Judaism AMA

[Noor]

But you do know the world doesn’t work like that right?
You’re also freely agreeing that Hamas has brought this situation on the greater Palestinian population and yet feel no sympathy for the Palestinians.

You have no idea what I feel about the Palestinians and who sympathy for.
Granted, I only know Palestinians that were born and raised in the West Bank and I was told long before this war began that they would not go to Gaza for anything.
You may be unaware of this, but there are also Palestinians living in Israel with full rights and everything.
War has collateral damage of innocence people like the ones who get killed in Gaza, who get killed in Israel, in Lebanon, in Syria and Iran.
It’s the government of these countries to protect their civilians. Unfortunately, it seems that Israel is the only one who actually cares about their civilians.

 

[Noor]

That's a pretty simplistic understanding of Brahman and the different schools of Hinduism, but thanks for the answer.

I don’t think it’s a simplistic view at all. I think it’s a very complex view. I was growing up. I was told by Hindus that they were all a version of Krishna, but actually it goes a little deeper than that and that’s what I posted.
But the real issue is Jews don’t care. It’s not something they have to worry about you can believe whatever you want as long as you’re not killing Jews, Theybdon’t care what you’re doing.
I don’t know if you realize this, but there are a lot of different religious groups in Israel, who are citizens of Israel with full rights and everything and nobody cares.

 

[HumpDayHoratio]

I do find the “Are Jews white” question to be interesting. @BrightShinyGirl could you please respond to that?

Personally, when I was young my hair was blonde, not beach blonde but light blonde. As I have aged my hair has turned darker and more red has come in. My grandfather was 100% Jewish and had red hair.

Am I white? Yes, I identify as white. Am I the anomaly in my family? Yes, all of my Jewish side family is brunette, brown eyes except for one sibling who was a total redhead like our grandfather. Plus, all of my family has olive skin whereas I am a “medium” when putting on make up.

I have a friend from Spain, the Basque region. He’s Jewish and has bright red hair.

 

[calmlikeabomb]

It is a simplistic view because while the concept of Brahman itself is complex, there are different schools of thought on the relation between Brahman (simplified: the ultimate truth of the universe and all creation) and Atman (soul).

The Hare Krishna, for instance, hold that Krishna, the avatara of Vishnu, is the ultimate truth, but that is only one of the many schools of Vaishnav thought. Shaivites, on the other hand, hold Shiva and Shakti and the male/female duality to be the source of the ultimate creative power.

And this is not even going into the Vedic and pre Vedic schools, or the atheistic schools of Hinduism.

 

[RobDownSouth]

https://i.imgur.com/Snya7ey.png

 

[AnomalyLady]

Wow, sounding a bit like you feel
Left out. Being chosen means that G-d the Jewish people to fulfill his commandments in exchange for their protection and the land, nothing to do with anyone else. If fact G-d says there will be other lands for other people.
Nothing has suddenly changed, this is all from thousands of years ago. Who your ancestors were is the luck of the draw.
It’s not easy being a Jew, there always sone prejudice nut job out there and fundamentalist Islam that is out to eliminate them before moving on to eliminating Christians and then other Muslims not of their sect. I think they chose Jew first cause they’re less of them. They thought it would be easier. They were wrong and continue to be wrong.
In terms of intelligence yeah, there’s a higher percentage of choose with Nobel prizes than there are a percentage of Jews in the world. But part of being a Jew is being pushed for generations of relatives to be over educated, a doctor, a lawyer, a scientist, a rabbi, start businesses etc.. and also to heal the world.
Jews are strong, they survive, the Jewish people who are here now are a distillation of those who survived over the last 4000+ years.

To add to this. I was told by one of my best friends, "To be Jews, we have a hard road but we’re chosen by Him because we can take it."

 

[Noor]

Right, so a terrorist organization is to blame and not the military that’s shooting people? Makes sense.

Do you not understand what happens during war? This is why you don’t wage war unless you can face the consequences.
You don’t get to attack a country and then whine because you made no provision for your citizens and no plan for the other side to fight back.
The US blew up nuclear facilities in Iran tonight, do you think they did not think about the consequences? The embassy in Beirut is on high alert and I’m sure others are too. The New York City police are also on high alert, as I imagine other Metropolitan areas will be as well.

