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What do you Think of Emmet Fox?

Iti oj

Global warming is real and we need to act
Premium Member
Ok. Here is a link to some affirmations of his. You can also check the rest of the site, whenever you want?

emmet fox affirmations
i just looked around a.bit. seems a lot like meditation and magic. I think its sound if the paradigm works for you. I will be looking into these deeper thank you for making me aware.
 

Levite

Higher and Higher
Well, obviously, this guy's a Christian, so I don't agree with his theology as a matter of course.

But over and above that, we don't do the idea of healing by prayer and faith alone. We certainly offer prayers for the healing of the ill, but we believe that part of how God provides healing to us is by creating human beings with the capacities of intelligence, empathy, and studiousness to become doctors. Reason, science, and technology are the fruits of the gift of intelligence that God gave us, and we honor Him when we use those gifts to help and heal others, and to be helped and healed by them.
 

davidthegreek

Active Member
Well, obviously, this guy's a Christian, so I don't agree with his theology as a matter of course.

But over and above that, we don't do the idea of healing by prayer and faith alone. We certainly offer prayers for the healing of the ill, but we believe that part of how God provides healing to us is by creating human beings with the capacities of intelligence, empathy, and studiousness to become doctors. Reason, science, and technology are the fruits of the gift of intelligence that God gave us, and we honor Him when we use those gifts to help and heal others, and to be helped and healed by them.
He is considered a heretic actually. Because he denies the reality of Jesus of Nazareth, as son of God, and the resurrection. To him he is more of a symbol than anything else. However, I have read some of his books, and I like his thoughts on some things. Just not on everything. He also believes in Reincarnation and Karma.
 

Levite

Higher and Higher
He is considered a heretic actually. Because he denies the reality of Jesus of Nazareth, as son of God, and the resurrection. To him he is more of a symbol than anything else. However, I have read some of his books, and I like his thoughts on some things. Just not on everything. He also believes in Reincarnation and Karma.

Meh. Still invokes Christ. That's enough to make him incompatible with Jewish thought and practice.
 

Levite

Higher and Higher
I don't have a problem reading the philosophy of other religion, and keeping what seems to be of value. Why do you have this problem?

I have been known to judiciously adapt concepts from other practices, if they are not fundamentally incompatible with Judaism. But we Jews have to be very careful when we syncretize, because we are commanded not to do as other peoples do, but to follow only our own ways, and to only worship God according to the teachings of our Torah and our Rabbis, and not in the foreign practices of non-Jews.

The practices of non-Jews are fine for them, but they are not for us; just as the ways of Torah are fine for us, but are not intended for non-Jews. It's not a value judgment or hierarchical statement, just an acknowledgement of differences.
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
I have been known to judiciously adapt concepts from other practices, if they are not fundamentally incompatible with Judaism. But we Jews have to be very careful when we syncretize, because we are commanded not to do as other peoples do, but to follow only our own ways, and to only worship God according to the teachings of our Torah and our Rabbis, and not in the foreign practices of non-Jews.

The practices of non-Jews are fine for them, but they are not for us; just as the ways of Torah are fine for us, but are not intended for non-Jews. It's not a value judgment or hierarchical statement, just an acknowledgement of differences.

The following should not be misinterpreted as attacking questions but questions from a truly interested observer. I’m sure you will as in the past have intelligent replies.

Why do you choose to stay Jewish in the 21st century? Can I assume you believe the religion was divinely inspired but not intended for all?

Certainly you realize it’s possible that other cultures may have deeper wisdom than Judaism on certain subjects. Why would you not want to accept the best. Who determines what is ‘fundamentally incompatible’ with Judaism. What if something ‘fundamentally incompatible with Judaism’ makes the most sense to a balanced objective thinker?

What if in a hundred years something like reincarnation and the ancient wisdom of the great Indian Yogis are stunningly being confirmed more and more by western science?
 

Levite

Higher and Higher
The following should not be misinterpreted as attacking questions but questions from a truly interested observer. I’m sure you will as in the past have intelligent replies.

Why do you choose to stay Jewish in the 21st century? Can I assume you believe the religion was divinely inspired but not intended for all?

No, I don't think Judaism was intended for all, but I do believe it was intended for the Jewish People.

Judaism is not, strictly speaking, a religion. It is a socioreligious ethnicity. It has elements of religion, but also elements of national identity and elements of ethnic identity.

I am a Jew by birth, and also by belief. I believe that Judaism is a good and worthy path to follow, and I also believe that as a Jew, I have a responsibility to keep to the covenant. It is who I am. It is who we Jews are.

Certainly you realize it’s possible that other cultures may have deeper wisdom than Judaism on certain subjects. Why would you not want to accept the best. Who determines what is ‘fundamentally incompatible’ with Judaism. What if something ‘fundamentally incompatible with Judaism’ makes the most sense to a balanced objective thinker?

I don't think that I evaluate things in the sense of different cultures having "better" or "deeper" wisdom. I think different cultures have different ways, and different ways may be better for some people than for others. I suppose if a Jew felt deeply enough that something incompatible with Judaism was important to them, they would leave the Jewish People. But I can't imagine people feeling so very often.

There is a complex and very flexible methodology for determining what is compatible with Jewish thought and practice, which is in the hands of rabbis and other trained scholars. But in many areas, the tradition is very open to the importation of new ideas, so long as they are either compatible or able to be made compatible to Jewish thought-- which is not usually difficult to do, as the palette of different ideas within the tradition is quite broad.

