Christians and Muslims, your objections to Judaism?

[MilitantGrammarian]

I posted a question about Judaism a couple of days ago, and from all the responses I got back, I could easily have believed that I was talking to a bunch of atheists. Their responses were rational, calm, informed, and the best part, mostly appalled at the idea of a punishment of any kind in the afterlife. Most of them indicated that the afterlife is none of their business, and that they should just live practical, good lives while they're here.

Now I have gigantic problems with their deity, but man, these guys seem to have something. But then there's Christianity and Islam. I've been a Christian, and it is excruciating worrying all the time that my bisexuality (which I love, by the way, so go ahead and damn me in your infinite compassion), if nothing else, is going to cost me dearly after I die. And Islam, well, let's say that there are mixed reviews. It would probably be hard for me to find a place there, let's leave it at that.

I know nothing about Judaism except what I've experienced on this forum, so I'm obviously naive. Christians and Muslims, why would you not choose Judaism? What are the skeletons in its closet (besides the gross stuff about Yahweh -- you guys all have that in common)?

 

[Insid]

Ironically, these three religions are tied more closely then you could have imagined.

Judaism is simply the foundation. It's a religion without a prophet. The Muslims understood this, and even their religion is based off of it. However, their prophet was Muhummed and the Christians had Jesus.


Here's something else. These three religions are the only three that offer eternal damnation AND an all forgiving god in their resume. Ironic, right?

Now, at it's deepest roots, most people can choose these religions as a safety net. Because when I studied deeper into religion, almost every other religion that has a hell, and an all forgiving and understanding god, only sends you to hell until you get things right. Then you can go back to whatever their version of heaven is.


I'm sorry this didn't exactly answer you question, but hopefully provided some insight.

 

[diamond_kursed]

I've gotten some extremely hostile answers from Jews.

I asked about this article written by a jewish rabbi.

http://www.firstthings.com/article/2007/01/the-virtue-of-hate-5

 

[Jonathan]

I would never choose one religion over another just because I liked one religion better than the other, or I wished that one religion was true and not the other. I'm a Christian, and I readily admit that Judaism has a much more optimistic view of man than Christianity does. But I have to face reality. I majored in history in college. I'm well aware of what man is capable of. I've also seen how children develop. And I've done a lot of inward reflection. These things have convinced me that as unsavory as the Christian view of man's natural sinfulness may be, it also seems to correspond to reality. That's how I go about choosing a religion. I choose the one I think most closely corresponds to reality as I see it. We all have biases, though. Sometimes we have a tendency to give the benefit of the doubt to what we WANT to be true. We're more open to what we want to be true than we are to what we don't want to be true. So I just try to be honest with myself about my own biases, because I don't want to end up being duped just because I want to believe something. So what I try to do is find out what is really so. What is reality actually like? It seems plainly obvious that there are many things about reality that are unpleasant and that we would rather not be true. I don't like it that there's so much suffering in the world, but the suffering isn't going to go away just because I start denying that it is going on. No, I've got to face the fact. There really IS suffering going on whether I like it or not. Christianity makes a lot of unpleasant claims. It says things that are contrary what our modern culture is willing to accept. I think that is the major reason why Christianity is falling out of favour more and more. It's not because reality has changed. It's because our culture has changed its own sensitivities. People reject Christianity because they don't like it. But that is hardly any reason to think it's not true.

As far as specific objections to Judaism, I mostly have objections to the more liberal versions of it. I've met some reformed Jews who don't even seem to think there's a God. It seems to me that if there's no God, then God obviously didn't give his law to Moses, and if God didn't give his law to Moses, then Judaism is not true. Or if it is true, then it's obviously not what it used to be. It's a different religion altogether that has only kept the same name. It's like Mormonism calling itself "Christian." The substance is completely changed, leaving only the name.

Being a Christian, the most obvious objection I have to Judaism is the denial that Jesus is the Christ. I couldn't very well be a Christian if I didn't think Jesus was the Christ, but in Judaism, Jesus is NOT the Christ.

 

[JrEoSsUeS]

Chrisitianity...

There is a God and you will have to give an account of your life to Him.

No one is forcing you to believe it... you just think we are because we tell you this. But I, unlike a... muslim extremist... will not hold you at gunpoint to convert you because it wouldn't make a difference. Either you believe what I say (which is a message from Jesus, i.e. the Gospel) and be saved or you go your own merry way until the end. The choice is strictly up to you.