 

[Lazaran]

https://i.imgur.com/Snya7ey.png

How about we just let the MAGAts cannibalize themselves in this moment and not throw away the 2026 midterms & the 2028 election by alienating potential Democratic voters with hyperbolic rhetoric involving unworthy causes like Gaza & Iran, m’kay???





We. Told. Them. So.

 

[Alpine99]

Do you not understand what happens during war? This is why you don’t wage war unless you can face the consequences.
You don’t get to attack a country and then whine because you made no provision for your citizens and no plan for the other side to fight back.
The US blew up nuclear facilities in Iran tonight, do you think they did not think about the consequences? The embassy in Beirut is on high alert and I’m sure others are too. The New York City police are also on high alert, as I imagine other Metropolitan areas will be as well.

You agreed that Hamas was the aggressor, but Israel are waging war on the Palestinian people. Do you not understand how wrong that is?

 

[DeluxAuto]

We funded all sides of the current Mideast conflict, it doesn’t make them allies

Ukraine isn't in the Mideast.

 

[Chernosoth]

Many indigenous cultures have been destroyed and lost forever after imperial conquest. Hebrews were conquered twice, by Egypt and Rome. The extreme devotion to cultural preservation was necessary to still have a Hebrew culture as they dispersed around the world. But it may still be near the end of its run. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have a common feature of a division between humans and nature, between mind and flesh, a philosophical shift that started in ancient Greece. That division may close in the next few centuries as new religions replace the Abrahamic religions, with more emphasis on environmental harmony to cope with centuries of environmental devastation.

 

[Noor]

You agreed that Hamas was the aggressor, but Israel are waging war on the Palestinian people. Do you not understand how wrong that is?

Hamas was the elected government of Gaza. The massacre was an act of war. Israel is at war with Gaza. Gaza can release the hostages and remove Hamas, unfortunately if you elect people war is your problem.
It’s not wrong for Isreal to fight, it is wrong for Hamas to use the Gazan as human shields, and the UN to help fund the terrorists and tunnel but not help build bomb shelters. As Hamas said the tunnels are for Hamas and the UN should take care of the citizens.
Fortunately, the UN didn’t. They built schools that had weapons built into them and tunnels under them, the textbooks in the schools encourage jihad against the Israelis.
No, I don’t think it’s wrong at all. It’s unfortunate just like all those German citizens who weren’t part of the Nazi party were unfortunately killed in World War II. Like the city of Dresden that was bombed just because Churchill could do it because the city of Bath that was bombed in retaliation for Dresden. Neither had any military significance. Hamas has put military tunnels all under Gaza, there are accesses to those tunnels in almost every house, school and hospital. Their command centers are under hospitals and the themselves has said they put them there because they wouldn’t get attacked if they were under hospitals or in schools.
Do you worry about the children of Sudan, the Palestinians in Lebanon, the people in Syria that were kept in the prisons, and the innocent people were killed, the women and girls who have been killed solely because some of their hair is showing from underneath their veils. To worry about other innocent refugees from war around the global, the people who the UN are not spending a fortune to support for 70 years?
Believe it or not Israel is trying very hard not to kill civilians. They tell civilians when they’re gonna take down a building so they can leave. They protect corridors so refugees can move around the country without getting shot by Hamas. I don’t know where you’re getting your information or how you think that the Gazans super special and no other people at war or refugees are, but you’re wrong. And at the end of this war, when you find out the truth, I hope it doesn’t crush you.

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

Many indigenous cultures have been destroyed and lost forever after imperial conquest. Hebrews were conquered twice, by Egypt and Rome. The extreme devotion to cultural preservation was necessary to still have a Hebrew culture as they dispersed around the world. But it may still be near the end of its run. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have a common feature of a division between humans and nature, between mind and flesh, a philosophical shift that started in ancient Greece. That division may close in the next few centuries as new religions replace the Abrahamic religions, with more emphasis on environmental harmony to cope with centuries of environmental devastation.

Judaism predates Ancient Greece and doesn’t make a distinction between mind and flesh. The “Abrahamic religions” is a misleading term. Christianity and Islam resemble each other more than either resembles Judaism.

 

[Rockymtnman]

Atheists think all religions are like Christianity. Judaism is very different.

