Jews Entering a Church? Rabbi Riskin Answers

Q & A – WITH RABBI RISKIN-
[Posted May 21, 2011 on Ohr Torah Stone Website].
Notice the blanket acceptance of Evangelicals and the permission to participate in a Church service if it is for educational purposes.

Question:
Am I allowed to attend my friend’s wedding in a church? Are Jews allowed to enter churches at all?

Answer:
Evangelical churches do not have icons or statues and it is certainly permissible to enter Evangelical churches. Catholic and most Protestant churches do have icons as well as paintings and sculptures. If you enter the church in order to appreciate the art with an eye towards understanding Christianity and the differences between Judaism and Christianity so that you can hold your own in discussions with Christians, then it is permissible. Participating in a church religious service is forbidden unless it is for learning purposes or unless it would be a desecration of God’s name if you don’t attend, as in the case of Chief Rabbi Sack’s attendance at Prince William’s wedding.

3 responses to “Jews Entering a Church? Rabbi Riskin Answers

  1. I have not found a link that actuallly goes back to Rabbi Riskin or his organization. Further, evangelical churches seek to evangelize Jews, meaning to get us to convert to Christianity, so I can’t imagine he’d say this.

    • There was originally a direct link to Rabbi Riskin’s own web site. He obviously decided to take it down since I posted.

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