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Christians: What Do You Know About Judaism?

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
This is not meant as an attack, but I've put it in religious debates so Jews and others can join in and counter statements.

I am asking what do you, as a Christian (at whom this is aimed) know about Judaism? I'm specifically asking about Jewish theology, doctrine, scriptures etc. For the purpose of this thread I'm talking about Torah Judaism. Orthodoxy. What is your understanding of Judaism? I'm not interested in quotes from your scriptures; I want to know in your own words.

Thanks.
 

Glaurung

Denizen of Niflheim
To give an off the cuff answer as it comes to me off the top of my head. Judaism is the practices and beliefs of a people group called the Jews. The religion claims to preserve a revelation given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, and that this revelation was given in two forms; the Written Torah and the Oral Torah. Religious Jews claim to have a special relationship with God (a covenant) as the 'chosen people' and as a condition of this covenant they are to observe various laws and practices such as circumcision, dietary law, ritual purity etc. (Halakha).

The principle texts of Judaism are the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and the Babylonian Talmud. Its liturgical language is Hebrew and today Judaism exists in three main denominations; Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. Judaism as we know it today has its origins in the teachings of the Pharisee sect of the Second Temple period.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
This is not meant as an attack, but I've put it in religious debates so Jews and others can join in and counter statements.

I am asking what do you, as a Christian (at whom this is aimed) know about Judaism? I'm specifically asking about Jewish theology, doctrine, scriptures etc. For the purpose of this thread I'm talking about Torah Judaism. Orthodoxy. What is your understanding of Judaism? I'm not interested in quotes from your scriptures; I want to know in your own words.

Thanks.
Fairly little, except that the Jews are the group from which Christianity originated (Jesus and St. Paul were Jews) and that we share the Old Testament and thus a fair amount of theology, with them. But I've learnt a bit more now from @Musing Bassist ;).
 

Glaurung

Denizen of Niflheim
Fairly little, except that the Jews are the group from which Christianity originated (Jesus and St. Paul were Jews) and that we share the Old Testament and thus a fair amount of theology, with them. But I've learnt a bit more now from @Musing Bassist ;).
I'm going to nitpick here, but in so doing hopefully impart a little more knowledge. The Catholic Old Testament is not the same as the Hebrew Bible. Our canon is larger. The Protestant canon is the same as the Jewish one, although I believe Judaism splits up the books differently.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
I'm going to nitpick here, but in so doing hopefully impart a little more knowledge. The Catholic Old Testament is not the same as the Hebrew Bible. Our canon is larger. The Protestant canon is the same as the Jewish one, although I believe Judaism splits up the books differently.
Sure. See preceding post.

In terms of theology and teaching about the nature of God and Man, and the relationship between them, I don't think the extra books add much, do they?
 
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Vee

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
This is not meant as an attack, but I've put it in religious debates so Jews and others can join in and counter statements.

I am asking what do you, as a Christian (at whom this is aimed) know about Judaism? I'm specifically asking about Jewish theology, doctrine, scriptures etc. For the purpose of this thread I'm talking about Torah Judaism. Orthodoxy. What is your understanding of Judaism? I'm not interested in quotes from your scriptures; I want to know in your own words.

Thanks.

If I remember well, it is the Jewish religious system. Jewish people believe in the existence of God and have their sacred texts - Tanak. They believe they are God's chosen people and didn't accept Jesus as the Messiah.
It seems to me that there are different branches within Judaism with their own traditions and culture, but the base beliefs are more or less the same.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
 

amorphous_constellation

Well-Known Member
I never could see the hugest gulf between those two religions, seeing as that they share Genesis, but I trust Judaism a little more on a lot of the bible. Genesis puts down foundational rules that no one really questions, and everything after that, to my perception, is sort of just a detail discrepancy or minor disagreement
 

Psalm23

Well-Known Member
In Judaism, I heard there are certain feasts like Passover, the feast of unleavened bread and the feast of tabernacles. I heard about the feast of tabernacles that it is a time you build a tent and dwell in the tent and celebrate. I’m not sure exactly how long it goes on for. In Israel people will often pray at the wailing wall. In Leviticus, there are laid out dietary rules for the Israelites on clean and unclean animals.

One day if possible, I would like to travel to Israel and see the sights. I would like to check out the Dead Sea as I have seen pictures of how people can float in water and it is different than how you would normally float. I find it rather fascinating.
 
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