Posted on 05/17/2011 8:06:47 AM PDT by Kaslin
I assume that the type of person who reads columns such as this one has wondered at one time or another why, for thousands of years, there has been so much attention paid to Jews and why, today, to Israel, the one Jewish state.
But how do most people explain this preoccupation? There is no fully rational explanation for the amount of attention paid to the Jews and the Jewish state. And there is no fully rational explanation for the amount of hatred directed at Jews and the Jewish state.
A lifetime of study of this issue, including writing (with Rabbi Joseph Telushkin) a book on anti-Semitism ("Why the Jews? The Reason for Antisemitism") has convinced me that, along with all the rational explanations, there is one explanation that transcends reason alone.
It is that the Jews are God's chosen people.
Now, believe me, dear reader, I am well aware of the hazards of making such a claim.
It sounds chauvinistic. It sounds racist. And it sounds irrational, if not bizarre.
But it is none of these.
As regards chauvinism, there is not a hint of inherent superiority in the claim of Jewish chosen-ness. In fact, the Jewish Bible, the book that states the Jews are chosen, constantly berates the Jews for their flawed moral behavior. No bible of any other religion is so critical of the religious group affiliated with that bible as the Hebrew Scriptures are of the Jews.
As for racism, Jewish chosen-ness cannot be racist by definition. Here is why: a) The Jews are not a race; there are Jews of every race. And b) any person of any race, ethnicity or nationality can become a member of the Jewish people and thereby be as chosen as Abraham, Moses, Jeremiah or the chief rabbi of Israel.
And with regard to chosen-ness being an irrational or even bizarre claim, it must be so only to atheists. They don't believe in a Chooser, so they cannot believe in a Chosen. But for most believing Jews and Christians (most particularly the Founders who saw America as a Second Israel, a second Chosen People), Jewish Chosen-ness has been a given. And even the atheist must look at the evidence and conclude that the Jews play a role in history that defies reason.
Can reason alone explain how a hodgepodge of ex-slaves was able to change history -- to introduce the moral God-Creator we know as God; to write the world's most influential book, the Bible; to devise ethical monotheism; to be the only civilization to deny the cyclical worldview and give humanity belief in a linear (i.e., purposeful) history; to provide morality-driven prophets and so much more -- without God playing the decisive role in this people's history?
Without the Jews, there would be no Christianity (a fact acknowledged by the great majority of Christians) and no Islam (a fact acknowledged by almost no Muslims). Read Thomas Cahill's "The Gifts of the Jews" or Paul Johnson's "A History of the Jews" to get an idea about how much this people changed history.
What further renders the claim for Jewish chosen-ness worthy of rational consideration is that virtually every other nation has perceived itself as chosen or otherwise divinely special. For example, China means "Middle Kingdom" in Chinese -- meaning that China is at the center of the world; and Japan considers itself the land where the sun originates ("Land of the Rising Sun"). The difference between Jewish chosen-ness and other nations' similar claims is that no one cares about any other group considering itself Chosen, while vast numbers of non-Jews have either believed the Jews' claim or have hated the Jews for it.
Perhaps the greatest evidence for the Jews' chosen-ness has been provided in modern times, during which time evil has consistently targeted the Jews:
-- Nazi Germany was more concerned with exterminating the Jews than with winning World War II.
-- Throughout its 70-year history, the Soviet Union persecuted its Jews and tried to extinguish Judaism. Hatred of Jews was one thing communists and Nazis shared.
-- The United Nations has spent more time discussing and condemning the Jewish state than any other country in the world. Yet, this state is smaller than every Central American country, including El Salvador, Panama and even Belize. Imagine if the amount of attention paid to Israel were paid to Belize -- who would not think there was something extraordinary about that country?
-- Much of the contemporary Muslim world -- and nearly all the Arab world -- is obsessed with annihilating the one Jewish state.
In the words of Catholic scholar Father Edward Flannery, the Jews carry the burden of God in history. Most Jews, being secular, do not believe this. And many Jews dislike talk of chosen-ness because they fear it will increase anti-Semitism; they may be right.
But it doesn't alter the fact that the obsession with one of the smallest countries and smallest peoples on earth, and the unique hatred of the Jews and the Jewish state by the world's most vicious ideologies, can be best explained only in transcendent terms. Namely that God, for whatever reason, chose the Jews.
I believe Jews are the Chosen People - and in my own cowardly little way - I'm thankful I don't have to take the pressure and challenges they've had to face and will face in the future. My home, attic and basement will always be available to protect Jews from their enemies - my voice and heart also.
Christians are the evangelicals - recruiting heathens to the Hebrew God. Remember sasportas, we're on the same team with the Jews.
I wish FR had a “like” button so I could click it for your posts...thanks!
You’re sweet!
If there was a “like” button, you’d pick up all the threads where I vote “guilty” or “not guilty” on female defendants, and it would ruin my credibility.
Mainstream Judaism is what is represented by the Karaites, not Talmudic Judaism...and certainly not the Kabbalists. You gloss over Kabbalah.
On the other hand, Chritianity is the syncretic religion. It is the original mormonism. The New Testament is "not in the (Hebrew)bible".
Read again what I said, Christianity has its syncretic elements, with a remnant that is not. Same with Judaism, the Karaites being the latter, anti-Talmud and anti-Kabbalah. Are you comparing Jesus Christ with Joseph Smith? I wonder if Dennis Prager agrees with you.
Many other religions at the time of Jesus taught..a virgin birth...resurrected gods...a sacred meal (eucharist)...a god-man hybrid savior..etc. None of these are even remotely Jewish teaching. They were grafted into the new testament by grecco-roman thought.
This is the line Albert Pike, the Luciferian, antichristian, prophet of Freemasonry, takes. Pike, you know, who says the Kabbalah is the basis of Freemasonry. Basing much of their Jewish-like religion on Solomon's temple and various other Jewish symbols. Sounds like you would have a lot in common. Are you a Mason?
Where do you get this stuff? Some people take Kabbalah too far to be sure but they are not mainstream Judaism.
Mainstream Judaism is what is represented by the Karaites, not Talmudic Judaism...and certainly not the Kabbalists. You gloss over Kabbalah.
On the other hand, Chritianity is the syncretic religion. It is the original mormonism. The New Testament is "not in the (Hebrew)bible".
Read again what I said, Christianity has its syncretic elements, with a remnant that is not. Same with Judaism, the Karaites being the latter, anti-Talmud and anti-Kabbalah. Are you comparing Jesus Christ with Joseph Smith? I wonder if Dennis Prager agrees with you.
Many other religions at the time of Jesus taught..a virgin birth...resurrected gods...a sacred meal (eucharist)...a god-man hybrid savior..etc. None of these are even remotely Jewish teaching. They were grafted into the new testament by grecco-roman thought.
This is the line Albert Pike, the Luciferian, antichristian, prophet of Freemasonry, takes. Pike, you know, who says the Kabbalah is the basis of Freemasonry. Basing much of their Jewish-like religion on Solomon's temple and various other Jewish symbols. Sounds like you would have a lot in common. Are you a Mason?
Was that about the time Christopher Columbus had to set sail?
Or you can get raw with these strings. Either way, the violin is sweet yet lethal.
Do it!
“Mainstream Judaism is what is represented by the Karaites”
Um, no. As already posted, Karaites were a sect that created itself in Iraq about 1300 years ago. It was never “mainstream” Judaism.
They prospered until the muslims and Christians killed them.
Now most reside in Israel, where they are embraced by their fellow Jewish citizens.
The fact you’ve twisted off into masonic conspiracies with the rest of your post confirms you are a nut.
It depends, if we are talking about Islam, then I would agree with you. If we are talking about the Old Testament, I would agree with you. If we are talking Jesus Christ, absolutely not. If we are talking extrabiblical literature like the Talmud and Kabbalah, absolutely not.