What if in a hundred years something like reincarnation and the ancient wisdom of the great Indian Yogis are stunningly being confirmed more and more by western science?

Actually, we have a tradition that embraces reincarnation as an option of belief. Our mystics have taught reincarnation in certain schools of thought for centuries. We call it gilgulei neshamot, or "the cycle of souls."
 

davidthegreek

Active Member
No, I don't think Judaism was intended for all, but I do believe it was intended for the Jewish People.

Judaism is not, strictly speaking, a religion. It is a socioreligious ethnicity. It has elements of religion, but also elements of national identity and elements of ethnic identity.

I am a Jew by birth, and also by belief. I believe that Judaism is a good and worthy path to follow, and I also believe that as a Jew, I have a responsibility to keep to the covenant. It is who I am. It is who we Jews are.



I don't think that I evaluate things in the sense of different cultures having "better" or "deeper" wisdom. I think different cultures have different ways, and different ways may be better for some people than for others. I suppose if a Jew felt deeply enough that something incompatible with Judaism was important to them, they would leave the Jewish People. But I can't imagine people feeling so very often.

There is a complex and very flexible methodology for determining what is compatible with Jewish thought and practice, which is in the hands of rabbis and other trained scholars. But in many areas, the tradition is very open to the importation of new ideas, so long as they are either compatible or able to be made compatible to Jewish thought-- which is not usually difficult to do, as the palette of different ideas within the tradition is quite broad.



Actually, we have a tradition that embraces reincarnation as an option of belief. Our mystics have taught reincarnation in certain schools of thought for centuries. We call it gilgulei neshamot, or "the cycle of souls."

1. Can you name a few of the mystics that teach reincarnation? I am interested philologically.
2. Did any of the prophets teach that?
3. When do the jews expect their messiah?
4. Do you still have the Pharasies? or are they long gone?
 

Levite

Higher and Higher
1. Can you name a few of the mystics that teach reincarnation? I am interested philologically.
2. Did any of the prophets teach that?
3. When do the jews expect their messiah?
4. Do you still have the Pharasies? or are they long gone?

1. A ton of our mystics have discussed it: the Vilna Gaon, R. Yakov Emden, R. Yehudah ben Asher, R. Naftali Tzvi Hirsch, most of the Hasidic masters speak about it. Even some of the earlier rabbis spoke of it, like Nachmanides. The idea must have been comparatively early, since Saadyah Gaon mentions it-- if only to disagree with it.

2. None of the prophets taught it explicitly and directly. Some of our rabbis have used interpretations of Torah/Tanach text to infer its existence, but only indirectly.

3. We don't know. Probably not any time soon, since he won't be coming until we achieve tikkun ha-olam (the repair/healing/amending of the world): peace between all Jews, between all nations, an end to hunger and war, etc.

4. The Pharisees became the Rabbis of the Talmud. All modern rabbis are inheritors of the authority of the Rabbis of the Talmud. All Judaism today is Rabbinic Judaism, which is essentially to say the Judaism founded on the framework of interpretation and thought begun by the Pharisees.
 
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davidthegreek

Active Member
1. A ton of our mystics have discussed it: the Vilna Gaon, R. Yakov Emden, R. Yehudah ben Asher, R. Naftali Tzvi Hirsch, most of the Hasidic masters speak about it. Even some of the earlier rabbis spoke of it, like Nachmanides. The idea must have been comparatively early, since Saadyah Gaon mentions it-- if only to disagree with it.

2. None of the prophets taught it explicitly and directly. Some of our rabbis have used interpretations Torah text to infer its existence, but only indirectly.

3. We don't know. Probably not any time soon, since he won't be coming until we achieve tikkun ha-olam (the repair/healing/amending of the world): peace between all Jews, between all nations, an end to hunger and war, etc.

4. The Pharisees became the Rabbis of the Talmud. All modern rabbis are inheritors of the authority of the Rabbis of the Talmud. All Judaism today is Rabbinic Judaism, which is essentially to say the Judaism founded on the framework of interpretation and thought begun by the Pharisees.
interesting. There is a theory that the first christians or at least a sect of them believed in reincarnation as well. I wonder why though. Jesus did not teach reincarnation, and obviously the prophets did not either. The official stance of the church is also a no-no when it comes to reincarnation.
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
Thank you for the response.

I believe that Judaism is a good and worthy path to follow, and I also believe that as a Jew, I have a responsibility to keep to the covenant.

Responsibility to whom? Your community? To God?

Do you believe this covenant really came from God to the Jews?
 

Levite

Higher and Higher
How would you describe this covenant in 21st century terms?

I guess maybe I don't entirely understand the question. But if you're asking me to describe what the covenant is, I guess I could try to shape an answer.

The covenant establishes a unique relationship between God and the People Israel, the parameters of which are framed in Torah (in the widest sense of that term, encompassing both Written and Oral Torah to their fullest extent) as a transgenerational living and evolving dialogue, wherein we constantly delve into the revelation that God has gifted us with, seeking to better understand Him and what He wishes of us, and in turn seeing Him within ourselves, each other, and the world around us, as we slowly work toward spiritual awareness and the refinement of our morality.
 
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