I guess you just have to be COMPLETELY sure there is no God, or that Jesus isn’t the Messiah. If you are satisified with that - ok. After all we will all know eventually, too bad that is after we can no longer change our mind. One thing - if you want to know if Jesus exists, here is what I suggest: Go somewhere alone and talk to him. Be honest and open and ask him, if he is real, to let you see how that is true. Say you are willing to get to know him if he is real. Then just go about your life and when time comes that something in your heart says he is real, or some event shows your heart that he is real, make the right choice. Or - wait and just hope your right, it’s all your choice.
I’ve been away for a few days & am only now catching up with reading the forum. In a moment of weakness, I decided to read this thread. Lord, have mercy. Several people have asked my comments on the subject. I have none to offer, at least not here. As I’ve said before, you ought not demean your faith by subjecting it to the kind of “debate” – & I use the term very loosely – that has been displayed here. I vaguely remember something about not casting your pearls before swine…
Those who have been on the internet for a while come to appreciate the limitations of this kind of medium. That's why people invented emoticons, those little smiley things -- :-) :-( :-P -- to help give emotional content to otherwise inadequate words. Also, internet anonymity gives people the opportunity to act out all kinds of behaviors & say all kinds of things that would be completely beyond the pale in face to face discourse (that means people get to act like jerks & never face the consequences). I submit, T-Folk, that the internet (& especially forums & chat rooms) is wholly inadequate for dealing with a number of issues, among them religion. If you have faith issues that you're dealing with, sit down IN PERSON with a pastor or a faithful individual to whom you can open your heart & have a REAL conversation. As for the rest of you, shouldn't you be training or eating something about now?
There are two credos that I try to follow in my life; one by Emerson…one by Mother Teresa:
Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better; whether by a happy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even ONE life has breathed easier because you lived…this is to have succeeded.”
Mother Teresa
“Breathe Deep, Hope Eternal, and Give unconditionally, Laugh Unsparingly. I have found the paradox that if you love until it hurts-then there is no hurt…only more love.”
Concerned…far too many of us spend far too much time on dying instead of living…I choose to Live and to Love…do those things…and you’ll be okay…
Two quick comments. I believe in my religion
because I have faith in it, same as any
Moslem or Christian does. And like any other
religion, I think I am right and you others
are wrong. It’s pointless to debate this.
It’s a lot like running a race in the
Special Olympics…you might “win” the fight
here but you’re still retarded. To POMAN - there is zero mention in the Old Testament
that a Messiah would need to come “twice” to
get the job done. Quite simply, Jesus did
not come close to fulfilling the prophecies
as they are written. Now if you want to say
he did “something else” and that was a
great light to mankind, I can agree to all
that. If you want to say he was a perfect
example of what man should strive for I can
see merit in that. But according to the
Old Testament, he can not, was not and
most likely “upon his return” will not be
the Moshiach ben David of the Old Testament.
It is important to understand why Jews don’t believe in Jesus. The purpose is not to disparage other religions, but rather to clarify the Jewish position. The more data that’s available, the better-informed choices people can make about their spiritual path.
Jews do not accept Jesus as the Messiah because: 1) Jesus did not fulfill the Messianic prophecies. 2) Jesus did not embody the personal qualifications of the Messiah.
3) Biblical verses “referring” to Jesus are mistranslations. 4) Jewish belief is based on national revelation. Also…5) Christianity contradicts Jewish theology.
1) JESUS DID NOT FULFILL THE MESSIANIC PROPHECIES - What is the Messiah supposed to accomplish? The Bible says that he will:
A. Build the Third Temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28).
B. Gather all Jews back to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6).
C. Usher in an era of world peace, and end all hatred, oppression, suffering and disease. As it says: “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall man learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)
D. Spread universal knowledge of the God of Israel, which will unite humanity as one. As it says: “God will be King over all the world – on that day, God will be One and His Name will be One” (Zechariah 14:9).
The historical fact is that Jesus fulfilled none of these Messianic prophecies.
Christians counter that Jesus will fulfill these in the Second Coming, but Jewish sources show that the Messiah will fulfill the prophecies outright, and no concept of a second coming exists in our canon.
2) JESUS DID NOT EMBODY THE PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF MESSIAH
A. MESSIAH AS PROPHET
Jesus was not a prophet. Prophecy can only exist in Israel when the land is inhabited by a majority of world Jewry. During the time of Ezra (circa 300 BCE), when the majority of Jews refused to move from Babylon to Israel, prophecy ended upon the death of the last prophets – Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.
Jesus appeared on the scene approximately 350 years after prophecy had ended.
B. DESCENDENT OF DAVID
The Messiah must be descended on his father’s side from King David (see Genesis 49:10 and Isaiah 11:1). According to the Christian claim that Jesus was the product of a virgin birth, he had no father – and thus could not have possibly fulfilled the Messianic requirement of being descended on his father’s side from King David!
C. TORAH OBSERVANCE
The Messiah will lead the Jewish people to full Torah observance. The Torah states that all mitzvot remain binding forever, and anyone coming to change the Torah is immediately identified as a false prophet. (Deut. 13:1-4)
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus contradicts the Torah and states that its commandments are no longer applicable. (see John 1:45 and 9:16, Acts 3:22 and 7:37)
3) MISTRANSLATED VERSES "REFERRING" TO JESUS
Biblical verses can only be understood by studying the original Hebrew text – which reveals many discrepancies in the Christian translation.
A. VIRGIN BIRTH
The Christian idea of a virgin birth is derived from the verse in Isaiah 7:14 describing an “alma” as giving birth. The word “alma” has always meant a young woman, but Christian theologians came centuries later and translated it as “virgin.” This accords Jesus’ birth with the first century pagan idea of mortals being impregnated by gods.
B. CRUCIFIXION
The verse in Psalms 22:17 reads: “Like a lion, they are at my hands and feet.” The Hebrew word ki-ari (like a lion) is grammatically similar to the word “gouged.” Thus Christianity reads the verse as a reference to crucifixion: “They pierced my hands and feet.”
C. SUFFERING SERVANT
Christianity claims that Isaiah chapter 53 refers to Jesus, as the “suffering servant.”
In actuality, Isaiah 53 directly follows the theme of chapter 52, describing the exile and redemption of the Jewish people. The prophecies are written in the singular form because the Jews (“Israel”) are regarded as one unit. The Torah is filled with examples of the Jewish nation referred to with a singular pronoun.
Ironically, Isaiah’s prophecies of persecution refer in part to the 11th century when Jews were tortured and killed by Crusaders who acted in the name of Jesus.
From where did these mistranslations stem? St. Gregory, 4th century Bishop of Nanianzus, wrote: “A little jargon is all that is necessary to impose on the people. The less they comprehend, the more they admire.”
- JEWISH BELIEF IS BASED SOLELY ON NATIONAL REVELATION
Of the 15,000 religions in human history, only Judaism bases its belief on national revelation – i.e. God speaking to the entire nation. If God is going to start a religion, it makes sense He’ll tell everyone, not just one person.
Judaism, unique among all of the world’s major religions, does not rely on “claims of miracles” as the basis for its religion. In fact, the Bible says that God sometimes grants the power of “miracles” to charlatans, in order to test Jewish loyalty to the Torah (Deut. 13:4).
Maimonides states (Foundations of Torah, ch. 8): The Jews did not believe in Moses, our teacher, because of the miracles he performed. Whenever anyone’s belief is based on seeing miracles, he has lingering doubts, because it is possible the miracles were performed through magic or sorcery. All of the miracles performed by Moses in the desert were because they were necessary, and not as proof of his prophecy.
What then was the basis of Jewish belief? The Revelation at Mount Sinai, which we saw with our own eyes and heard with our own ears, not dependent on the testimony of others… as it says, “Face to face, God spoke with you…” The Torah also states: “God did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us – who are all here alive today.” (Deut. 5:3)
Judaism is not miracles. It is the personal eyewitness experience of every man, woman and child, standing at Mount Sinai 3,300 years ago.
5) CHRISTIANITY CONTRADICTS JEWISH THEOLOGY
The following theological points apply primarily to the Roman Catholic Church, the largest Christian denomination.
A. GOD AS THREE?
The Catholic idea of Trinity breaks God into three separate beings: The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19).
Contrast this to the Shema, the basis of Jewish belief: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is ONE” (Deut. 6:4). Jews declare the Shema every day, while writing it on doorposts (Mezuzah), and binding it to the hand and head (Tefillin). This statement of God’s Oneness is the first words a Jewish child is taught to say, and the last words uttered before a Jew dies.
In Jewish law, worship of a three-part god is considered idolatry – one of the three cardinal sins that a Jew should rather give up his life than transgress. This explains why during the Inquisitions and throughout history, Jews gave up their lives rather than convert.
B. MAN AS GOD?
Roman Catholics believe that God came down to earth in human form, as Jesus said: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).
Maimonides devotes most of the “Guide for the Perplexed” to the fundamental idea that God is incorporeal, meaning that He assumes no physical form. God is Eternal, above time. He is Infinite, beyond space. He cannot be born, and cannot die. Saying that God assumes human form makes God small, diminishing both His unity and His divinity. As the Torah says: “God is not a mortal” (Numbers 23:19).
Judaism says that the Messiah will be born of human parents, and possess normal physical attributes like other people. He will not be a demi-god, and will not possess supernatural qualities. In fact, an individual is alive in every generation with the capacity to step into the role of the Messiah. (see Maimonides - Laws of Kings 11:3)
C. INTERMEDIARY FOR PRAYER?
The Catholic belief is that prayer must be directed through an intermediary – i.e. confessing one’s sins to a priest. Jesus himself is an intermediary, as Jesus said: “No man cometh unto the Father but by me.”
In Judaism, prayer is a totally private matter, between each individual and God. As the Bible says: “God is near to all who call unto Him” (Psalms 145:18). Further, the Ten Commandments state: “You shall have no other gods BEFORE ME,” meaning that it is forbidden to set up a mediator between God and man. (see Maimonides - Laws of Idolatry ch. 1)
D. INVOLVEMENT IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD
Catholic doctrine often treats the physical world as an evil to be avoided. Mary, the holiest woman, is portrayed as a virgin. Priests and nuns are celibate. And monasteries are in remote, secluded locations.
By contrast, Judaism believes that God created the physical world not to frustrate us, but for our pleasure. Jewish spirituality comes through grappling with the mundane world in a way that uplifts and elevates. Sex in the proper context is one of the holiest acts we can perform.
The Talmud says if a person has the opportunity to taste a new fruit and refuses to do so, he will have to account for that in the World to Come. Jewish rabbinical schools teach how to live amidst the bustle of commercial activity. Jews don’t retreat from life, we elevate it.
Some final thoughts...
JEWS AND GENTILES - Judaism does not demand that everyone convert to the religion. The Torah of Moses is a truth for all humanity, whether Jewish or not. King Solomon asked God to heed the prayers of non-Jews who come to the Holy Temple (Kings I 8:41-43). The prophet Isaiah refers to the Temple as a “House for all nations.”
The Temple service during Sukkot featured 70 bull offerings, corresponding to the 70 nations of the world. The Talmud says that if the Romans would have realized how much benefit they were getting from the Temple, they’d never have destroyed it.
Jews have never actively sought converts to Judaism because the Torah prescribes a righteous path for gentiles to follow, known as the “Seven Laws of Noah.” Maimonides explains that any human being who faithfully observes these basic moral laws earns a proper place in heaven.
For further study of the Seven Laws of Noah, see:
http://www.fastlane.net/~bneinoah/
http://www.chabad.org/gopher/outlook/7laws/index.html
Now can we end this thread? 
Brock
Whoa… I’ve been Jewish without knowing I am.
I’ve always felt that any religion, truly worth my time would accept all good people. Regardless of race, religion, thoughts of faith. If they uphold certain morals, then they earn a place in this ‘eternal heaven’ that so many religions claim to have.
Another example of the messed up translations I believe is the commandment Thou shall not kill. I was told, in the original hebrew it was a word alot closer to 'slay' then 'kill'. The difference? To slay something is to do it out of spite, anger etc. Killing something could be out of mercy, or for food.
Hey brock-i was under the impression that messiah was two people-is this where the christians get the idea of two commings.
The reason i ask is b/c in the Bar chocva (sp) rebellion the jews at the time thought bar chocva was messiah in addition to rebbi akivah-as rebbi akiva was the spirtual leader and bar chocva the general who led with his sword…
ofcourse more recently we(the jews or some of us/them anyways) thought the “Rebbe” was messiah even though he said a 100X he wasnt and did not follow the steps in order to proclaim himself messiah
The Messiah is one person, coming once.
However, the prophet Elijiah is the herald of
the Messiah and he has to come back before
the Messiah and lead the Messiah through the
Western Gate of our Third Temple.
This can never happen, not now anyhow, for
aside from the Dome on the Rock mosque, the
lovely Palestinians deliberately built a
graveyard on what would be the Western side
of the Third Temple (if and when it it built).
You say, "so what?"....well Elijiah was my great-x30?-granddad or uncle. I am a kohen. So was Elijiah. Neither one of us can walk through a graveyward without becoming ritually impure. Those that are ritually impure are absolutely forbidden from entering the Temple. If Elijiah can't lead the Messiah through the Western gate, then the prophecy will not be fulfilled.
So anyhow, here I sit, patiently waiting
for the Messiah to come and though he may
tarry, there is little I can do but merely
wait and hope.
Brock
Rabbi Akivia Z"l was totally convinced that
Bar Kochba was the Messiah. Both were great
men, but Akiva Z"l was wrong about the
Messiah part. Rabbi Akiva was the first
martyr to recite the shema upon his impending
death at the Romans who skinned him alive.
However, he went to his death happily, because
he had recited the shema so many thousands of
times before and now had the chance to
perform Kiddush HaShem (Santification of
God’s name) rather than renounce his faith
and become an idolator.
Many Chassidic movements in Judaism often feel their founding rebbe is the Messiah and many wait for their dead rebbim to wake from the dead. That is why at least one of them is buried with his head facing Jerusalem, so when he is reanimated, he will know which way to start walking immediately.
Mainstream Judaism obviously rejects these
ideas.
Brock
thanks-xracergs
Brock - you cannot say this: “Now if you want to say he [Jesus] did “something else” and that was a great light to mankind, I can agree to all that. If you want to say he was a perfect example of what man should strive for I can see merit in that.” You must label Jesus one of 3 things - Messiah, Liar or Lunatic. He claimed He was God, the great “I AM”. He said that He and God were one. Only the Messiah can say that. So if Jesus was not the Messiah, as you say, then you cannot call him a great light or a perfect example. He was either lying or a complete loon.
Believe what you want about the rest, I will not argue you. I believe Jesus is the Messiah. What He said is Truth. He is who you seek.
As a taoist I find a lot of what has been said interesting, although I tend to agree with T-Rev that such debate in such a manner inevitably answers little/ solves little. It is all very well to debate back and forth the exigencies of belief and faith but I don’t believe that any one way is better and I don’t think that debating as to what your faith says provides any sort of answer except to others of a like mind. Mike the Libertarian may argue that the BIBLE means nothing but that in itself is a form of faith as much as Brock’s Judaism or the other’s belief in the Christian way.
If these are the end times, then so be it.
Take faith in what you believe if it stengthens your resolve to live well.
I was brought up as a Christian… but encountered serious theological problems. Yeah I was ‘saved’ because I was sh-t scared of going to hell for all eternity – who wouldn’t? Everything Brock mentioned (well… not as extensively) about Jesus being the Messiah rings true for me. There are some quotes of the OT in the NT that are really out of context! (I don’t have references written down… so feel free to ignore that last sentence) Also, the verse that always gets me is when Jesus says “you have heard an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” BUT “I tell you” don’t do that. So I thought God never changes? That seems like a 180 degree change in philosophy to me! Also… look at why most people become Christians. Fear of death. Peer pressure and group psychology trickery (rallies and the showmen who run em). Hello?! What happened to PROOF? But you know, FAITH is believing without proof. So then why not believe any religion you run across… if there is no proof?
Then you can even start questioning about the existence of God... I know the argument about science.. about how all the values are just perfect for us to exist and be who we are. There's just one problem with this argument. God IS perfection of design. But He is not created? Go figure..
What do I personally beleive? I don’t know, really, but I want the space to explore for myself. As you can imagine, I’m under tremendous pressure not to be ‘investigating’. People really hate that 
Also, the NT doesn’t really like it when people think about whether things it says may or may not be true.
Come on now… doubt is the weapon of Satan? If you don’t believe you go to hell? Sounds like strong words to scare the crap out of anyone who might even raise the smallest question about what they’re so blindly believing. Why the scare tactics?
Brock- You are right with regards that its a bit pointless to argue this point. You seem very well versed in the Hebrew scriptures, as I am in the Bible. You also go back to the original Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic for what the original writings say, as do I. So I applaude you in your studies in the Jewish faith; so many of our contemporary peers never pick up a holy book. But there may in fact be some people listening intently to us who are perhaps being swayed by our discussion.
“Jesus Did Not Fullfill the Messianic Prophesies”, well he certainly fullfilled many of them upon his first coming, as if you’ll honestly take a look at the evidence, you would see. Some of the prophesies, such as Ezekiel 37-40, Isaiah 43 and 2:4 are clearly, to the christian, referring to the second coming. Jesus himself told of the gathering back together of the flock (Jews) in the homeland as a sign to “look up, for your redemption draws nigh”, which means he would soon return. Ezekiel 37:26-28 does not say the messiah would build the third temple, but rather he would sit in the temple as God. I agree the temple must be rebuilt before the end time, but I, and apparently the Jewish Priesthood in Israel disagree. It was reported through national media a week or two ago, that there was a ceremony on the temple mount by the High Priest concecrating the 3rd Temples cornerstone. ( I’m wondering, can the Israelis be looking at blowing up the Dome of the Rock as a retaliatory strike for the WTC? For sure, retaliation would be muted at this point due to our bombing).
And once again, Jesus fullfilled the prophesy of the messiah in Genesis 3, where God says, while talking to Satan, that a man would come “From the seed of a WOMAN” not a man. From what I can tell from my biology degree, a human seed usually come from men. This clearly means the man would be born not from a man, but from some other means of impregnation.
The Old Testament does not say that the Messiah would have to come twice, but it does not say that he’ll only come once either. So how can we know whether he’ll come once or twice?
And Jesus said himself " I come not to overturn the Law, but to fullfill it" He was only contradicting Jewish law in that, from his ressurection to the present, salvation can only be obtained through grace, not through strict adherence to the Jewish Law of the past.It was in fact, a new beginning. This is a big topic of debate between Peter and Paul in the New Testament; Peter wanted to keep strict adherence to the law, while Paul said it was no longer neccesary for salvation. As an asidde, I believe Paul to be one of the two most astounding proofs that Jesus was the messiah (the other being the ressurection). Paul was a devout Jew, who spent his time hunting down and killing and persecuting christians, until Christ came to hime on the road to Damascus. He then became the greatest Apostle; spreading christianity almost single handedly throughout the Roman Empire. How did he have such a resounding change of heart? Surely he simply didn’t hallucinate. That would have to be quite a hallucination/dream to get someone to change 180 degrees like that and eventually die for Christ, persecuted hisself.
We could go on ad infinitum giving scripture to back up respective positions, and in turn refuting the other’s position, but that wouldn’t be too constructive. So we’ll leave it at a stalemate, just like its been for 1,968 years. Jewish people will have another chance to recognize Jesus as the Christ one day; I’m sure they won’t miss it the next time.I really admire you Brock; you and I have quite a bit in common. I myself am in pharmacy school in a dual Pharm.D. Ph.D. program, and I hope to study ergogenic aids in athletics as my career.Its my passion. I read everything I can get my hands on; research journals,and of course yours and Mr. Roberts interesting theoretics on anabolics.I would be interested in hearing how you got where you are today, career wise sometime.
The second coming is usually more intense than the first coming, and you can usually tell it’s on it’s way. The third coming is harder to get to because things are pretty well tired out by then. I recommend sticking with one or two comings and then cuddle after.
I’m no scriptural scholar, and for me the whole endless theological debate is just that: endless. So I have to agree with Mike the Lib on this one. And Mufasa had, as usual, a good perspective. (Gotta love Emerson!) But I do want to toss this out, not as a flame, but as a real question: As many of you know, I’m a language guy. And in my life I’ve met hundreds (if not thousands) of Chistians, Jews and various others who base what they believe on the Bible or some parts thereof. I have yet to meet EVEN ONE who read Aramaic or Ancient Greek. Some Jewish scholars do read Hebrew (as it sounds like Brock might), and so with them I have no beef. But I have to wonder - if you really believe that your life and eternal happiness, etc. depend on what the Bible says, why don’t you learn the original language instead of relying on a fourth-carbon translation? I mean, this is supposed to be of the utmost importance, right? So why go on what someone else thinks the original said instead of seeing for yourself? (In this sense, I prefer Islam to most of the western religions, simply because most of the holy Muslim men read the original Koran.)
Religion, faith, God. I am pleased that you all have beliefs. I have none; it sucks. If I truly believed that life after death would mean just black or that i had a way to salvation; everything would change. All walls would be broken down “no fear”. But as much as i try to just believe (blindly or not) i can’t. Sort of limbo; out of control! for all of you out there who ACTUALLY BELIEVE without a shadow of a doubt; GO DO SOMETHING, i mean if i believed in just one of those religions shit I would try and change the world. no fear. i would wake everyday knowing that i had an eternity, everything would be easy; no challenge would be hard. i could enjoy life and do things unimaginable. i only hope one day i believe in something, i have to, it would be soo much fun. HOW DOES THAT TEST YOUR FAITH; IF YOU ACTUALLY BEIVE IN SOMETHING AFTER DEATH YOU WOULD NEVER BE AFRAID. IT IS THE CERTAINTY THAT WILL GIVE YOU POWER.
TEK, Christianity is the most practiced religion in the world, so you comment about most poeple not believing in Jesus isn’t really true.
B
I sincerely thank you all for sharing your opinions. I do wish to appeal to T-Rev that it was certainly not my intention to be-little your’s or anyone’s faith by instigating such a personal discussion at the T-Mag forum. I agree with you wholeheartedly, the internet is so often abused by annonymous “äuthorities” who belittle others, spread rumour, and instigate hatred out of sheer amusement. I also agree with you that the very serious question I posed should be directed, in person, to a minister or priest. However, over the last two years of reading this forum I have grown to know and respect so many of the good people who leave their posts here. I consider the opinions of many of the regular T-Men (and T-vixens ‘michelle’) to be absolutely invaluable. I do not feel that I am degrading your’s or anyone’s beliefs by starting an electronic dialogue on the subject with the good T-people who frequent this forum. But your point rings true nonetheless, I should be directing my concerns to a priest, or a minister, or to God Himself through prayer. And I will. But I don’t think I would have reached that conclusion today without the guidance of so many fellow T-folk.
Again, I thank you all.
Believe it or not, when I am not wrestling with internal angst, I’m actually a helluva fun guy with great quads & hams, if I do say so myself.
Concerned
It’s funny how insecure some people are. They see the word christian and think they have to jump in and try to let everyone know how stupid being a christian is. The guy or gal was obviously asking fellow christians a specific question. I’ve found that atheists and agnostics tend to jump in and force feed their beliefs more than christians. Why are atheists and agnostics so intolerant about someone else’s beliefs.
Wow. As much fun as I am having (I like to
debate theology and believe it or not, I am
an avid “fan” of Christian eschatalogy,
I find John the Revelator to be quite
fascinating and I have read the entire
Left Behind series). The thing is this is
the absolute inappropriate place to
discuss all this. One of the myriad of things
I find attractive about Judaism is that we
do not seek and actually discourage
converts. If you are a Righteous Child of
Noah you go to Heaven. So Moslem or
Christian, as long as you live your life
well you end up the same place as a
Tzaddik (righteous Jew). Because it is
better to die a Righteous Gentile than an
Evildoer of the faith. Rabbi Hillel I think
was once asked by someone, a Roman soldier,
if he could teach the entire Torah while
standing on one leg. If Hillel could do this,
then the soldier would become a Jew. So
Hillel agreed and stood on one leg and
said, “the Torah teaches us that we are to
be good to one another - the rest is merely
commentary expounding on this idea”.
I agree with Hillel on this one. We should be
good to each other, Jew or Christian or
Moslem or Bahai or whatever.
We can agree to disagree. We will not all
like or want the same things. But we have
to respect others ideas and beliefs.
I don’t claim to be a scholar and this is
a hobby of mine which one day might, if
I am very lucky, lead to semicha and you
can then call me “Rabbi”. But it will be
a long road for sure. I don’t always
understand God. Not yet
And sometimes, God allows things that are
just off the all to most of us. But perhaps
we are not capable of understanding what
God has in mind because we are human?
The WTC tragedy comes to my thoughts here.
A week ago, my favorite uncle passed
away from Leukemia. He was the nicest man,
he did not deserve this.
I was in my car thinking about this and finding the current state of the world to be unsatisfactory. And this made me very angry. So I decided to talk God about it. I often speak with God and every once in awhile, he talks back to me, believe it or not. So I say to God, "look at this wonderful place you created, look what is happening to it! You let the innocent suffer, reward the guilty, this whole place has been turned upside down and inside out! Don't you think that it is time you sent us some help?!?" To which God replied, "I did send help, I sent you...". To the Jew, God made the world in 6 days, rested on the 7th. But he did not make the world complete or perfect. He left that job to us. We do this through "tikkun olam" which means "healing the world" and through "g'milut hasidim" which means "acts of righteousness". In Judaism, to save a life means to save the entire world because the life you save might be someone who contributes something great or this person's progeny might contribute something great (or be the Messiah!). All of us, Jew and Gentile, have the ability, nay, the obligation to try to heal the world through acts of righteousness. Help someone who needs your help. Even if you think it is trivial, in the long run, it may save the our world. Help someone in the gym or someone trying to diet. Use your talents for that which is good and just. And whatever your faith, whether you believe God's name is Allah, Jesus or you don't know how to say God's name so you just say "Adonai" (Lord) or HaShem (The Name), we all know the same and only God.
Did you ever think that Jesus was not for
the Jews but was for the Gentiles to find
the God of Israel? I mean, we already had
a covenant with God and since God is perfect,
it is unlikely this covenant would become
invalid ever. But this covenant was for my
people only. So maybe Jesus was for many
other peoples to abandon polytheism and
idolatry? Same for Islam. Think about it.
Brock