Our morning started out with a change in schedule due to the rain, with our Jewish History classes taking place in the classrooms at the Kibbutz rather than at the location of the tiyul. In the classroom, we learned about the idea of a messiah, and how Christianity stems from the idea of Joshua (known as Jesus) being the messiah. We learned that the Essenes were associated with being Christian, and that the Christian bible is written for Jews by Jews. Jesus is said to have been born in Bethlehem, later becoming Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus’ mom, Mary, was most likely Miriam, and Jesus’ human father figure, Joseph, was probably yosef. Jesus was a Carpenter and a rabbi, making him a faracee.
The messiah has to be a descendent of king David in both Judaism and Christianity, and King David is from Bethlehem, which is why it is said that Jesus is from Bethlehem. The Jews didn’t follow Jesus because an abundant amount of people were claiming to be the messiah. There is no evidence that Jesus claimed that he was a messiah however. Accepting virgin birth is a central temple of belief in Christianity, with the idea of immaculate conception stemming from Mary and Jesus. While the Jews believe that the messiah is yet to come, the Christians believe that the messiah (Jesus) has already come, but the people weren’t ready for him, so he was crucified, but he’ll return in a second coming. In Judaism, it’s believed that Elijah the prophet will announce the messiah, whereas in Christianity the messiah will announce their own arrival. Many Jews wonder why the messiah didn’t come during the Holocaust, causing a shift in belief as many Jews lost faith.
There are 4 main gospels in Christianity: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They make up the New Testament. We were able to visit two different holy locations in Ein Kerem once we left our classroom, where we saw firsthand the impact of the New Testament, and the entire religion of Christianity.
At the first location, we were able to see the same writing in an array of languages on the walls outside, where people from all over the world observed.
Inside of the church, a service was taking place. The main difference between our synagogues and this church was the images of idols on the glass and walls of the building.
We had the rare opportunity to descend the stairs to a catacomb, an old tomb beneath the church.
At the second holy site, we were able to visually understand the importance of immaculate conception in Christianity, where a famous statue showed two mothers of Christianity meeting at that exact holy site with their pregnant stomachs.
There were more people praying here to images of Mary and Jesus, as they paid their respects to their beliefs in their holy place.
Christianity and Judaism are both very similar and very different. If you weren’t Jewish, and you couldn’t be atheist or unaffiliated with a religion, would you want to be Christian? Or would you choose another religion? Which one and why?
I genuinely have something(s) against pretty much all of the Christian faiths. Sorry if I'm ignorant and over generalizing but.... They all seem to be lead by hypocrites who seldom practice what they preach, they seem to only care to preach that the Bible is 100% historically accurate and thus forget its metaphorical value, they often scam their followers for wealth (with the sole exception of Martin Luther, of course), and are just often more corrupt than a religious organization should be. Any ways, I digress; I would follow Buddhism if I couldn't be a Jew. Already, I consider myself to be a "Bu-Jew" any ways. Buddhism is not necessarily a religion but a way of life and an outlet for spirituality. To be honest, I view Judaism in a similar way (that it provides a way of life), but Buddhism allows and demands so much more. I consider My interpretation of my religion to be about obtaining knowledge and happiness and both Judaism and Buddhism are great sources to find both. Thanks for reading, I just poured my f****** heart out.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to be another religion I would not choose to be Christian. I don't have anything against it and I love the Christmas and Easter traditions I do with my family, but I don't find Christianity interesting. I think being Jewish is so much more than a religion and I don't feel that way about Christianity. I would have to say Buddhism would be my first choice if I had to choose. Buddhism is a way of life, not just a a religion. I am intrigued how it teaches the meaning of happiness and explains the purpose of life. I support what the religion/ way of life teaches.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to be another religion I would not choose to be Christian because I don't believe in the Chritian beliefs. I love being Jewish and engaging in the Jewish culture. I would not choose to follow another religion, If I could not be Jewish than no other religion would satisfy my belives. Being Jewish is very important to me, so I would not want to be any other religion.
ReplyDeleteI am very proud and honored to be a Jew and I truly believe that it is the way for me. However, if I had not been born into this Kehilah Kedoshah, then the religion I would most likely have gone to would have been Wicca or Buddhism. Both of these religions stress the emphasis on belief in the power of action and living every day with a purpose. In Wicca, there is a strong belief in the spirituality of nature and the oneness of everything. While it is looked down upon by the Abrahamic religions of the world, and especially in America due to it falling under the Pagan category, it's values and beliefs are something that I truly believe in. Though I do not believe in two/ multiple deities, I do believe that a whole divine force can be split up in different forms and physical beings. I would definitely not want to be a Christian. While I can respect the validity of the religion, I am not able to come to terms with the core beliefs, nor turn away from the devastation caused by the religion. Even though radicals of every faith are horrible, the impact of the forced diffusion of Christianity is undeniable and led to many things I strongly disagree with, and the religion as a whole doesn't sit quite right with me. Overall, I am proud to belong to the Jewish people and am very satisfied with the ethics and morals it has given me and how it encourages me to continuing learning and questioning.
