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Do the Abrahamic faiths believe in food offerings?

Levite

Higher and Higher
Hello Levite,
According to your statement, G-d treats Jews & Gentiles differently, is it included the rewards (heaven) and punishments (hell) too?
(is it correct if i say that Jews heaven differ from the Gentiles, and G-d will always distinguish His chosen people, even after death in the spiritual world)

Thank You.

A few have said so, but I doubt it. Jews are "chosen" only in the sense that God has asked us to take on extra responsibilities not asked of other peoples, and we have agreed to do so. But it is a special duty, not a mark of superiority.

To get into the World To Come (our analogue to Heaven), one must be a good person. For Jews this means behaving justly and mercifully, and following the commandments. For non-Jews it merely means behaving justly and mercifully.
 

Marco19

Researcher
Hello Levite,

Sorry for disturbing one more time, but would like to clarify something couldn't just skip it:

Jews are "chosen" only in the sense that God has asked us to take on extra responsibilities not asked of other peoples, and we have agreed to do so. But it is a special duty, not a mark of superiority.

my Qs: what will motivate a Jew to practice Judaism? except obeying G-d ? because he still can come to gentiles side and obey, then will go to heaven as any other Jew who made some extra efforts.

I mean, as you have mentioned at the end, Jews carry additional tasks (commandments) so why to do so since they won't have any privilege

Thank You.
 

Levite

Higher and Higher
my Qs: what will motivate a Jew to practice Judaism? except obeying G-d ? because he still can come to gentiles side and obey, then will go to heaven as any other Jew who made some extra efforts.

I mean, as you have mentioned at the end, Jews carry additional tasks (commandments) so why to do so since they won't have any privilege.

They do have privileges: chiefest among them is the shabbat (sabbath), though there are others.

But to answer your question, Jews do not have the option of behaving as gentiles and not obeying the commandments: the Covenant that the Jewish people agreed to at Sinai bonded all Jews for all eternity to obey the commandments. There is no withdrawing from this covenant. Jews who attempt to withdraw from the covenant are not behaving as they should, by definition.

Gentiles have different measures for their behavior because they are not part of the Jewish covenant, though perhaps they have covenants of their own, adherence to which may rule their behavioral norms....
 

touggstore

New Member
I don't think anyone believes a deity needs food. I think you misunderstand the custom of offering food. It's a way of having a relationship or sharing with our deity in an intimate way.


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Rainbow Mage

Lib Democrat/Agnostic/Epicurean-ish/Buddhist-ish
I don't think anyone believes a deity needs food. I think you misunderstand the custom of offering food. It's a way of having a relationship or sharing with our deity in an intimate way.


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Exactly
 

Amica

Member
Hi--
Allah (God) SWT does not depend on humans and He is not like us. The point of offering of sacrificial animal in Islam is not to "feed" God (Allah) SWT, but rather to demonstrate that: 1) man is able to give up something important to him for God (as in the ancient times animals such as cows, camels, sheep, were considered riches), 2) to commemorate the sacrifice Abraham pbuh was about to do for God (the ultimate sacrifice of giving up someone extremely important in his life--his son) and 3) to share goods with the poor (as the meat of the sacrificed animal in Islam is shared with neighbors, especially the poor).
 

Rainbow Mage

Lib Democrat/Agnostic/Epicurean-ish/Buddhist-ish
Well truly I don't see what the hangup with animal sacrifice is turk. I couldn't attend one, because Buddhists don't attend live slaughters, but I have nothing against the idea. I eat meat after all. Anyone who eats meat has no room to criticize those who engage in animal sacrifice, since all animal sacrifice is, is a ritualized meal.
 

Bismillah

Submit
I believe all things created belong to Allah (SWT) simply offering him his food would hold no significance in my eyes. It is akin to taking the possesion of a friend and "gifting" it back to him. Supplication and praise for the graces that God has provided is different, I believe, in that you acknowledge the graces that God has provided.
 
I have heard that the annual animal sacrifice is actually an option, because it is not an obligatory Islamic practice, and only a practice that is a local tradition made popular...

Plus, I am against the eating of meat, and I feel that the way animals are sacrificed and exploited is not pleasing to Allah at all these days.
 

Ben Masada

Well-Known Member
I don't think anyone believes a deity needs food. I think you misunderstand the custom of offering food. It's a way of having a relationship or sharing with our deity in an intimate way.


No, we don't. We are Monotheist, and God is Incorporeal.
 

horiturk

Assyrian Devil
since God wouldn't need food you'd think it would be considered cruel and useless to slaughter anything for him.
 
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