How do you get that? My life isn't different whether there is an afterlife or not. I walk God's way because he is Avinu Malkenu, our Father, our King. He is the Almighty, the sovereign of the universe. Where was I when he created the world? I am so small in his presence. And yet he cares for me -- the very hairs on my head are numbered. Who is a God like our God? And so I obey him out of awe and love; I obey him simply because he is God. I obey him because he is the God of Israel and this is our covenant -- this is our identity. Whether there is a world to come, or whether this life is all there is? Completely irrelevant. I'm much more interested in Tikkun Olam, repairing this world, bringing a little heaven into this world.
Because as Christianity and many other faiths claim it is what we do in this life that effects what we will spend eternity doing. Just take Christianity, it specifically says that if you do not give your heart to Christ and become born again your going to spend eternity in a terrible place. So if the afterlife is at least a possibility we need to at least spend the time to make up our minds about how to live it well. I mean what else is as important as you eternal destiny? Makes worrying about the latest iPhone, who won last nights game, how big out house is, or even how best to live this life kind of pale in comparison. Get your eternal relationship figured out then worry about what to do tomorrow. In Christianity the greatest form of obedience with the most sweeping ramifications is accepting Jesus as savior so as to ensure our eternal destiny. If I am destined to go to hell then trying to live the best life I can right now is secondary.
It is presumptuous for you to think you have a monopoly on God. First of all, anyone can read the Torah and know God through his own words. We don't need anything more than that. But in addition to that, the Jewish mystics speak of knowing God i a personal way. Although I have never seen God with my eyes or heard his voice with my ears, I have heard his still small voice in my heart. The only way you get around experiences like mine are to call us nuts or liars. You don't like it when atheists do the same to you.
It is not presumptuous to think that there is one true faith just as there is only one unique truth to every question. What kind of God would hide bits and pieces of his divine word in several hundred man made religions? Any God worthy of the name would and should give one unvarnished revelation (at least the core doctrines) of his nature and requirements for us. The greatest sins the ancient Hebrews committed time and again is the accepting of other faiths. Judaism's history is one long story of their "whirring" after other God's and Yahweh's vengeance against them for time after time. That is probably the most common theme in the OT. I am very concerned your doing something very similar.
What is it that you imagine you have in your religion that Judaism doesn't also offer? I can't think of anything. Usually Christianity advertises grace, forgiveness, Messiah, heaven... All those are in Judaism. Indeed, Christianity INHERITED them from Judaism. This is why, according to your own gospels, Jesus said, "Salvation is from the Jews."
It's not quite that simple. Both Judaism and Christianity contain salvation but in both cases it is through Jesus Christ. In the OT it was through faith in a future Messiah (Christ) and in the NT it was through a historical messiah (Christ). However if you want to contrast them the OT has the law (which scripture says never saved anyone), the NT has grace (which is all that is necessary for faith). The OT is full of what are called types and shadows which become literal in the NT. For example the lambs blood on the doorpost that saved the Hebrews during Passover became the blood of God's sacrificial lamb (Christ) which saves all believers. Can you see from that example how the same kind of subject is in both covenants but is greater in the new covenant's example. The OT is the story of God's preparation of the stubborn Jewish people to facilitate his son's entrance into the world, the NT is that triumphal event where the son actually appears to carry out the greatest 3 year ministry in the history of the world. If the OT was all we had no one could be saved.
New International Version
It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
You need the blood of the true sacrificial lamb for salvation.
New Living Translation
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
You want to know what the NT has the OT doesn't.
New International Version
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
You need to get rid of the OT corrupted false priests and bring in the one sinless eternal priest of the world.
Speaking for must of us we believe it is true and do not then claim it is untrue. I think it more accurate to say that it is true but the interpretation of it by Jews is incorrect.
You believe what is true and the interpretation by who is untrue?
I'm aware that parts of your Christian Scriptures (especially Hebrews) disparages Judaism, in order to missionize the new Christian faith. It's kind of like a commercial for Pepsi that puts down Coca Cola. Rather shallow marketing if you ask me.
The bible doesn't disparage the OT. Christ seems to quote from it every time you turn around. The NT's stance on the OT is simply that it's purpose has been served and something greater is now in effect. You could recreate much of the OT by simply quoting what was said in the new. It's like I told you, The OT is just one half of a story that has two halves (the second being the greatest). Don't think I come to abolish the OT, I am here to facilitate moving on to the new.
Basically, if you accept the Tanakh (and you claim you do, that you believe it is God's word) then you believe what God said when he said that the covenant he made with Abraham and his descendants was eternal. Otherwise you make God a liar.
I didn't say anything about the covenant between Yahweh and Abraham at all. Abraham was promised that his descendants would be a great people and that they would be the conduit through which he would reveal the truth about himself. That is exactly what he did. He sent the teachers and prophets through the descendants of Abraham (forgetting for the moment the Hebrews killed most of them) all the way through his greatest prophet, priest, and teacher (Christ). No, God's covenant was fulfilled in every detail at least in this context. What context were you referring to?
It seems to me that a version of Christianity can exist that accepts that Jews are still God's covenant people and that Christianity has a special relationship with Judaism, which is its foundation.
Where did you get the idea that I don't think the Jews are God's chosen people. The greatest Christian nation (the US) in the history of mankind is Israel's strongest ally. If we hadn't backed Israel it wouldn't even exist. What version of Christianity are you referring to, not mine for sure? You do realize that every author of the NT was a Jew as well? Heck Paul may have known more about Jewish law than any man in Israel.
Your really getting your self distracted with false ideas.
1. I believe the Jews are God's chosen people. ( BTW the bible says that anyone who becomes a Christian also becomes a spiritual Jew as well).
2. I believe God fulfilled (is fulfilling) his covenant with Abraham. (Christ and the NT authors were all Jews)
3. I believe in the OT (though we probably disagree about many interpretations).
4. I believe Christians have been the greatest supporter of Jews in human history.
