Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, an Orthodox Rabbi, has encountered strenuous public opposition because he attended an interfaith prayer service commemorating the inauguration of President Obama. In Haaretz, Anshel Pfeffer writes:
There are two issues at stake here. One is the participation in interfaith services, which most Orthodox rabbis believe is wrong since it could legitimize Christian missionaries’ argument that Jews can embrace Jesus. I’ll leave that one to the theologians. The other issue is the lingering feeling of suspicion and historical fear that many Jews still feel toward Christian symbols, and the concern that by entering a church and appreciating the architecture, the music and the service, one may be infringing upon the Torah’s prohibition of avoda zara (idolatry).
[…]But here we are in rather murky waters. It is almost impossible to live a normal life in western society without being surrounded constantly by Christian symbols. Even the most ultra-Orthodox rabbi routinely carries crosses and pictures of churches around with him in his wallet, on the coins and banknotes issued by almost every central bank in Europe.
Read the full article here.