"Non-Perfected Christians"

A claim made recently by a number of Christian denominations is that Jews are "non-perfected Christians." I can think of few more offensive lines than this. "Oh dear, they are Christians really, they just aren't yet perfect. But we are perfect. And one day they'll be perfect like us and push the same kind of smarmy patronizing tripe."
 
The Jews aren't "non-perfected Christians"; with the exception of Christian converts they aren't Christians, period. Among today's religious Jews there are different denominations; and then there is a large body of people who have kept their national identity but not Judaic religion. Pasternak's advice to the Jews - that they disperse - has been followed geographically but not culturally; and while we find Jews all over the world and in all sorts of unlikely places, they have all retained their sense of identity as Jews. Other than that, the Jewish people differ as much from each other as does Adam Sandler from Benyamin Netanyahu, or Monica Lewinski from Golda Meir.
 
Among the practicioners of Judaism, nobody accepts the divinity of Jesus. Judaism is not alone in taking that stance; the founders of America took it as well. A practicioner of Judaism who accepts the divinity of Jesus stops being a practicioner of Judaism and becomes a practicioner of Christianity, though he may retain his national Jewish identity. It is a matter of choice and conviction and has nothing to do with anyone being or not being perfect.

Having myself practiced Christianity for a number of years in my adult life, I know that a serious Christian would want other people to become Christians as well. The motives for this do not have to be bad; it is possible to come from the best of intentions - such as wanting the next person to experience Jesus or wanting to save the next person a trip to hell. The real problem is with the idea that some of these people have that they've been "perfected" through Jesus and are now perfect, while the rest of the world is fallen, imperfect, evil or of the Satan. This line of thinking verges on religious and cultural narcissism - something of which Jews have been accused by many, but which is found to a much greater extent in any number of Christian-influenced cultures.
 
I left Christianity because of a number of major disagreements, such as with the doctrine that only Jesus is good and that everything that does not come from Jesus comes from Satan. The clincher however was when the lovely gentleman who was sponsoring me at the church told me that his wife has had to learn to submit to him. As a mature-aged male, I have everything to gain from such a belief; but I find it morally reprehensible. And if I stand to be accused here of pride or self-righteousness, then I would rather be accused of such things than be a part of something like that.
 
Does this make the person who buys into such beliefs perfect, and the person who doesn't buy into such beliefs imperfect? Well that's up to the next person to decide. Is the man who believes that his wife should submit to him better or worse than the man who doesn't? Is he more perfect? Is he more righteous? Is he more noble? Is he a better man?

Yeah, go back to your perfect Southern Baptist brute of a husband and leave us the non-perfected alone. And don't forget to submit to him; after all that's what the New Testament says that a perfect woman should do.