And your opinion of the Old Testament?
Mintaka
You also noted the “G-d” huh? Completely weird that tbh.
Still got my thoughts on whether the Old testament is G-d written or more G-d inspired. But there is thousands of years of human experience written there, and when you combine that with Judaism oral law, makes for some very interesting life lessons and ways to live your life! The new testament is full of holes and contradictions. The old testament when studied in ints original language hebrew (not that I am fluent in hebrew but know enough to get by) makes sense.
Out of respect for G-d when writing Jews dont like to write his name in full (If paper contains G-ds name it needs to be buried not torn up. Learnt this as a child basically as a respect thing for G-d and now do it guess out of habit. In the same way a practicing Jew will never say G-ds hebrew out aloud name unless it is in prayer, they will substitute the name for G-d with Hashem, which means “the name”. Guess when it comes to writing in the same way that G-d gets a capital letter, i guess I dont like to write it in full purely out of respect.
But either way you are convinced that God had his omnipotent finger in this literary pie?
The old testament when studied in in its original language Hebrew (not that I am fluent in Hebrew but know enough to get by) makes sense.
So if I’m reading this right, it follows that-
- each and every contradiction in the OT is resolved when read in Hebrew
- no other language in the world is capable of describing the same content accurately?
Mintaka
I get it. I think it is ludicrous.
If paper contains G-ds name it needs to be buried not torn up.roflol - toss the salt over the left shoulder not the right!
Learnt this as a child basically as a respect thing for G-d and now do it guess out of habit.Fair enough I guess.
In the same way a practicing Jew will never say G-ds hebrew out aloud name unless it is in prayer, they will substitute the name for G-d with Hashem, which means "the name". Guess when it comes to writing in the same way that G-d gets a capital letter, i guess I dont like to write it in full purely out of respect.The God of the Jews hardly deserves respect. That misogynistic, ego maniacal, genocidal bastard only deserves derision and scorn and my complete and utter disdain.
Well give me some of the worst examples, which makes no sense to you and I will attempt to make sense of it!
For me, it seems like the holes and contradictions started in the old testament and continued in the new, no difference at all!
http://www.evilbible.com/Biblical%20Contradictions.htm
This ought to keep you busy for a while 
(although, if you know all the contradictions in the new testament, you probably know this site too)
Thanks, have seen lots of similar sites, the problem with that one is it is comparing new testament and old testament. Judaism only reads the old testament only. The new testament totally contradicts the old! Though there are a couple on there that deal only with issues in the old, and i will try read up and explain a few. I do admit that some are very confusing to me still, but I do find a deeper understanding of them always makes them somewhat clearer.
I just want to ask you a question. Why is it that the Jews who understand and read the bible in its original language, do not have issues with it like people who do not understand the bible, or read it in English or other translations. Also something else to note: Judaism is the only Religion that started with a mass revelation. Ie G-d revealed himself to 3 million people at mount Sinai: and the religion followed from there. Now if you are doubtful of this, why is it that no other religion has ever been able to repeat this claim. I mean if you where going to start a religion, and you wanted it to spread, would the mass revelation not be way more powerful approach, then the one person who has a vision and spreads it from there which is the approach of all other religions?
Now with this in mind why is it that the learned followers of this religion do not find holes in the text of the Old testament? Are they all lying to themselves. Do they all not have a clue what they are doing? all brainwashed? what do you think the reason for this is? How many Rabbis can you find in history, that have converted to other religions? Now go look how many scholars and clergy from other religions have converted to Judaism? I aint saying in any way that the numbers game shows anything, I just find it remarkable that the deeper people study the Jewish bible, the more they cling ontyo the religion, and in many cases of other religions the opposite is true.
Agreed that It may be a silly superstition, but you see the way I understand G-d and religion is that, one thing we can know for sure is that G-d is hidden from us. We have no way of ever knowing if G-d truly exists. If we knew G-d existed we would loose our free will, and simply become sheep to G-d. Another thing I know for sure is that if there is a G-d, that he in no way needs anything from us. Whether or not I pray to G-d, eat pork, murder, kill, steal or write his name GOD in full, it will have zero impact on him. The impact it will have is on myself. There are thousands of people out there who follow no form of religion, and may be far better, human beings then myself. Personally I find that the concept of G-d to which I subscribe to helps me in life. It is a hard world out there, and insight gained from Judaism makes the world a better place (for me). When tough things happen to me, I have been given a way of dealing with it. For thousands of years Jews have been using and practicing this “religion” and for some reason, it still exists. Jews are a highly successful race. Go look at for example Nobel prize winners and see what percentage of them are Jews. Go look at doctors, lawyers, bankers, etc etc and see what percentage are Jews. Now also consider Jews only make up less then 1% of the world population, and is also one of the most persecuted races. Now who knows if the religion was just totally man made, some sort of fluke that worked. Life is very good for me, so why would I need to share your view of this horrible G-d? My concept of G-d works for me! G-d is great, and kind. You may call it brain washing, but when people have issues in life do they not go see psychologists and take medicine to help them deal? My concept and teachings of G-d has helped me to deal!
