A third reason is that the Mezuzah might be mistreated
Do not taunt Happy Fun Mezuzah. 
Sorry couldn’t resist …
brianmelendez, I appreciate your thoughfulness and willingness to seek out opinions on a sensitive subject. It has been an educational thread for me. As a semi-practicing conservative Jew I would prefer you not to put a mezuzah on your doorway. Why? Simply because you are not Jewish. If I were visiting your home and you had one, I would probably take instant offense and consider not staying.
My opinion: unlike some Christians, Jews are not at all interested in non-Jews co-opting their religious and cultural practices. As a Jew I gladly answer questions about practice from gentile friends and associates, and welcome participation on communal rituals like sedars. Some practices, however, are more personal and intimate and to me require the commitment of eventual conversion.
I’m sure you will do the right thing, you seem like a mensch.
Thank you all for your advice. Especially IzzyR and look@hergo!, whose ideas are substantially the ones that I am adopting. (And look@hergo!, I hope that this thread won’t be your last appearance at the SDMB!)
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’m a Messianic Gentile who worships at a temple and celebrates all the mosaic holidays and is learning Hebrew and loves the Jewish people. I have mezuzot on all my doors where I purchased kosher scrolls and did a proper bracha in Hebrew. It’s kind of strange to do it if your Christian who doesn’t have any connection to Judism at all but I’m technically a Christian as well. I guess as long as it’s done in reverance and your doing it correctly and for the right reasons it’s ok. It’s a bit strange but to each his own I guess.
Welcome to The Dope! Good first post, may you enjoy many more.
It’s interesting how the term “cultural appropriation” apparently didn’t exist 19 years ago, otherwise it definitely would have been used in this thread.
You’ve done a good job distilling the official Jewish attitude towards most other religions. Welcome to the board!
Thank you! At some level I feel that maybe I shouldn’t be putting up mezuzot either But my connection is very strong to many parts of the religion and I say the Shema twice a day in Hebrew and in English and putting up Mezuzot was very meaningful to me.
Many early Christian sects maintained Jewish traditions, as well. So long as you aren’t using those traditions as a way to stealth-proselytize to Jews, I’ve got no beef whatsoever.
It took me a few posts to realize I was reading a zombie and was puzzled as to why that phrase had not come up!
It seems like fairly few Jews would object to it in the manner finally settled on anyway, avoiding use of the sacred object. Is appropriation inappropriate in the absence of significant offense taken?
No not at all… I’m very libertarian when it comes to that the synagogue leader would probably disagree with that but I don’t feel like it’s my place to prostatize to anyone. You do you and I do me!
Exactly what I was thinking. But I commend the OP on his sensitivity to the idea, even if he didn’t have a term for it.
I’m a firm secular humanist, but I have an antique crucifix hanging on my wall - it belonged to my grandfather, and I hang it in memory of him. But it’s not on my door, or anywhere immediately obvious; and I’m an ex-Catholic anyway, so I don’t think it’s appropriative.
I grew up going to Presbyterian Sunday school, where they once had a cardboard mockup of an ancient Jewish home with a little mezuzah on the door frame. The basics of it were explained to us; a little box with a prayer inside, and when you’d go in or out, you’d touch it, which was equivalent to saying a prayer.
The first time I encountered a mezuzah IRL was years later. It was on the door frame of the Hermitage in Indianapolis. It was a multi-purpose building, but it served as the home of a Franciscan monk I knew. I got in the habit of touching the mezuzah when I entered.
I’m not a theologian, but I believe God is okay with any way a person chooses to say “Hello” to Him, no matter what name the person wants to call Him. (Or maybe Her.)
Nearly all our neighbors were Jewish when I was a kid, and my high school was 60% Jewish when I attended. And nearly all of them had a mezuzah on their door. It stood out as much to me as the doorknob. It’s nice reading the history and meaning to know what the story behind the object is. Most of my friends were secular to the max, and it didn’t especially interest them.
If it makes you happy to do that, then by all means do it.
But as Christians, it has ZERO religious significance outside of whatever it means to you. None. Zilch. Zip. Nada.
I’d be concerned about offending any observant Jews though; it’s sort of appropriating one of their religious ceremonies for your own use, and without any religious significance of your own.
But is it cultural appropriation for a Christian to follow instructions laid out in the Old Testament? It’s not even one of our ridiculous “put a fence around the law” rules like no cheeseburgers. It’s right there in Deuteronomy.
I guess I’m of two minds about it. If I suspect it’s a “Jews for Jesus” situation where they literally exist for the purpose of converting Jews by degrees, it’s insulting nigh unto infuriating. But if it’s a genuine effort to connect with the roots of their own religion, it’s kinda cute.
New Covenant – The Episcopal Church
In essence, Christ’s new covenant with man is one that isn’t based on the Law, as the original covenant with the Israelites was.
So Jews are still bound by the old covenant, and are required to write the verses from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 on their doorframes and gates (Deuteronomy 6:9). For them, it’s not an optional sort of thing.
But for Christians, there’s no commandment or obligation to follow the Law, as laid down in the Old Testament. You can do that stuff if you feel like it, but it’s not required or prohibited, and doesn’t buy you anything religiously speaking.
I have a slightly related question, if I may-If a house is to be torn down, are the mezuzot “recycled”? That is, if they were removed from a house because the new owner didn’t want them or the house was to be demolished, what should someone do with them? I had this question some years back and just dropped them off at a local temple for lack of a better idea.
The scroll inside is sacred text and can only be disposed of in a special ceremony.
Speaking only for myself, I am strongly against non Jews putting up mezzuzahs. I have no problem with people owning them as curios as long as they are treated respectfully.
We’ve got a fancy silver mezuzah that my parents bought in Israel when my nephew became bar mitzvah and it came mounted on a granite stand for display as an art piece. Ours is mounted on an interior door frame, but then again we are Jewish.