To: xzins
Judaism is not a cult. As distortions of other religions, mormonism and islam could be seen as cults. Judaism, on the other hand, pre-dated Christianity and is a valid religion in its own right. That doesn't even begin to address that it was instituted by God Himself.
You seem to be arguing with Jesus on this point. The rabbinc/talmudic Judaism of his day exalted human say-so above God's Word to such an extent that it rendered God's Word null and void on point after point. During the donnybrook recorded in John 5 Jesus said,
42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. 43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. 44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
Like Mormonism, or the Unification Church, or David Berg's "Family of Love," rabbinic Judaism exalted human teaching above divine revelation, and offered an alternate, works-based plan of salvation -- just do what the rabbis/Joe Smith/Moses David/Sun Myung Moon say. It can be argued that the Judaism of our Lord's day had soaked up the Roman idea of salvation by law.
Now Jesus Himself called the religion of his day a cultic distortion of what God had in mind, a distortion so severe as to fatally obscure God's revelation for man. But I suppose you know better ...
26 posted on
09/01/2006 8:45:55 AM PDT by
TomSmedley
(Calvinist, optimist, home schooling dad, exuberant husband, technical writer)
To: xzins; TomSmedley
x, I don't wsee how the dispensationalist can get around verses like the ones quoted by TS here from John 5:42-47...
"But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.
But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"
56 posted on
09/01/2006 10:04:42 AM PDT by
Dr. Eckleburg
("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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