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zakyman
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zakyman
1,627 posts
Peasant

Inspired by "Ask A Muslim," I am creating this thread to answer any questions about Judaism. I will only answer questions about the religion, not why I believe in it, or how I can prove that it exists.

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Freakenstein
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Freakenstein
9,504 posts
Jester

Do you get gifts after your holidays? I've heard different accounts of it and heard children that help out get...one. I feel mighty spoiled now, since I get multiple presents for Christmas...

zakyman
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zakyman
1,627 posts
Peasant

It depends on the holiday and the country. The only holiday that we are supposed to get gifts for is Purim. That is the celebration of the day that we did not get destroyed by King Ahashverosh's right hand man, Hamen. The day that the Jews were saved, people gave gifts of sweets, cookies, and other food items. We are supposed to give Mishloach Manot (gift baskets) to our neighbors. The other holiday that Jews get presents is Hannukah, or the Festival of Lights. We receive on gift each of the eight nights. However, in Israel, they instead give gelt, or money. Only in America do we give presents of toys and other items that would normally be found around a Christmas tree.

MageGrayWolf
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MageGrayWolf
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Farmer

How do you justify all the atrocities committed in your holy text, particularly those committed by your deity?

zakyman
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zakyman
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Peasant

How do you justify all the atrocities committed in your holy text, particularly those committed by your deity?


Please be more specific about what event. If you are talking about the destruction of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, then you should know that Abraham attempted to save the city by finding ten righteous people. He failed to do so, and then God destroyed the city for being sinners of great severity and magnitude.
Reiki000
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Reiki000
232 posts
Nomad

What's the main message in Judaism? And what's the "motto" of Judaism?

Greetings

EnterOrion
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EnterOrion
4,220 posts
Nomad

He failed to do so, and then God destroyed the city for being sinners of great severity and magnitude.


Why is God so conceited that he would kill thousands simply for not obeying him? Or to a possibly similar extent, not believing in him?

It sounds like the work of an egotistical madman, not a being worth worshiping by millions.
zakyman
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zakyman
1,627 posts
Peasant

What's the main message in Judaism? And what's the "motto" of Judaism?


A great rabbi (Rabbi Akiva, I think) once had a student who wanted to learn the entire Torah while standing on one foot. The student first went to a different rabbi, who when told of his strange request, told the student to leave his study immediately. However, when the student asked Rabbi Akiva, the rabbi told him, "Do unto others as they would do to you. The rest is commentary. Go and learn it.
zakyman
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zakyman
1,627 posts
Peasant

Why is God so conceited that he would kill thousands simply for not obeying him?


It's not that they were simply disobeying God. Its that they were being what any sane person would consider wicked. That is to say not giving to the poor, placing stumbling blocks in front of the blind, committing murder, etc. Even today all of them would probably be given the death penalty.
Kasic
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Kasic
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Jester

once had a student who wanted to learn the entire Torah while standing on one foot.


...what's the purpose of that? I can understand wanting to learn everything...but why on 1 foot...

However, when the student asked Rabbi Akiva, the rabbi told him, "Do unto others as they would do to you


So the moral of the story is to tell people to leave if they don't listen to you.
314d1
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314d1
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Nomad

Please be more specific about what event. If you are talking about the destruction of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, then you should know that Abraham attempted to save the city by finding ten righteous people. He failed to do so, and then God destroyed the city for being sinners of great severity and magnitude.


Have you read your own holy book? Flooding the world. Seven attacks of Egypt. Torturing Lot to win a bet. Demanding a human sacrifice, twice, and taking it once. Actually, the list goes on forever.

It's not that they were simply disobeying God. Its that they were being what any sane person would consider wicked. That is to say not giving to the poor, placing stumbling blocks in front of the blind, committing murder, etc. Even today all of them would probably be given the death penalty.


You mean like the innocent children of the Egyptians? He gave the death penalty to their kids, not to them....And they really hadn't done anything all that bad.

Well Ill add my own questions. Why did Yawheh choose the Jews as his chosen people? There are several better candidates at that time, mainly do to the fact they has more sophisticated writing like the Chinese or the Greek, why did he choose a group of mostly illiterate desert dwellers? Second question, do you still believe and obey all the stoning laws Yawheh gives, and since I am fairly certain you are not typing this from federal prison, why not?
Freakenstein
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Freakenstein
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Jester

So the moral of the story is to tell people to leave if they don't listen to you.


