Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!lsuc!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!unc!mcnc!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!matt From: matt@brl-tgr.ARPA (Matthew Rosenblatt ) Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: Re: A query to "Dvar Torah" Message-ID: <2950@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Thu, 7-Nov-85 08:47:48 EST Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.2950 Posted: Thu Nov 7 08:47:48 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 8-Nov-85 19:49:07 EST References: <1201@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP> <2301@brl-tgr.ARPA> <12568@rochester.UUCP> <2344@brl-tgr.ARPA> <562@ttrdc.UUCP> Organization: Ballistic Research Lab Lines: 26 DAN LEVY writes: > Anyhow, if the worst of Rosenblatt's thunder be true, I don't even under- > stand how Judaism can claim that non-Jews can also have a part in the future > world; they would clearly not meet up to Matt's standards, certainly not any > Christians (who, gasp, believe that the Laws of the Old Testament have been > overridden by their "Savior", and don't even care a hoot about the post- > Christ "oral law" of the Jews--how's THAT for tampering with the un- > tamperable?). It's easy! People who are born Jews have to believe more things, and follow more rules, than people who are not. So a born non-Jew need only follow the seven Noahide commandments, and he is OK. Those who swear by so-called "Enlightenment" values, under which any such distinctions based on birth are repugnant, tear their hair out when they hear such a thing. But then, the Enlightenment *arose* to "free" Europeans from the "chains" of religion. The _philosophes_ (like Freud, who came much later) believed that religion represented the DARKNESS of ignorant superstition. So those who hold Enlightenment values supreme cannot simultaneously hold Judaism (or any other religion) up as a LIGHT unto the nations. Judaism starts with ethical monotheism. If there is no G-d, then Judaism is just one more outmoded, discredited lie, no matter what kind of fine fellows the Jews may be. -- Matt Rosenblatt