Many offended by Messianic Jew praying at Michigan campaign event, blame Pence

By Mona Austin

A Messianic Jew praying at a Republican campaign event in Michigan for U.S. House candidate Lena Epstein on Monday, where Vice Pres. Mike Pence spoke, has caused a stir. Rabbi Loren Jacobs offered an opening prayer to the "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, God and father of my lord and savior Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, and my God and father, too." Many people took to social media to express they felt inviting a rabbi who converts Jews to Christianity was insensitive and inappropriate considering the recent massacre of mainline Jews at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. @janeworld1 tweeted, "So insulting at such a raw moment."

However, in a statement U.S. House candidate Lena Epstein said it was she who invited Rabbi Jacobs to pray, not Pence, "because we must unite as a nation." If Epstein wins she will be the only Republican Jewish woman in Congress.

"Any media or political competitor who is attacking me or the Vice President is guilty of nothing short of religious intolerance and should be ashamed," she said. "I invited the prayer because we must unite as a nation, while embracing religious differences. . ."

As reported by NBC News, Pence's deputy chief of staff, Jarrod Agen said that Pence heard Jacobs give a prayer at the beginning of the event and invited him back to the stage so the entire audience could hear him.

It is common to have ecumenical prayers at multi-faith gatherings. A mainline Jewish rabbi prayed before President Donald Trump spoke

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