Obama's hosted white house seder for Passover


No church on Christmas, though. Thought he was Christian.

[quote="sskelly, post:1, topic:192763"]

No church on Christmas, though. Thought he was Christian.


My understanding is that he spent the Christmas holiday in Hawaii and as a child his family was not church going. His grandparents irregularly took him to First Unitarian of Honolulu, but that would have been in his grade school years.

As for the Seder, it is an informal gathering of friends at home. As noted in the article, it was a practice that began in 2008 on the campaign trail and which he has continued, now for the third time.

So he’s not a Christian then.

I was confused because of the trouble over Rev.Wright during his presidential campaign. I thought that was a Christian church.

He says he is, and we ought to accept that. That he isn’t a faithful Christian might also be true if he doesn’t get to church services and is lukewarm in his faith.

I thought that was a Christian church.

It is, but it had a pastor who wasn’t much of a Christian personally judging by his rhetoric.

There are Christians, including Catholics, who celebrate Passover. It doesn no harm, but I personally think it inappropriate, as do many Jews.

To me, it would be like Jews having a Consecration of the Eucharist and saying that they’re doing it for fellowship and out of respect for Catholics. :shrug:

Forum rules state: "It is never acceptable to question the sincerity of an individual’s beliefs "

Whip that dead horse! What next, a resurgence of ‘hymietown’?

Yet it is not unusual for Jews to invite Christians to attend a seder. Of course, there is a great deal of diversity in Judaism and how it is practiced, just as there is a great deal of diversity in Christianity and how it is practiced. Jews often disagree with one another about what is appropriate, just as Christians often disagree with one another about what is appropriate.

The rabbi of the synagogue near President Obama’s home in Chicago attended the White House seder last year and she is supportive of it.

hmmm… I’m not sure if that is an accurate comparison. Seders are typically gatherings of family and friends, they don’t require a rabbi. And a seder meal, while religious, is not considered holy in the same way that the Eucharist is.

Good for the President I see nothing wrong in hosting a Seder.

I was told that it is exactly like our understanding of the Eucharist. We believe that the Sacrifice of the Mass is the very same sacrifice as that at Calvary, not a remembrance, not a recreation, but the very same sacrifice.

Similarly, Jews aren’t just having a memorial meal. They are participating in the very same Passover as the first Passover. So I was told by some Orthodox Jews I knew. To be sure, many Jews celebrate it solely as a part of their ethnic tradition rather than what is is supposed to be, just as Easter is more chocolate bunny and jelly bean time for some Christians than anything else.

But, as you said, you’re not sure, and I’m not sure. Sort of like two Jews discussing the Eucharist. “I’m not sure, but this is what the Catholics believe…” :smiley:
