Thoughts and Prayers: The Religion Thread

Yeah, I cast my lot. I’m OK with my choice.

I think the larger part is, the primary critique on this thread is related to Christianity.

 

What Alma said, who is right or who is wrong sort of depends on how well you out bluff everyone else.

The truth is Judaism and Christianity are in essence brothers (with Islam being the annoying little brother).

In order to accept Christianity to be true, you must first accept Judaism is true with two exceptions: Jesus was the son of God brought to the earth to restore the covenant and heal the divide between the holy and sinners (ultimately the fulfillment of prophecy of the coming messiah); and with the arrival of Christ, the law was fulfilled and we're bound by a new law. Judaism does not accept Christ as the Messiah and that he is still to come. (I know there are other big differences, but for the sake of argument, those differences didn't cause the split)

But in the other ways that matter, they are the same. Christianity is in effect just a sect of Judaism that has grown into something else. Christ came down to bring the Jews back into the fold who had become too militant about the law. Ultimately he worked to restore the Mosaic traditions and be an example of how to be Jewish under the law. His two commandments—love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (First through Fourth Commandments) and love your neighbor as yourself (Fifth through 10th).

Jews had a different vision who the Messiah was supposed to be. The Messiah was supposed to be a conquering hero come to restore the tribes of Israel and free them from oppression. Jesus was a teacher who upended the system by shedding light on the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and preaching love and forgiveness. Not exactly the warrior believed to come, so Jesus was dismissed. He likely would have been dismissed except for some lucky providence and some very good evangelists.

Who is correct? Depends if how you see who the Messiah was supposed to be and if Jesus met the criteria.

 

We want moshiach now.

 

Jewish people don't just dismiss Jesus Christ as the savior because he didn't fit some preconceived notion of what the savior should be. We do not see him as divine.

 

Um, Jesus?

 

Spartan Squad laid it out pretty well. You can decide for yourself.

 

Yes. I'm aware. That's not what I asked. Again, what makes you right about Jesus and most Jews wrong? Or vice versa? That's the thing about religion. If you're right, then millions upon millions of other people are wrong. Or if millions of others are right, you're wrong. Why is Christianity the way? Why is Islam the way? Why is Hinduism the way? It's inherent strife and, in many cases, hatred. And, mostly, it's determined by who your parents are and where you're born.

 

oop laid it out better.

 

Sorry, I wrote that in two waves after getting distracted mid thought. Yes, the divinity is the big one I was missing. I kind of take the divinity of the Messiah for granted coming from a Christian background, so it wasn't something I thought about after getting interrupted.

 

Why is Christianity the way? Consider the radicality of its message, the earthly fate of its leader, and the supernatural fate of the same. It’s a religion based on submission because God himself submitted. It’s a religion based on going low, on rejecting all earthly differences between all people, that simultaneously doesn’t deny human emotion and feeling the way some stoic Eastern religions do.

FWIW, I don’t find it my place to examine the Jewish faith, mostly because I have deep respect for it. We differ in one main, key area -
the most important - and it’s not for me to decide how God reconciles that with his chosen people. Scripture points to resolution and reconciliation on that- some disagree widely on what that scripture means - but there’s enough mystery to it that I sit it out. Suffice it to say I find great meaning and kinship in the OT, and I believe the savior described in Isaiah is *the* savior.

 

As long as they swear to be Christians who oppose same-sex marriage.
Franklin Graham Says He Is Being Harassed Over Central Park Hospital

 

Alma-
I resist preaching of any stripe. An ass-end byproduct of the full Catholic school experience.

I can understand rigidity of mind when we are living every day in an amniotic fluid of proselytization. I don't like it, but I get it.