From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhuxt!mhuxa!mhb5b!smb
Newsgroups: net.religion
Title: Re: points to ponder - (nf)
Article-I.D.: mhb5b.202
Posted: Tue Mar 15 12:18:46 1983
Received: Tue Mar 22 08:42:52 1983
References: <41@inmet.UUCP>

Don Porges has misstated the attitude of Judaism towards non-Jews.  While
it's true that orthodox Jewish theology sets different standards of
behavior for Jews and non-Jews (Jews are bound by the full set of rules;
non-Jews are only required to observe seven "self-evident" laws, such as
not killing, not stealing, not tearing flesh off of living animals, and not
worshipping idols (this latter being a fair chunk less self-evident than the
others...)), it's not a matter of "Jews are better".  Rather, it's a case
of "if you want to play my game, you have to follow my rules".  You can
win games of chess and you can win games of tennis, but the rules and the
strategies are quite different.  Judaism does not claim that non-believers
are denied salvation; rather, the belief is that whichever path you choose to
follow, you must follow its rules.


		--Steve Bellovin