Wes Poarch
Shalom Moshe. I have just finished reading your response to the Christian missionary. I can relate to this dialogue because I have been "down that road", having been born and reared as a Baptist. I am only too sorry that it has taken me this long to begin to realize "the truth". There are no Orthodox congregations anywhere near me but, in my heart, I have already converted.
My point in this letter though is to ask the missionary if by chance he takes ALL of G-d's Word to be binding or just select portions? Should he say that it is ALL binding then I must ask him how he reads Devarim 4:2 and Devarim 13:1? The way I see it, if that is binding upon us then how in the world can anyone accept this "New Covenant" and all that goes with it? That is most certainly an addition to His Word. I am sure the missionary is an intelligent person but if he can show me or anyone else, where in G-d's Torah does G-d EVER even allude to there being a “god-man”, man-god, a Trinity, a second coming, or a death and resurrection of a man that will atone for my sins, then I might consider his argument as somewhat valid. But other than some convoluted, twisted, out of context verses there is absolutely NO basis for any of what the missionary is espousing. When I read (just to name a few) Devarim 32:39, Isaiah 42:8, Isaiah 43:25, Isaiah 45:3-5, Isaiah 45:21-23, Isaiah 44:6-8, Ezekiel 18, then any and all doubt in my mind is erased. I have found, through my own experience, that if one immerses himself in half-truths and untruths, then he will have a difficult time ever being led to “ha emet”. But there is hope.
Keep up the good work and I look forward to your dialogues with this missionary in the future.
Shalom,
Wes Poarch