Did you listen to the video? Hagee says "Jesus did not come as the Messiah"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m6pPnQjn7w
Even if Hagee said "Jesus did not come the first time as the Messiah," that would still be horribly false. Hagee is spouting heresy to ingratiate himself with the Jews.
On the Karaites, mainstream from my perspective...not yours Any Jewish group that is OT only (Torah & Tanach to you guys) are the good guys in my book.
Apparently it bothers you for me to bring up the basis of Freemasonry being Kabbalah, Solomon’s temple, etc. Sorry ‘bout that. And I didn’t even mention Kabbalah is also the basis of almost every form of witchcraft and occultic group in the world. Are you running cover for your Kabbalist brethren?
You’re a nut, a liar, and an embarassment to fundamentalist Christians like myself.
rdb3: the other major factor in limiting the number of Karaite Jews was the Spanish Inquisition, as they were forced to covert or die.
Wikipedia uses three separate sources to show that Talmud-following Jews expelled the Karaites from Spain in the Twelfth Century.
Again...where do you get this stuff? Karaites are not mainstream Judaism. Judaism that accepts the Tanach and the Oral Law is mainstream Judaism. There are many many commandments that are impossible to keep because the Torah does not give explict instructions, for example:
Which four species do you use on Sukkot? How do you not eat blood when cooking? What does it mean "bind them as a sign upon your hand and a reminder between your eyes"? What exactly does it mean you shall do no work on Shabbat? What constitutes work?
You have to have the Oral Law to practice Judaism.
I dont gloss over Kabbalah. I said some take it too far.
Christianity has its syncretic elements, with a remnant that is not.Are you comparing Jesus Christ with Joseph Smith?
There is no such thing as Christianity that is not syncretic. It is an offshoot of Judaism. Mainstream Christianity incorporates virgin birth, ressurected god, a god-man, eating of a god-mans flesh and drinking his blood, human sacrifice for forgiveness of sin...these are all nonjudaic and foreign to the Hebrew scripture but NOT foreign to other religions of that era. No, I am not comparing Jesus to Joseph Smith...the apostle Paul? yes. The gospel writers..yes.
I dont know who Pike is, never heard of him. Kabbalah should only be studied by Jews and Noahides. It should only be taught by an Orthodox Torah observant Jew, trained to do so.
“Again...where do you get this stuff?”
I suspect the voices in his head.
Sarah Palin is a Jewess. Pope John Paul II was a Jew. These and other fascinating suppressed facts are found all over the ‘net and believed by posters on FR. Did I need to remind you how kooky the stuff is in the Religion Forum? Spillover is inevitable.
“Pope John Paul II was a Jew.”
This is technically true. His mother converted to Roman Catholicism when she married her husband, and obviously raised her children Christian. I think it’s neat.
http://moderntribalist.blogspot.com/2005/12/did-pope-john-paul-ii-have-jewish.html
I assume by “kooky” you are referring to my bringing up the Kabbalah-Freemasonry-occultism connection. Why do you guys get so prickly when somebody brings these things up? Strange.
If there is anything kooky it is Kabbalah...and the various occult groups in the world that have sprung from it’s type of Jewish theosophy.
Why is it I sometimes feel like I’m dealing with Mormons when I deal with you guys? Mormons use every type of tactic imaginable to get people off their occultic trail.
were but not are
Sarah Palin is Jewish too. Says so right here on this blog:
http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2008/11/sarah-palin-jewish-who-knew.html
Yes, that was soundly refuted.
The RCC came out and said this was correct and was the reason PJP went into hiding when the Nazis came (Christian or no, 1/2 Jew went to the gas chambers). You can hunt for a better source, if inclined.
And I’m not surprised by this. His official biography states (then) Karol Wojtyla fell in love with a Jewish woman prior to enrolling in the seminary. They had talked of seriously of marriage.
She was taken away by the Nazis, and Wojtyla’s sadness over this eventually led him to the priesthood, where he would find comfort in serving God.
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