# Mezuzot on a Christian home **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 20, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807 "2003-07-20T23:11:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/61 "2022-09-08T19:21:29Z")
Thanks so much for bringing us up to date. I am glad you still live in the house and I hope it’s a happy place for you. Having your Jewish friend explain the Mezuzah was a lovely idea. And I agree with everything Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle had to say. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/62 "2022-09-08T21:49:01Z")
That’s awesome. I’m glad you found something meaningful. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/63 "2022-09-08T23:13:56Z")
I wonder how long it will be before we see a Ring doorbell cam with a built-in mezuzah. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/64 "2022-09-09T00:43:46Z")
> [@brianmelendez](#): > > > [@brianmelendez](#): > > > > I have decided that I will use a symbol that honors the scriptural text without encroaching upon the peculiarly Jewish nature of the mezuzah. Rather than using a scroll with the text printed in Hebrew inside a mezuzah case, I am ordering a brass plaque, with the same text in English, which I will affix to the doorpost about where the mezuzah would go if I were affixing one. > > I held a moving-in ceremony, which included (among several other, unrelated rituals) publicly affixing the brass plaque to the doorpost, accompanied by my Jewish best friend explaining what a mezuzah was and how the Jewish tradition inspired the plaque that I was using. Is this anything like the non-Rabbinic mezuzah plaques described in Wikipedia? eg [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Mezuzah_IMG_2124.JPG/800px-Mezuzah_IMG_2124.JPG) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Mezuzah_IMG_2124.JPG/800px-Mezuzah_IMG_2124.JPG) (Samaritan) [http://www.talentshare.org/~mm9n/articles/mezuzah/10.htm62.jpg](http://www.talentshare.org/~mm9n/articles/mezuzah/10.htm62.jpg) (Karaite) ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/65 "2022-09-09T15:31:26Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Is this anything like the non-Rabbinic mezuzah plaques described in Wikipedia? eg No, not much like that at all. Mine is just the text from Deuteronomy, in English, with a citation. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/66 "2022-09-14T03:15:44Z")
I THINK the bowl of holy water at the door for Catholics was done years ago, back before Vatican II – probably even way before then. I’ve never seen it, but maybe my dad knows something about it. I’ll ask him. So if you buy a house that has a mezuzot on it, and you’re not Jewish, you should have it removed then? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/67 "2022-09-14T04:08:43Z")
Sure, but most Jews would remove their mezuzah when they move out. I certainly did for mine. If it hasn’t been removed by the previous owners I would expect a non-Jew to remove it. There’s no reason to keep it up there. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/68 "2022-09-14T09:07:22Z")
Unless, of course, the gentile has no idea what it is and simply never bothers to take it down. But, since it contains a scroll with the word of G\*d on it I think it’s supposed to be disposed of in a particular manner. The scroll, that is, the fancy container is just that, a container. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/69 "2022-09-14T10:50:28Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > There’s no reason to keep it up there. It’s easier to do nothing. That was my impression as a little kid, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/70 "2022-09-14T11:18:18Z")
When i lived in NYC, and awful lot of non-Jews had mezuzot ok their apartment doors. They were left by a Jew, and it can be a nuisance to remove, and they just stayed there. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/71 "2022-09-14T13:26:19Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > It’s easier to do nothing. That was my impression as a little kid, anyway. Fair enough. All of mine have been two simple screws or brads, easy enough to remove in 2 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/72 "2022-09-14T15:16:39Z")
Especially in cities, start noticing a lump on the upper right of the door frame. Those are mezuzot that have been painted over by subsequent tenants. ---
**Author:** ![RickG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rickg/32/5174_2.png) [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/73 "2022-09-14T15:30:30Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I wonder how long it will be before we see a Ring doorbell cam with a built-in mezuzah. Forever, I hope. Wouldn’t really be in the right place, anyway. The mezuzah goes fairly high up on the right side of the door, on the frame facing to the left. Doorbells normally face toward the outside of the house, about halfway down. Also, I would not trust my Jewish ritual objects to Amazon. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/74 "2022-09-14T18:33:33Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I wonder how long it will be before we see a Ring doorbell cam with a built-in mezuzah. Imagine the market for door golems if they could work it out. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/75 "2022-09-14T20:06:20Z")
No room for a door golem with Maxwell’s demon in the way. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2022, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/76 "2022-09-17T01:53:47Z")
Would it come with a door Smeagol? ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2022, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/77 "2022-09-17T19:47:07Z")
That actually came up when I asked an expert the pronunciation of golem. ‘Goh lemm. Gollum is Sméagol’ ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2022, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/78 "2022-09-17T21:35:16Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I THINK the bowl of holy water at the door for Catholics was done years ago, back before Vatican II – probably even way before then. I’m an old, and I only noticed them when I was a kid at houses of people who were old then. So, a pretty long time ago. And I don’t remember bowls of water. I mostly saw very small versions of the wall-mounted holy water basins like in churches. And the water had to be blessed by a priest. Otherwise, they’d just be weird fingerbowls. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2022, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/79 "2022-09-19T02:20:34Z")
My daughter rented an apartment that had one left by a previous tenant. I knew what it was, but had no idea about what to do with it. If you take it down do yo throw it in the garbage? That seemed wrong. Toss it in the junk drawer with the oddball phone chargers? Less wrong, but still wrong. In the end I advised her to leave it up, and up it stayed, at least until the next tenant arrived. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2022, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807/80 "2022-09-19T02:25:14Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > Toss it in the junk drawer with the oddball phone chargers? That’s where my extra one lives. Well, not the junk drawer, but a similar drawer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mezuzot-on-a-christian-home/189807.md?page=3)