but simple stuff on how we should treat each other properly...in order to be a good Jew you need to be a better human being first.!
I think that is the precise reason that so many Jews leave Judaism. If what matters is being a good person then what does Judaism add? A good person believes that war is terrible and pointless and the source of many wars today is religion so what bearing does religion have on modern day life?
In order to be a good Jew one must believe in G-d, know that Torah is from the Heavens, and follow the mitzvot and not just the ones that agree with being a "good person"
Believe me, in today's world, not many people are golden...Judaism does stress all of those things you mentioned above...but you can have a mean evil observant person and a righteous secular person (somehow)... My point is, More secular Jews ar eturned off by "Thou shalt not do this and do that" rules...believe me, when I hear Bible thumping by fellow religious Jews on this forum, I get really really really really turned off...I don't want to be told how to live if the restrictions go way beyond my logic...
I can't begin to understand your logic. How do G-d's commandments get outdated? How does G-d get outdated? G-d is, was and forever will be. G-d doesn't adapt to modern culture, there is no "flavor of the century" for G-d. The rules are there because G-d commanded us to follow them in order to be his Chosen people and be elevated to this task. We can't pick and choose Mitzvot, either take it all or admit that you really aren't taking any since your just following Mitzvot that by chance happen to agree with your beliefs already.
My friend, I never said that Gd's commandments are outdated...however, our interpretations of His commandments might be...We have Haredi wearing fur hats and big black coats in the middle of summer...Fine by me if it is their tradition...but it's not practical to me..and perhaps to you...and i'm simply stating an extreme example..
first of all there is no commandment to where a black coat in the Torah, just because some religious do doesn't mean it is a Mitzvah. I don't get what your saying about our interpretations. Truth doesn't change. Torah doesn't change and what Torah means has never and will never change. Practicality is for those who lack identity. Those that dont know who ther are go for practicality and do what is "reasonable" and "logical" to them. We know what we are supposed to do and we don't need false logic to prove us right. There is a G-d and G-d has laid out for us exactly what to do and that is what we must do.
But who says you have the authority of understanding what Gd exactly means? Of course, the words are there. It's what the word means to each individual...And furthermore..what did those words mean in 300 BCE versus 1971 CE versus 2165 CE? Times change..Torah never changes...Torah is timeless...we are saying the same thing. But how I mgiht interpret Torah today will be different a 1000 years from now, Gd willing. I'm not talking about chanign the rules. I'm talking about how we read and understand the rules to be. Some interpret certain mitzvot based on the tradition of their rebbi from 1100 CE...that's fine if one wants to live in the way Jews did in 1100 CE with certain traditions.
Now...on the opposite end...a lot of the liberal movements progress too quickly...we see crises of femenism taking place...and eventually openly homosexual "rabbis"...
My point here is that times change...Torah never changes...however, interpretations of what Gd might be trying to say does change. It requires thoughful Rabbis to examine these texts in today's time...and these Rabbis must be wise not only with the text..but with the real secular world out there at the same time.
Topic: Converting a Jew to Judaism??????? (Read 3981 times)