No it isn’t. It’s Old Testament doctrine instead of New Testament doctrine. The only real difference is the belief that Jesus is or isn’t the son of God. Having helped a couple of my good friends in middle school practice for their bar mitzvahs ( reading the Torah) and having many discussions with their families. I found very little difference between that and other Christian denominations. Other than the delivery.

 

[Rockymtnman]

Wtf? What’s wrong with people of faith practicing it openly and proudly?

Nothing. As long as you don’t force your beliefs on to others. I don’t need to live by your set of beliefs nor you, mine.

 

[Noor]

Many indigenous cultures have been destroyed and lost forever after imperial conquest. Hebrews were conquered twice, by Egypt and Rome. The extreme devotion to cultural preservation was necessary to still have a Hebrew culture as they dispersed around the world. But it may still be near the end of its run. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have a common feature of a division between humans and nature, between mind and flesh, a philosophical shift that started in ancient Greece. That division may close in the next few centuries as new religions replace the Abrahamic religions, with more emphasis on environmental harmony to cope with centuries of environmental devastation.

Judaism is hardly at the end of its run, esp with the “make Jews babies now” movement. Do you know there are more Jews now than before October 7 and will continue?

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

No it isn’t. It’s Old Testament doctrine instead of New Testament doctrine. The only real difference is the belief that Jesus is or isn’t the son of God. Having helped a couple of my good friends in middle school practice for their bar mitzvahs ( reading the Torah) and having many discussions with their families. I found very little difference between that and other Christian denominations. Other than the delivery.

Jews don’t believe in sin, heaven, or hell. We reject the notion of direct divine revelation. There’s a lot more to Judaism than just “Christianity minus Jesus”.

 

[Politruk]

Jews don’t believe in sin, heaven, or hell. We reject the notion of direct divine revelation.

Every prophet in the OT claimed direct divine revelation, claimed to speak for God.

 

[Noor]

No it isn’t. It’s Old Testament doctrine instead of New Testament doctrine. The only real difference is the belief that Jesus is or isn’t the son of God. Having helped a couple of my good friends in middle school practice for their bar mitzvahs ( reading the Torah) and having many discussions with their families. I found very little difference between that and other Christian denominations. Other than the delivery.

What sect of Judaism? Reconstructoonidt? Reform? Conservative? Oxodox? Hasidic?
Most of the above don’t think about Christ at all, he was just one of 50 would be messiahs at the time.
There was a movement to try and assimilate reform Jews starting in the 60s and 70s to help perpetuate the Judea-Christian myth.
Hanukkah bushes, and Serious gifts then like a Christmas, but that is not that is not the core of Judaism.
In any religion and peoples there are those who are only marginally part of it like weekend Christians and Muslims, that happens with some Jews.
After Oct 7, things are changing…

 

[Rockymtnman]

Jews don’t believe in sin, heaven, or hell. We reject the notion of direct divine revelation. There’s a lot more to Judaism than just “Christianity minus Jesus”.

Mmmm. Gan Eden or Gehenna are just different names for the same thing. While there is no distinct description of heaven in the Old Testament or the Torah if you prefer, there is absolutely a belief in an afterlife in Judaism.

 

[Rockymtnman]

What sect of Judaism? Reconstructoonidt? Reform? Conservative? Oxodox? Hasidic?
Most of the above don’t think about Christ at all, he was just one of 50 would be messiahs at the time.
There was a movement to try and assimilate reform Jews starting in the 60s and 70s to help perpetuate the Judea-Christian myth.
Hanukkah bushes, and Serious gifts then like a Christmas, but that is not that is not the core of Judaism.
In any religion and peoples there are those who are only marginally part of it like weekend Christians and Muslims, that happens with some Jews.
After Oct 7, things are changing…

My friends we’re reform, if I remember correctly.

 

[Noor]

Every prophet in the OT claimed direct divine revelation, claimed to speak for God.

Like Moses’ contract with G-d?

 

[Noor]

Mmmm. Gan Eden or Gehenna are just different names for the same thing. While there is no distinct description of heaven in the Old Testament or the Torah if you prefer, there is absolutely a belief in an afterlife in Judaism.

Depends which Jews.

 

[Noor]

My friends we’re reform, if I remember correctly.

Sounds like it.

 

[Rockymtnman]

As far as sin goes, while there is no “original sin” doctrine in Judaism they do believe that one can stray from god and you can atone for this. So, semantics really.