As civilization progressed, needs arose for more complex, organizational thinking: trade/tariffs, tax assessments/collections, calendar planning (agriculture), money/exchange. Certain groups were able to adapt to this new way of living ie indoors utilizing brain processing vs outdoor physical labor. After around 6-7k years, today we call them Jews. Change the name, destroy the race, and the same type of group(s) would (re)emerge yet again simply due to the demand placed upon the skills they deliver.
The fact that they were/are persecuted for their unique advantages created outside pressure which drove them further into tribal insularity, including coining such self serving phrases like 'chosen people'.
That’s an interesting theory. It sort of goes hand in hand with the urban/rural divide in political preference. I don’t think any group of people become less liberal when they choose to live in urban areas, they seem to invariably become more liberal than rural living members of the same group. Jews are probably the most urban living group in the world and in all of history. Where a group tends to live, no matter the reason, might be the most determinate factor in political preference.
I wonder if there is any exit polling that includes rural living Jews. In anything I have ever seen they seem to be always included in the ‘other’ type categories with no breakdown between different faiths/ethnicity.
Freegards
Excellent!
Good post. That speaks to the natural explanation.
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But nurture is also critical. Jews like Mormons, asians, tend to have two-parent, supportive families.
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That stability greatly makes their children feel more secure and confident.
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Studies of outcomes from successful families, no matter the culture, show the same kinds of high IQ and performance.
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Insular groups that partner within the group will naturally see offspring with enhanced features, such as IQ.
A satisfactory worldly explanation for the soulishly ignorant perspective.
“self serving phrases like ‘chosen people’.”
The phrase isn’t a product of persecution, it comes directly from the Bible, e.g. in Deuteronomy 7 and 14 and Exodus 19. In my experience, it hasn’t served the self at all, but quite the contrary. Secular Jews tend to devote themselves to running away from it.
If you accept the authority of the Source, you understand it as a mission statement, not as a badge of superiority. If you don’t accept Its authority, than the phrase should be meaningless to you.
You've got it all wrong. It didn't "just happen", certainly not by cultural adaptation, as you imply, nor did the Jewish people coin their own by-word, "Chosen." The Israelites were chosen by God, led by Him out of slavery and instructed by Him to found a holy nation and to live exemplary lives. While as a people they may have failed and incurred God's wrath on many occasions, they always return as guardians of Israel and priests of the Temple. The third Temple will be rebuilt so that Jesus can return to it on the site where He preached in His first incarnation.