Unfortunately, many Christian groups (mostly Pentecostal, it seems) make the religion seem like a resurrection of Manichaean dualism. I was discussing this with my (14 yr old) daughter recently, in fact, during the religion lesson in our homeschooling work (she had asked why bornagain Christians seem to talk about “the devil” more than they talk about God.)
I would of been happpy if she chose another religion. After all, we Catholics are use to negativity from non-Catholics anyway…as always, Catholic bashing is constant, no matter how you try to word it.
Good post Brian, this is why I love my faith so much as a Catholic. It isn’t easy to be Catholic just as Jesus said it wouldn’t be easy to enter the kingdom of heaven.
That is one of the reasons why Jews do not believe in Jesus, yes. But also because Christians believe he was God come in human form (chas ve’sholom), and we know what it says in Deut 4, that Moses warned us in advance not to perceive God in any form or likeness. One of the Ten Commandments, in fact, says not to make a graven image of ANYTHING in heaven or on earth.I am still thinking on your comments about all Jews should be Jewish.
I was reading Justin Martyr earlier today, and in those writing he relates a conversation he had with a Jewish man named Tryphos. Tryphos started out by saying that a Jew cannot believe in Christ because God has commanded that they have no other Gods. He went on to explain that the prophets had sometimes phrased this as the other gods are false, and some have erroneously interrpreted this as a belief in other gods, but Tryphos explains, no, it is stating that those gods are not God at all, but something false worshiped by pagans (gentiles).
I found this interesting for a few reasons. One was, thinking on the things you have said here. And also, the two religions that I am most familiar with, Mormonism and Catholicism. So I was wondering if my thinking, sort of my own conclusions are correct. And that would be:
As Tryphos stated some 2000 years ago, there may be people who believe in other gods but Jews are commanded to believe in the One God. And tied to your statements, that Jews should be Jews, because this is what God has commanded them to be, and you can base it on the commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”. Is this a correct view of your belief?
TIA
Rebecca
What you said I also found, after being on this forum for a couple of weeks.
I think you are distorting those verses. God commanded not to make graven images in order to worship them. Right after that he commanded Moses to make all kinds of graven images for the tabernacle and the graven cherubs for the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant. God also commanded Moses to make a graven image of a serpent and put it on a pole so that the people “might looked upon it and live”. We see this as a type of Jesus on the cross, BTW.
I have been in the Basilica of St Anne de Beaupre in Canada, and have seen women talking to the statues there. I also saw a woman holding the hand of one statue while talking to it. My husband (former Protestant, now a Jew) was mortified, and I tried to explain to him that the Catholic religion does not teach that people are to pray to the statue, but rather, to the saint it represents, but what those women did left a visual image that never quite left him.
Then again…What you said I also found, after being on this forum for a couple of weeks.
The more people try to convert you away from your faith, the more you dig in your heels, and you find your faith actually becomes stronger! I know that has happened to me these past couple of weeks.
My faith in Judaism was already very strong, but at this point its unshakeable, and I thank God for leading me here.
As my late mother used to say, God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform!
But Judaism does teach that Satan/Serpent are yetzer hara, the evil inclination. So if a satanist worships that and not God then why would you think it’s silly and be indifferent about it? Do you think God approves of people glorifying yetzer hara over yetzer hatov, the good inclination?
I agree with you completely, the more of us that were picked off and banned from the board we were hanging out at, the stronger my faith became, except for one member that opted to just leave, I was the very last Catholic that posted at that board in defense to our faith and to the church. At that point, I knew my place was with other Catholics and sympathetic individuals that were not trying to bash my faith such as yourself. I’ll even welcome company with a muslem that holds respect for my faith over that group that attacked me and the others, for at least we can clearly see our religions are very much different and know that it’s respectful to set boundries as to our discussion. The protestants have not shown me respect in this regards as to the boundries and trampled all over them. It was they that initiated it and at this point, I’d rather wash my hands of them.What you said I also found, after being on this forum for a couple of weeks.
The more people try to convert you away from your faith, the more you dig in your heels, and you find your faith actually becomes stronger! I know that has happened to me these past couple of weeks.
My faith in Judaism was already very strong, but at this point its unshakeable, and I thank God for leading me here.
As my late mother used to say, God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform!
But Judaism is about seeking God, and if Jesus is God, modern Judaism is missing an important piece of information.
No. It is not about seeking God. We have already been introduced to God. He has revealed Himself to us.
I don’t see Justin Martyr or Tertullian in there, but without them, it is enough.
Interesting. On mormon threads certain catholics can bash the mormon church. I have tried to point out that all faiths can have a checkered past. But it fell on deaf ears. You link speaks volumes. But human beings are human beings and no human being is perfect, regardless of their station in life. Sad that we humans are so imperfect and cruel at times.
Maybe so, but that doesn’t change the pain that was experienced by the human beings who were living through it. But all can learn from the past and try to do better now and in the future.
Did I say that it did?
Except when I have Christians confronting me for conversionary purposes, or when I am working with Jewish kids ensnared in cults, etc., Christianity really never enters my mind much.