I feel sometimes as though my heritage has been stolen from me. The faith of the ancient Hebrews has been turned into something that they would scarcely recognize. Do they really believe that God would forbid us to tear toilet paper on the Sabbath, for goodness sake?
Yet, it would be less hard for me to swallow if the fruits of religious Judaism were more righteous, if the practices actually produced a more holy, more loving, spiritually healthy people who seemed to be closer to God. But I don't see that - I see an absurd regimen of endless rituals which still leaves Jews believing that their souls are superior to those of Gentiles, and that one's fellow Jews should be treated better than Gentiles should.
And I feel that my ethnic/secular heritage has been stolen from me by generations of slavish, almost unswerving devotion to liberal politics of many stripes: socialism, communism, secular humanism. These generations have bred such hatred of religion (how my family hated the religious Jews!) and such a degree of what seems an unreasoning need to tear down anything which Christianity has built.
I can't stand with my fellow Jews as co-religionists, nor even as secularists or non-religious people working toward admirable goals.
My people's religious and secular history are riddled with what appear to be misrepresentations and even fabrications, and this continues through the modern day even in the history of the founding of the nation of Israel. I used to be a Zionist, but to paraphrase a great thinker, "to be deep in history is to cease being a Zionist."
There is an emptiness in me because of this. I have Catholicism and I have taken this history and this culture as my own, as Ruth did with the Hebrew people. Yet the place that many of you have, which contains good feelings about being Italian, or about being Polish, or Russian, or Japanese, or whatever else, is missing in me. All these things which once made me feel at home, which once comforted me as being my place in the world, amongst my people, are one by one falling under close scrutiny.
I'll stop whining about this after this post, but I wanted to express what I and, I can only imagine, many other Jews feel. Nothing prepares average Jew for what he will find if he actually questions things. Perhaps this is one reason that secular, atheist Jews are so angry about religion itself. We been had. We've been lied to, and we've been taught to lie to others. It's devastating and I hate it.
I suggest that you are not well enough educated to make the judgements.
Do they really believe that God would forbid us to tear toilet paper on the Sabbath, for goodness sake? - its not the action as far as Jewish halakha is concerned, but the principle. That principle is linked to 39 other types of actions which are forbidden. Remove one, and you can remove all, and that is what was done for Christians.
You see an absurd regimen of endless rituals which still leaves Jews believing that their souls are superior to those of Gentiles, and that one's fellow Jews should be treated better than Gentiles should. - It seems to me you are confused about some concepts. Here is a ritual - before crossing the road, check there is a green light, then look to both sides, then commence crossing the road. Please do so only where a pedestrian crossing is provided for your safety. endless ritual?
What do you understand as the soul? In Judaism a human being has four levels to it. Consider it this way, someone with an undergrad degree is not up there with someone who has a Masters. Doesn't make the undergrad a sub-human, just less educated. The average Jewish orthodox child has to know application of upwards of 20-30 commandments and rituals by the age of 7, and all 620 by the age of 13, while observing all the holidays, and having the ability to study the Talmud. They study all this seven days a week, and often evenings while the average Catholic teenager barely gets to Bible Sunday school these days, and often needs remedial English just to be able to master comprehension.
And why wouldn't a Jew treat a fellow co-religionist better than one that is not, particularly considering that Jews regard each other as relatives, with converts included! Are you saying an American would not treat another American better than say a Nigerian or a Malaysian? There is a kinship that most people identify for themselves which is often instinctual.
My people's religious and secular history are riddled with what appear to be misrepresentations and even fabrications - oh? Care to name some?
Nothing prepares average Jew for what he will find if he actually questions things. Perhaps this is one reason that . We been had. We've been lied to, and we've been taught to lie to others. - No, that's not why they are angry. Usually people are not angry if they are lied to. Usually people are angry that they allowed themselves to be lied to. But, you can only be lied to if you are too ignorant to know better. And this, is really why secular, atheist Jews are so angry about religion itself. They are too lazy to get the education, but too indignant when it is forced on them in the process of interacting with those Jews who have obtained some education. Its a bit like a person completely ignorant of mechanics buys a car from a showroom which has a slogan "Just get in and drive!" A year later they return and want their money back because the car's engine burnt out. It seems the sales person forgot to mention the need to add water to the radiator. If you are a Jew, you are obligated to educate yourself. If you can't be bothered, don't blame those that have done so. Just questioning things is by the way not enough. Answers are also useful
So exactly what answers depress you so much?