Go look at Alchaholics anonymous and similar successful drug and rehab programs. have read a book on it and it shows how people cannot quit things on there own. For some reason people become there own worst enemy. Yet when we come to believe in some sort of higher power(in what ever form), and try to quit bad things for that higher power, it becomes much easier. . Not saying this is proof of anything, but it is something that works for struggling human beings.
I am sorry you have such a dim view of G-d, I only hope that life treats you well and you are able to be happy without the need for a belief in a higher power. This though is a bit of a paradox, as plenty devious religions prey on unhappy people, so being unhappy is not the reason to rush out and adopt a religion. This is all just why religion works for me! (not saying you are unhappy or anything, was just a thought I had)
and
one thing we can know for sure is that G-d is hidden from us.So which is it - revealed or hidden?
There are thousands of people out there who follow no form of religion, and may be far better, human beings then myself.Agree.
Yet when we come to believe in some sort of higher power(in what ever form), and try to quit bad things for that higher power, it becomes much easier. . Not saying this is proof of anything, but it is something that works for struggling human beingsI totally understand the "comfort value" that religion may offer some people. I think that is probably the best thing that religion has going for it. But alas, this comfort still relies on mere faith. Maybe faith is driven by the desire to find comfort...
Mintaka
How come, with any other matter in life you need proof, but with religion, you comfort yourself with…
How does this even make sense :
No need to fear becoming sheep to god if the masses already are :
Except for …not being allowed to use rationality, being submissive and inferior…to some nonexistent entity.
Heaven or rather HELL knows why these people hang on to their beliefs. Considering their
Percentage population would have been higher if Hitler didn’t get a hold of them
Romanized churben or hurban[3] is the term generally used to describe the genocide of approximately six million European Jews during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored extermination by Nazi Germany.[4]
Some scholars maintain that the definition of the Holocaust should also include the Nazis’ systematic murder of millions of people in other groups, including ethnic Poles, Romani, Soviet civilians, Soviet prisoners of war, people with disabilities, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other political and religious opponents.[5] By this definition, the total number of Holocaust victims would be between 11 million and 17 million people.[6]
All of them have above stats available but wish to ignore the possibility, that in fact there never was or are a Supernatural power looking out for them, or wish to believe that it was a test. When we yet again can ask, which loving parent would require such proof of love from their children. NO ONE!
Yeah, no proof at all. Because we might as well reason: why did their god allow them
Becoming alcoholics in the first place, to test their faith? Let’s see what the world would do, if I allow my children in primary school to become alcoholics, then try to rehabilitate them to proof a point???
Right, poor and unhappy people, to build their kingdom!
http://godisimaginary.com/i52.htm
Well considering the Holocaust and historical facts mentioned above…I give up…please tell me :
Let’s not make the mistake of assuming that Jews haven’t been persecuted throughout history. The Nazi Holocaust is just one of the more recent and more horrific instances of a phenomenon that has occurred repeatedly in different times, settings and cultures. In all cases, the persecutions were motivated either by overtly religious or by pseudo-religious differences in weltanschauung. The fact that Judaism has been and still in many ways remains, at heart, an exclusionary religion, may have played a sizeable role.
'Luthon64
Wish I knew an exact answer, but I think its got to do with the fact that the persecution actaully makes Jews stronger. The holocaust may have been terrible, but it was thanks to the holocaust, that the state of Israel was once again allowed to come back into existince. Think the world was in such shock, over the persecution that had been done to the Jews, that when the Jewish state wanted to be re-established, they could simply not say no. If the holocaust had not happened, there would probably be no Israel today. Judaism 101, through suffering we grow!!!
Okay Sachs, the most obvious contradiction from the OT is the order of creation in the two accounts of Gen 1 and Gen 2. Does the Hebrew text not have these contradictions? Or is there an explanation for the scientific inaccuracy in Gen 1 story where the sun is created on day 4 but the plants on day 3 (plants need the sun in order to photosynthesize so they could not have been ‘created’ before the sun)?
We’ll start with this seeing as it is only the first 2 chapters. If you have an argument that is any more convincing or insightful than the cop-out Christian arguments, then we can look at the rest of the OT. Deal?
And no war with Palestine…
I must admit, this is a first for me! It is also lost on me, I just don’t get how calling Barry - Ba–y - is showing respect? If anything I think it’s disrespect.
True
I only found out last year, that Hitler’s doings was connected to a religious group he was involved with at that stage. What I didn’t know was his and his predecessors motives and found this very interesting(rather late than never I guess ;)):
Hitler seeking power, wrote in Mein Kampf. "... I am convinced that I am acting as the agent of our Creator. By fighting off the Jews. I am doing the Lord's work." Years later, when in power, he quoted those same words in a Reichstag speech in 1938.In his day, hatred of Jews was the norm. In great measure it was sponsored by the two major religions of Germany, Catholicism and Lutheranism. He greatly admired Martin Luther, who openly hated the Jews. Luther condemned the Catholic Church for its pretensions and corruption, but he supported the centuries of papal pogroms against the Jews. Luther said, “The Jews deserve to be hanged on gallows seven times higher than ordinary thieves,” and “We ought to take revenge on the Jews and kill them.” “Ungodly wretches” he calls the Jews in his widely read Table Talk.
Yeah and there we were, listening to the dominee reading Gen 1, like a bunch of zombies, so many years and didn’t figure how miraculously gawd created all in the dark : and light being there before its source. :-\