They were not Orthodox; they were Conservative. There is much argument among Jews whether this form of Judaism "qualifies." I leave that to the principals in the dispute to sort out.
You cannot believe and worship JC and still say you are following Jewish practices. The 2 are incompatible.
I believe you are missing the point. Messianic Jews are not trying to practice Judaism per se. They are practicing a form of Christianity. Religion is a group of beliefs, wrapped in a cultural environment. Many Messianic Jews are more culturally comfortable in their format than in a, say, Southern Baptist environment. And as my earlier post observed, their worship format may well be closer to the original practices (of Jews in the Holy Land who believed Jesus is the Messiah predicted by their prophets) than the practices Americans experience in Protestant or Catholic environments.
That said, I do believe that if an observant Conservative or Reform Jew were to attend a Catholic mass, they would be surprised at the many concordances, just as many Christians feel familiar when they attend Jewish services on behalf of family members or friends. Evangelical Christians acknowledge their religious roots in Judaism; right or wrong, this is one of the drivers of American political support for Israel.
Sorry guy. I'm glad that you enjoy JC as part of your life, but you are very much speaking from the position of looking in from the outside.
I'm a shicksa. And okay with where I am religiously -- also appreciative of the rich friendships and windows into the variety of worship formats honoring the G-d of Abraham that have been open to me as an American.
Again, blessings on your journey.
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