ReplyDeleteI personally would not choose to be Christian. I really dislike how little people know about their own beliefs and how little they are willing/allowed to question it. I've asked a lot of questions to my Christian friends, and the answer is often just "because." I love that in Judaism you are encouraged to question everything and there is almost always an answer (or several) to a question. I don't know enough about other religions to choose that, but from what I've heard, Buddhism is one with strong moral beliefs that many Jews appreciate. That may be a good choice, but I would definitely have to look into it and others more before really choosing.
ReplyDeleteI would not want to be Christian. I have many Christian friends back at home and we often discuss our different religions. I feel that Christianity is a blind faith religion. To be Christian you have to accept that Jesus is the Messiah and that he died for your sins. Unlike Judaism, where questioning and discussing is encouraged, I feel that Christianity discourages all individual thought. However, I feel like I still need to do more research and learning to certainly make that assumption and fully grasp Christianity. If not Jewish I would be Buddhist, which is partly what I already am. My dad leads a BuJew Songa at my Synagogue and I love the teachings Buddhism has to offer. Choose peace over violence and love over hatred. Be grateful for all that you have and try to live every moment in the present.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, if I wasn't Jewish, there isn't really a religion I would want to be. Absolutely not Christian. I don't believe that Christianity or Islam practices what they say they are about. If I was forced to pick something, I would choose to be Buddhist. As of now, I am pretty materialistic. I love my iPhone just as much as the next guy. But if I could start my life over and differently, I would choose to be Buddhist. I admire some of the core values of Buddhism, and its inherent openness to interpretation and choice. Unlike Christianity and Islam. I don't want my entire life and actions to revolve around God, especially when I struggle with the concept of God in the first place.
ReplyDeleteIf I were not Jewish, God forbid, I believe I would follow some sect of Christianity. Christianity generally developed a following behind the Catholic or Orthodox sects, however I would probably follow a more liberal Protestant movement. Protestantism has many different sects, but I would likely become apart of the sect called "Anabaptist." As many of you know, I enjoy family, unity, and social isolation from the outside world. Of course, Anabaptists also enjoy farming, good morals and ethics, and a lack of modern technology or any type of modern sciences or informations. Of course, this lifestyle has a few minor downsides, such as no communication with my home, friends, and family, hard work, incredibly long services, and the belief that Pluto is still a planet. Anyways, though Anabaptist life may sound a bit strange and foreign, I think it would be an interesting experience, and even though I would never choose to be an Anabaptist, more commonly known as an Amish, I still think it would be interesting to imagine being one.
ReplyDeleteMy totally honest answer would be yes, I would be Christan. But not for a good reason. Look, I love being Jewish. I have made some of my best friends and best memories through URJ programs or Jewish events. But sometimes as much as I like being Jewish, being part of a minority is hard. Even though I would chose Judaism over Christianity any day if I had to be another relgion it would be Christianity. Just to be part of the majority and be able to take part in things that are so widespread throughout America, such as Christmans.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to be another religion, I would not pick Christianity. For me Christianity is too black and white, you are not meant or allowed to question God as you are in Judaism. I also have difficulty wrapping by head around some clear contradictions. For example, Jesus is thought to be the son of God and the messiah, yet the Jews were accused of diecide, or the killing of a god. However, Christians are only meant to believe in one God, so how could Jesus be a god. Maybe my confusion is due to my own lack of understanding, but there are many historical vs theological controversies in Christianity that fail to be explained in a way that makes sense to me. If I could be another religion, I would pick Buddhism since it has a great emphasis on the soul, meditation, and finding your spirituality which are all things I would like to focus on in my life as a Jew.
ReplyDeleteIf I were not to be Jewish I would be a Muslim. I see that I actively practice many of the values in Islamic life. This is mostly that I find that Islam and Judaism are very similar. Wether I would be strong practicing or not, I think that Id be a "reform" Muslim and follow as If I were a reform Jew.
DeleteGreat post Twig! If I were to be another religion than Judaism, I would have most definitely been a Buddhist. Buddha taught that it was most important to find happiness and liberation in life, over stress and a heavy workload. I also believe in a level of reincarnation that we take the form of a new human based on the good or bad deeds we do in our lives. The most important desire that I strive to achieve in life, is pure joy; not only my own self sense of joy, but I want to see the world come together as one happy community.
ReplyDeleteIf i couldn’t be Jewish and I couldn’t be no religion then I would want to be a Buddhist. Part of the reason I would want to be a Buddhist is because it can coexist with Judaism because they do not contradict each other if you focus on the speritual aspects of Buddhism like I would want to. Another reason is I would like to meditate more and if I was a Buddhist I’d have the perfect excuse to.
ReplyDeleteIf I weren’t Jewish I would be Christian. This is because even though I don’t think that all Christians practice the teachings of Christianity I still think that the teachings are good. This is because Christianity teaches about social justice. I also feel that most people don’t realize that although there are Christians who are intolerant of others there are also Christians who practice the teachings of Christianity like giving to charities and volunteering.
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