RaisedPB Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Has anyone looked into it? I know it's the same Bible (at least the first part), but they take a much more poetic rather than literal approach. I guess it's my heritage (from my dad's side) that has me a little intrigued and interested at looking into Judaism. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightflight Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 They serve shrimp at pot-lucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ephymeris Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 They serve shrimp at pot-lucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Davka Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Reform Judaism comes in a lot of flavors (especially shrimp). Some synagogues are little more than social clubs for Jews, with the goal of maintaining a "Jewish identity" and possibly meeting a nice Jewish girl/boy. Others have a stronger religious/spiritual aspect, but aren't particularly concerned with orthodoxy as much as saying ritual prayers and looking Jewish once a week. Think Unitarian Christian and you sort of get the idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaisedPB Posted August 19, 2009 Author Share Posted August 19, 2009 Reform Judaism comes in a lot of flavors (especially shrimp). Some synagogues are little more than social clubs for Jews, with the goal of maintaining a "Jewish identity" and possibly meeting a nice Jewish girl/boy. Others have a stronger religious/spiritual aspect, but aren't particularly concerned with orthodoxy as much as saying ritual prayers and looking Jewish once a week. Think Unitarian Christian and you sort of get the idea. Thanks. I certainly would hate to give up shrimp... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaisedPB Posted August 20, 2009 Author Share Posted August 20, 2009 Reform Judaism comes in a lot of flavors (especially shrimp). Some synagogues are little more than social clubs for Jews, with the goal of maintaining a "Jewish identity" and possibly meeting a nice Jewish girl/boy. Others have a stronger religious/spiritual aspect, but aren't particularly concerned with orthodoxy as much as saying ritual prayers and looking Jewish once a week. Think Unitarian Christian and you sort of get the idea. Davka, I saw in another thread that your wife is Jewish and you were involved with the Messianic movement for a while. Does your wife still participate in Judaism in any way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
♦ Fuego ♦ Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 What's the point in being "Jewish" if you aren't a Jew? Of if you are one culturally, but not religiously, then why the pretense? The God of the Jews has some serious character flaws, so why bother with him? The reform thing seems to be trying to fit in without really fitting in. I guess I understand that from one perspective, since I hide my deconversion from certain friends. But I don't try to worship with them at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Davka Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Reform Judaism comes in a lot of flavors (especially shrimp). Some synagogues are little more than social clubs for Jews, with the goal of maintaining a "Jewish identity" and possibly meeting a nice Jewish girl/boy. Others have a stronger religious/spiritual aspect, but aren't particularly concerned with orthodoxy as much as saying ritual prayers and looking Jewish once a week. Think Unitarian Christian and you sort of get the idea. Davka, I saw in another thread that your wife is Jewish and you were involved with the Messianic movement for a while. Does your wife still participate in Judaism in any way? Not really - we do the traditional kiddush prayers over candles, bread and wine on Friday night, but that's about it. And we've been know to "re-write" those prayers in the middle, or ad-lib entirely. Like "hey god! If you're out there somewhere, I just want to say - fermentation was a killer idea. You go, god!" Orthodox Judaism is on a par with Scientology when it comes to compartmentalized thinking and the internalization of outrageous fiction. Reform Judaism is all about pacifying your Jewish mother by finding a nice Jewish girl and producing Jewish grandchildren. I am looking forward to a post-Jewish world, where people feel no need to separate themselves according to their ancestry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Davka Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I am looking forward to a post-Jewish world, where people feel no need to separate themselves according to their ancestry. Do you think a sense of closeness and relatedness to one's ancestry makes separation between groups inevitable? Phanta No, but I think a sense of superiority or separation based on damned near anything makes resentment inevitable. I'm all for celebrating diversity. It's celebrating superiority or "special" status that causes problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaisedPB Posted August 21, 2009 Author Share Posted August 21, 2009 I think the point about superiority is important. "Differentness", to me, is what makes life interesting. All the different cultures that have produced the variations in art, music, food, and literature are wonderful. Unfortunately, it seems that humans have a need to feel superior to others that are different from them. I hope one day humans will evolve past that need. Of course, one of the main ways humanity has chosen to draw lines between one another is religion. We have the right god, and we'll kill you if you disagree. And it seems Jews have all too often been on the losing side of that collision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shyone Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 <snip> We have the right god, and we'll kill you if you disagree. And it seems Jews have all too often been on the losing side of that collision. That is one of the things that the Old Testament taught me. God is on the side of those who have the most powerful army (can't beat those Egyptians, Assyrians or Babylonians). Iron Chariots are just too much for him to beat. But the Israelites sure could beat those little villages, pillage them, kill the men, women and boys,enslave the virgin girls, and take their land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEEtheScorn Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 As I've said in the few posts I've made, I love Judaism. So I've looked a lot into it. =) I'm also a Bible student/scholar, and I take the approach of studying through a Jewish perspective. The Bible, including the NT, makes worlds more sense through a Jewish rather than a Christian perspective. The