What's the biggest threat to the Jewish people today?

Judaism DIR

I've been wondering about this for a while now. Some people used to say Christianity with its missionaries, inquisitors and antisemitic decrees. There are still organizations today who work to fight off Christianity from influencing and turning away Jews from Judaism. Others might say that Western ideology, in all of its secular glory might be the most dangerous, having had a hand in what is known in Hebrew as "The Silent Holocaust", as more and more Jews disaffiliate themselves from their people and religion. Or maybe something else? Islam is a rising force in the world nowadays. Many Jews are also wandering the east, searching for meaning in far off places such as India, China and Africa.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Assimilation and lack of connection to and pride in unique identity. In Egypt, one way we survived was by being metzuyanim, marked as different through our names, language and clothing. In whatever culture, when we lose ourselves, we lose ourselves.

When in doubt, Hamlet. (IV, iv, 26)
"This is th' impostume of much wealth and peace,
That inward breaks and shows no cause without"

I actually think that Christianity and Secularism are two sides of the same coin, in a way, given that the latter couldn't exist without the former in the way that it does. Christianity gave us the idea that one can have one's religion separate from one's whole other life, in a way, whereas Orthodox Judaism and Islam don't see it this way. Islam is a political threat, but those tend to come and go imo, whereas Christianity actively seeks to convert Jews and do whatever they can towards that goal. Secularism is a threat, but the growing trend actually appears to favour religion and more and more Jews are Orthodox or will be Orthodox according to stats.

So Christianity.

rosends said:

Assimilation and lack of connection to and pride in unique identity.

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^ This, and the disgusting mindset that would characterize it as "The Silent Holocaust."

Rival said:

I actually think that Christianity and Secularism are two sides of the same coin, ...

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How would you compare the insularity of the Amish with the insularity of the Haredim?

Jayhawker Soule said:

How would you compare the insularity of the Amish with the insularity of the Haredim?

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Hmm. I would say the Amish seem almost more insular, but I'm not very familiar with them. As far as I'm aware they don't interact with modern things at all, including not working alongside non-Amish people, whereas Haredim do interact with the modern world as far as work and transport etc. go, as well as using modcons and such. I guess they are more similar than different, but would say there are major differences.

Rival said:

I guess they are more similar than different, but would say there are major differences.

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Of course there are major differences and, yes, they (and the Anabaptists in general) are in many ways more similar than different -- particularly in relationship to secularism. This would seem to challenge the perception that "Christianity and Secularism are two sides of the same coin."

Jayhawker Soule said:

Of course there are major differences and, yes, they (and the Anabaptists in general) are in many ways more similar than different -- particularly in relationship to secularism. This would seem to challenge the perception that "Christianity and Secularism are two sides of the same coin."

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I think maybe you misunderstood me. I meant that modern secularism as it evolved would not be possible without Christianity and is underpinned by a lot of Christian ideas, such as progress (rather than a cyclical view of life), certain Christian moral mores and that kind of thing. A lot of secularists are still very culturally Christin as it were.

Rival said:

I think maybe you misunderstood me.

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I'm sorry.

Rival said:

I meant that modern secularism as it evolved would not be possible without Christianity and is underpinned by a lot of Christian ideas, such as progress (rather than a cyclical view of life), certain Christian moral mores and that kind of thing.

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I'll need to give more thought to the phrase "Christian ideas, such as progress (rather than a cyclical view of life)."

I also need to give more thought to the Haskalah movement and the 'victory' of Theodore Herzl over Moses Mendelssohn.