigations have come up with nothing, no one in the Israeli Messianic Jewish community knows him. Even the Hebrew Roots and Two House movement, which he is part of (not the Messianic Jewish community) have condemned Messer.
Whilst we welcome Long’s apology for allowing such a vain coronation ceremony which misused a Torah scroll, we would like to him also to apologise to those who have accused him of abuse and publicly repent of the things he has been accused of.
We do not hold our breath for that, nor an apology from Messer, whose own congregation screened the whole the mess with the AJC reporting how proud they were of Messer. In fact they are excited at all the publicity, thinking that it is good and any attack against them is proof that they are doing God’s work. Sadaam Hussein and Col Gaddafi got a lot of news coverage, was that proof they were doing Allah’s will too!
On Sunday the New Birth service was played in its entirety for Messer’s congregation at Simchat Torah Beit Midrash in Parker, Colorado.
“You’d be incredibly, incredibly proud of your rabbi,” said Nicole Martin, a pastor at Simchat. “I’m so excited about what happened [at New Birth]. The spirit was so thick, so tangible.”
Well someone was thick and something was tangible, just not the Spirit of God.
Messer’s Taco-Torah magic spell routine is not new, here he is wrapping another controversy covered preacher, this time Paula While at 2:19, this despite White denying she had gone through this ceremony before with Messer.
Update: Sadly Paula White has forced YouTube to pull the video, but we do still have a photo :
Hat-tip Luke, we have another source for this video.
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Er, what kind of country am I just about to move to…
America is an excellent country to move to, Bernard. Though, like every other country in the world, it’s comprised of people who fail to discern the things of G-d accurately and apply them appropriately. Therefore, it certainly has its share of religious charlatans (and other types of flawed leaders) that have risen to power, filling in the various voids. I think there are probably a shortage of countries where that isn’t the case, though.
Well it is free enough for nutters like Messer! Just seen this anti-Messianic site JewishIsrael’s coverage which they title Warning Obscene: http://jewishisrael.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-ultimate-desecration-of-the-torah-performed-by-messianic-rabb
They state “And they say Replacement Theology is dead.” I’m not sure Messer is Replacement rather he is everyone-who-fancies-joining-in!
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Good to see the National Jewish Student Magazine noticing that Messianic Jews are condemning this, and not lumping Messer together with Messianic Jews or Messianic Judaism. http://blog.newvoices.org/2012/02/06/jews-and-messianics-can-agree-on-longs-torah-debacle/
Nice end to the NJSM post: “This is not a defense of Messianic Judaism, only an acknowledgement of the precious times when members of two communities who have existed within undeniable friction can come together and say, “That ain’t kosher.” It’s reassuring to know in moments like these, when Jews (myself included) can easily think of Others, “They don’t want to understand us, and they have no respect for us,” the indignation is actually shared, even if for very different reasons. Thank God for those times, however rare.”
The Jews and the Yeshua-believers are not actually enemies. Someone, somewhere is just too busy making the two brothers hate each other so much. The novel will not end in tragedy. On the other hand, many gentiles somehow often MESS the momentum of the Jewish believers. Totally different orientations, really. This is sad. I hope we could just leave the Jewish believers alone in how they express their faith and concentrate more on our own ways. Wrapping the Torah around a person reminded me of the Japanese spring roll (harumaki). I love eating it! This guy really is not a Jew, he does not know the culture. Too confident to shame the real ones.
Long live the JEW JESUS!!!
If this mess did not come out on YouTube, Ralph Messer would still be “at large” claiming to be a Messianic Jew. God is revealing the truth about him and his likes (and their modus operandi). The media would be more aware about how to distinguish a Messianic Jew in the future — what is a Messianic Jew, their customs, traditions, sensitivities; who is a Messianic Jew, etc. This is a platform for which MJs have the opportunity to be more known and to be more clear. More so, mainstream Jews would know how sincere you are about your Jewishness (if I may not be mistaken, the Messianic Jews were the first to condemn that event). This is a great opportunity for you people! God is really wise! I hope I do not sound condescending.
Well well well what a surprise Paula White has had YouTube pull that whole video of her wrapped in a Torah scroll by Messer!
You can still watch it here. Maybe someone could capture it for the archives before the paula-bots finds it. You can also download a few other of her videos at the bottom of this page.
Thanks Luke got it now.
Makes that line we read earlier pretty hilarious, no?
“”There is not a single shred of truth in it, and we cannot fathom where such ridiculous fantasy may have come from. Pastor White has no ties or affiliation with Mr. Messer. She does not endorse him in any way, and she would never consider participating in any so-called coronation under any circumstances, whatsoever,” Daniel Beirute (White’s attorney) said in an email to Florida Courier Publisher Charles W. Cherry II.