superiority of Judaism, I can not adhere to though. There always seems to be a separation in the mind of the Jew between them and the Goy. No matter what kind of Jew they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Iron Chariots are just too much for him to beat. The tinfoil hats of that day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted November 1, 2009 Super Moderator Share Posted November 1, 2009 The Jews are the chosen people. Were you chosen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest I Love Dog Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 As I've said in the few posts I've made, I love Judaism. So I've looked a lot into it. =) I'm also a Bible student/scholar, and I take the approach of studying through a Jewish perspective. The Bible, including the NT, makes worlds more sense through a Jewish rather than a Christian perspective. I can't see any perspective that would make any sense whatsover of the holey babble. Perhaps the OT is an accurate reflection of Jewish thinking? I trust not. I'm hoping that it was written by the Hans Christian Anderson of the day, and not anyone who was seriously expecting people to believe all the nonsense that is written therein. The following makes much more sense of the bible, to me: Evil Bible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outlaw393 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Has anyone looked into it? I know it's the same Bible (at least the first part), but they take a much more poetic rather than literal approach. I guess it's my heritage (from my dad's side) that has me a little intrigued and interested at looking into Judaism. Steve Yep, I looked into and studied Judaism a long time ago. I no longer believe in Yahweh, hence why I can't be a jew...or a christian, or a muslim. Abrahamic faiths are something I'm staying away from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEEtheScorn Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 It does make more sense, when compared to the Christian interpretation. =P It doesn't make perfect sense, the only perspective that causes the Bible to make sense is a critical, historical perspective. Then, it makes beautiful sense. It makes no sense, however, to make a document that old try to be relevant for today. Wisdom literature, yes, absolutely. Wisdom is universal. Look before you leap, for example. But other things change, any many things won't make sense in a modern situation. I prefer Judaism to Christianity. I prefer agnosticism to any religion. =P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vixentrox Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 Why would anyone who is clear thinking want to worship that demonic beast of a god the Jews worship? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEEtheScorn Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 Because someone may perceive God one way, and another another way, all the while it may very well be the same God. Judaism's god is a fairly interesting god. Every god in the time of ancient Judaism had caused and mandated heinous murders and wars. I think that's more a reflection of man's actions than of any god. But, if there is a god, it surely existed back then. And if it did interact with mankind, it was probably filtered through the understanding of primitive man. I don't think YHWH is all that bad. Interesting history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vixentrox Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Because someone may perceive God one way, and another another way, all the while it may very well be the same God. Judaism's god is a fairly interesting god. Every god in the time of ancient Judaism had caused and mandated heinous murders and wars. I think that's more a reflection of man's actions than of any god. But, if there is a god, it surely existed back then. And if it did interact with mankind, it was probably filtered through the understanding of primitive man. I don't think YHWH is all that bad. Interesting history. Not all that bad? I guess ordering genocide, forcing rape victims to marry their rapist, wiping out earth's population, destroying cities, creating evil and such just don't qualify as bad? What would qualify as bad in your mind? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEEtheScorn Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 You missed all that I wrote. =P Please read it. I covered that base. My thing is, if there is a God, it didn't all of a sudden start existing when our modern morals and ways of doing things became the way of life. This god existed when genocides, rape, war brides, destruction of cities, and more were the way of life and were the days morals and reality. As such, the people would have understood their God through that filter. What I respect about Judaism's god and their people is that they were comfortable in their god changing (or their god's expectations, at least). When x used to be acceptable, x was no longer acceptable 1000 years later when mankind's standards as a whole changed. Jews were never afraid to ask their god the rough questions, as Christianity tends to be. They ask the why questions to scripture and have dealt with it over and over trying to understand why god would order the things that are no longer acceptable to us. In Christianity, asking questions to scripture is a no-no. You don't ask why God ordered the slaughter of the amelekites. You don't ask why God ordered Abraham to kill his son. The Jews have asked these questions, and strove to understand the reasons why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vixentrox Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 This is a piss poor god that couldn't bring enlightment a couple thousand years ahead of it's time. A worthless god, a feeble god, and not one worth an iota of worship....just like every other "god". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEEtheScorn Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Ideally, that's a good idea. But I'm not so sure. I wonder if humanity has the capability to make such drastic changes. I wonder if God came down and said something that was drastically different from our current morals, we would immediately accept it. I think I like the idea of a deity that can work through humanity slowly and progressively, rather than saying "this is wrong, don't ever do it in any situation ever" in an audible voice with fire and etc. It's like parents who tell their kids to never have sex ever cause it's wrong, we all know what happens then. But then again, he could've just made us perfect, and he didn't (well.. I dunno, supposedly). So that's a thought for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts