What is the Point of Judaism?

[Flankerl]

So where are Moses and the others pbut then?

Dead, I guess.

There is no afterlife as in Paradise?

I don't get the need for a physical Paradise after death.
The entire premise of death is that you lose your material form.

 

[Jumi]

I think that makes more sense, not believing in God rejecting truth deserves hellfire.

It only makes sense if that's how you were taught. Well at least I'm good on that account, I don't reject any truth.

 

[Jumi]

What if fear of hell blinds you to the truth? I know that has happened to many.

 

[Mindmaster]

I find this question troubling really.. From the perspective of Islam (which is tail-end backwards in comparison to Judaism on most things) really we could ask the better question: What is the point of Christianity or Islam? Judaism doesn't reject science, mistreat their women or consider them less, and they don't marry their prepubescent girls to old guys or behead children from trivial infractions. Islam, my friends, does all of these things and worse... The Jews don't automatically assume you are a sinner, and if you are not one you are still in good with the big kahuna.

Christianity used to be nearly the same as Islam on these subjects if you roll back the clock... Now, it has switched to a passive-aggressive version involved in demeaning people into it's world-view. I don't get that either.. Christianity may have died out actually if the Puritans hadn't jumped the water and came to the USA. It was crumbling everywhere since the renaissance. Catholics in particular are making headway and maybe are catching up with the Jews for tolerance... It might be only a little while... The original sin banter is dying out...

Islam used to be a much more tolerant religion back in the day happily co-existing with everyone else... Then the radicals took over... Now it's quackery... totally ape crazy...

 

[atpollard]

Dead, I guess.

Well, Moses does make a brief guest appearance in the Gospels.

 

[gsa]

I find this question troubling really.. From the perspective of Islam (which is tail-end backwards in comparison to Judaism on most things) really we could ask the better question: What is the point of Christianity or Islam? Judaism doesn't reject science, mistreat their women or consider them less, and they don't marry their prepubescent girls to old guys or behead children from trivial infractions. Islam, my friends, does all of these things and worse... The Jews don't automatically assume you are a sinner, and if you are not one you are still in good with the big kahuna.

Christianity used to be nearly the same as Islam on these subjects if you roll back the clock... Now, it has switched to a passive-aggressive version involved in demeaning people into it's world-view. I don't get that either.. Christianity may have died out actually if the Puritans hadn't jumped the water and came to the USA. It was crumbling everywhere since the renaissance. Catholics in particular are making headway and maybe are catching up with the Jews for tolerance... It might be only a little while... The original sin banter is dying out...

Islam used to be a much more tolerant religion back in the day happily co-existing with everyone else... Then the radicals took over... Now it's quackery... totally ape crazy...

This bolded part is almost always true of the Reform, Conservative and vast majority of Orthodox. There are certain approaches to Judaism that are far less liberal or accommodating of modernity than what you typically see in the US, though.

 

[Akivah]

I find this question troubling really.. From the perspective of Islam (which is tail-end backwards in comparison to Judaism on most things) really we could ask the better question: What is the point of Christianity or Islam? Judaism doesn't reject science, mistreat their women or consider them less, and they don't marry their prepubescent girls to old guys or behead children from trivial infractions. Islam, my friends, does all of these things and worse... The Jews don't automatically assume you are a sinner, and if you are not one you are still in good with the big kahuna.

Christianity used to be nearly the same as Islam on these subjects if you roll back the clock... Now, it has switched to a passive-aggressive version involved in demeaning people into it's world-view. I don't get that either.. Christianity may have died out actually if the Puritans hadn't jumped the water and came to the USA. It was crumbling everywhere since the renaissance. Catholics in particular are making headway and maybe are catching up with the Jews for tolerance... It might be only a little while... The original sin banter is dying out...

Islam used to be a much more tolerant religion back in the day happily co-existing with everyone else... Then the radicals took over... Now it's quackery... totally ape crazy...

I agree. What is the point of a religion that states that if you don't believe as they do, then you are guaranteed to spend an eternity in hellfire? Anyone can make that claim (and many do), none of them agree on specifics, and you are guaranteed to be breaking someone's claim to avoiding eternal hellfire. Once you accept that belief, you are basically guaranteed to get eternal punishment.

I like my religion that doesn't lay its theology on the door step of what will happen to you in the afterlife. We focus on our life in the here and now. We focus on being better people and elevating our behavior to the holy.

 

[Tumah]

This bolded part is almost always true of the Reform, Conservative and vast majority of Orthodox. There are certain approaches to Judaism that are far less liberal or accommodating of modernity than what you typically see in the US, though.

As an ultra-Orthodox Jew, I don't know a single Jew (ultra-Orthodox or otherwise) who rejects science (outside of a small number of topics), mistreats their women or consider them less, marry their prepubescent girls to old guys or behead their children.

 

[gsa]

As an ultra-Orthodox Jew, I don't know a single Jew (ultra-Orthodox or otherwise) who rejects science completely, mistreats their women or consider them less, marry their prepubescent girls to old guys or behead their children.

That's good to know. I am glad that you do not associate with criminals, misogynists and creationists.

 

[YmirGF]

As an ultra-Orthodox Jew, I don't know a single Jew (ultra-Orthodox or otherwise) who rejects science (outside of a small number of topics), mistreats their women or consider them less, marry their prepubescent girls to old guys or behead their children.

Party-poopers.

 

[Tumah]

That's good to know. I am glad that you do not associate with criminals, misogynists and creationists.

I am not so glad that you so readily defame a people without any evidence.

...although I guess its possible that you know more Jews than me.

 

[Desert Snake]

Followers of Judaism says non-Jews wont burn in hell.
So why should a jew follow Judaism when there is no Hell in Judaism?
When a Jew and Polytheist will be sipping Tea in the same place?

Define 'Judaism'

 

[atpollard]

Merriam-Webser says:
Judaism: the religion developed among the ancient Hebrews that stresses belief in God and faithfulness to the laws of the Torah : the religion of the Jewish people

 

[Iti oj]

Followers of Judaism says non-Jews wont burn in hell.
So why should a jew follow Judaism when there is no Hell in Judaism?
When a Jew and Polytheist will be sipping Tea in the same place?

So you don't love and want to honor god?

 

[Desert Snake]

Merriam-Webser says:
Judaism: the religion developed among the ancient Hebrews that stresses belief in God and faithfulness to the laws of the Torah : the religion of the Jewish people

This definition would infer that an atheist cannot be practicing Judaism.

 

[LuisDantas]

This definition would infer that an atheist cannot be practicing Judaism.

Not necessarily

It would depend on interpretation of how necessary belief in God is for the practice.

 

[Tumah]

This definition would infer that an atheist cannot be practicing Judaism.

I'm not sure that would be called practicing Judaism as much as puppet-ing it.

 

[rosends]

This definition would infer that an atheist cannot be practicing Judaism.

It might imply that -- the question in Judaism would be whether one receives credit for following laws without the underlying belief.

 

[gsa]

I am not so glad that you so readily defame a people without any evidence.

...although I guess its possible that you know more Jews than me.

I am not sure how I have defamed "a people" without any evidence. I am not going to get sidetracked given the subject matter of this particular thread, but suffice it to say, not agreeing that a religion does not contain perfect angels does not = defamation.

 

[Tumah]

I am not sure how I have defamed "a people" without any evidence. I am not going to get sidetracked given the subject matter of this particular thread, but suffice it to say, not agreeing that a religion does not contain perfect angels does not = defamation.

I'll settle for your backtrack.