Or to treat people the way you want to be treated. The simple respect virtue. Do keep the wit in good taste, yes?
MageGrayWolf
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MageGrayWolf
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Farmer

Please be more specific about what event.


You can take your pick from any of these lists, since I was referring to all of the atrocities in it.
http://www.thethinkingatheist.com/page/bible-atrocities
http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/cruelty/long.html
http://thegodmurders.com/index.html
http://dwindlinginunbelief.blogspot.com/2006/08/gods-death-toll-in-bible-book-of.html

then you should know that Abraham attempted to save the city by finding ten righteous people. He failed to do so,


This could only mean one thing... EVIL BABIES!
http://i715.photobucket.com/albums/ww151/puck35/EvilBaby1.jpg
zakyman
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zakyman
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Peasant

..what's the purpose of that? I can understand wanting to learn everything...but why on 1 foot...


It was a sort of test for the rabbis. However, that is completely irrelevant.

Have you read your own holy book? Flooding the world. Seven attacks of Egypt. Torturing Lot to win a bet. Demanding a human sacrifice, twice, and taking it once. Actually, the list goes on forever.


Yes, I have. The reason that God took the lives of the first-born Egyptians was not to punish the children, but to prove to Pharoah that God is almighty. It was also to teach the Egyptians a lesson that they would not forget. As to The Flood, it was because the world was full of what even we would today regard as sinners, as they were liars, murderers, thieves, etc. God flooded the world to have a fresh start. Also, God then promised to Noah that God would not commit the same act again. The human sacrifice of Isaac was to prove that Abraham was willing to completely devote himself to God's service.

Well Ill add my own questions. Why did Yawheh choose the Jews as his chosen people? There are several better candidates at that time, mainly do to the fact they has more sophisticated writing like the Chinese or the Greek, why did he choose a group of mostly illiterate desert dwellers? Second question, do you still believe and obey all the stoning laws Yawheh gives, and since I am fairly certain you are not typing this from federal prison, why not?


First of all, Yawheh is an incorrect English translation of the Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey used in Hebrew to denote Gods name. As to why God chose the Israelites, it was because they were the only ones willing to accept commandments from God. Also, God did not really choose the Israelites, so much as the sons and daughters of Jacob. That is where the term, B'nei Yisrael, or, Children of Israel comes from. To your second question, after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD by the Romans, many mitzvoht, or, commandments were discarded as impossible to follow. Thos included the rituals of sacrifice, and some punishments. Also, Judaism has, for lack of a better term, evolved to modern day society. In fact, I do not think that any Jew has stoned someone for violating any of the laws that would mandate death by stoning in at least 200 years. Also, I am a Reform Jew, and I choose not to follow every single commandment in the Torah.
zakyman
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zakyman
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Peasant

This could only mean one thing... EVIL BABIES!


What????

You can take your pick from any of these lists, since I was referring to all of the atrocities in it.


I really don't want to contradict every single one of these, but I will start with the top few.

The only ones that involve God's doing are the choosing of Lot, and turning his wife into salt. The others were done by men, who were given free will, and therefore could not be controlled by God. The choosing of Lot was because he was the only righteous soul in the entire city. I do not know why he offered his daughters up to be taken, but then again, I was not there, and I am not a rabbi. Also, to the account of turning into a pillar of salt, was because God had specifically told the fleeing relatives of Abraham not to look over their shoulder and watch the horrible punishment that was befalling the city. My I cannot guess what she saw, but then because she deliberately disobeyed God, God turned her into a pillar of salt. Also, don't take everything written on those websites at face value. They are written in one of the most disfavorable lights that I have ever seen.
MageGrayWolf
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MageGrayWolf
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Farmer

The reason that God took the lives of the first-born Egyptians was not to punish the children, but to prove to Pharoah that God is almighty. It was also to teach the Egyptians a lesson that they would not forget.


So it's acceptable to kill innocent children to teach the head of state a lesson?

What????


These are two large city right? There would have to have been babies in those cities. If no righteous people could be found this would also have to include children and infants. This would means the cities were also filled with evil babies.

The others were done by men, who were given free will, and therefore could not be controlled by God.


Pretty sure mass genocide of the entire planet was controlled by God.

Also, don't take everything written on those websites at face value. They are written in one of the most disfavorable lights that I have ever seen.


I can pull up the Bible verse they are referring to and get the same.
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