D&amp;D Religion&#x27;s &quot;Ask About Judaism&quot; Thread

Thud

you have a quote or something?

Just for you Thud, a whole article on the holly Wikipedia for you about it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilazon

Reply 782

OP

Thud

the bible says "well pleased"?

Language changes. That's not "well pleased" in the same colloquial sense that one might today call a car "well fast" or a person "well fit", but simply means "extremely pleased".

Reply 783

OP

Thud

so why's the tallit blue?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilazon#Techelet

ie, because the Talmud says so in identifying the wee beastie you get the dye from.

Reply 784

Nefarious

16

Agent Smith

Language changes. That's not "well pleased" in the same colloquial sense that one might today call a car "well fast" or a person "well fit", but simply means "extremely pleased".

Whilst the language and roots of the term "well fast" are crude and ugly (and from a completely different culture) it still means "extremely fast" in the same way. :p:

Reply 785

OP

Nefarious

Whilst the language and roots of the term "well fast" are crude and ugly (and from a completely different culture) it still means "extremely fast" in the same way. :p:

Exactly. The colloquial terms used to express that same concept have changed.

Reply 786

Melancholy

20

the bible says "well pleased"?

Haha. Yes. "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." The 'chav Jesus' idea circulated school that day. Hehehe. :smile:

Reply 787

visacardsz07

Im not jewish and i was not born a jew. my question is, if i ever wanted to be a jew, i said IF, can i not be one because im not born into the religion, people say non-jews are not allowed, as jeduisam is non converting religion

Reply 788

Helzerel

12

Mr1

Im not jewish and i was not born a jew. my question is, if i ever wanted to be a jew, i said IF, can i not be one because im not born into the religion, people say non-jews are not allowed, as jeduisam is non converting religion

People talk a lot of rubbish.

Judaism isn't an evangelical religion but that doesn't mean people cannot convert - they're just discouraged from it. I know quite a few people who have successfully converted and are now fully fledged Jews.

Reply 789

OP

At the risk of being, well, lame, I'd like to repeat what I said last time someone asked this: because Judaism does not encourage conversion in most cases,* it ensures that those who do convert are absolutely 100% committed to it, not simply doing so for half-hearted reasons or to make their life easier.** As a religion, one could almost say (if it wasn't horribly twee to do so) that it prizes quality over quantity of converts.

*Marrying-out is a different discussion altogether, and a consensus among the Jewish community is in any case noticeable by its absence.

**As with forced "conversions" to Christianity and Islam at various points in history.

Reply 790

visacardsz07

because Judaism does not encourage conversion in most cases

If Jews believe that they are the chosen people and chosen race by god, then don't you think its a jewish duty to spread the word and tell others and encourage others to convert and become the chosen people aswell??

Reply 791

Mr1

If Jews believe that they are the chosen people and chosen race by god, then don't you think its a jewish duty to spread the word and tell others and encourage others to convert and become the chosen people aswell??

You don't have to be Jewish to be a good person. That's all that is needed.

Reply 792

Helzerel

12

Mr1

If Jews believe that they are the chosen people and chosen race by god, then don't you think its a jewish duty to spread the word and tell others and encourage others to convert and become the chosen people aswell??

What you're describing is called ''Christianity'' where they believe that you have to be Christian or you go to hell. Similar to what many religions believe.

Hence, in a word, to succinctly state my answer, to set forth my beliefs and thoughts: No.
Jews have a duty to be ''ohr la'goyim'' i.e. a ''light unto the nations'', setting a good example in how one should live ones life in terms of morality, justice and helping the world generally.

Reply 793

bohemian

Mr1

If Jews believe that they are the chosen people and chosen race by god, then don't you think its a jewish duty to spread the word and tell others and encourage others to convert and become the chosen people aswell??

You don't 'become chosen'...you kind of are or aren't. And if you aren't it doesn't mean you get a worse life or whatever. It means you don't have to follow as many commandments etc.
The general idea with conversion is that it's only for people who were kind of born with a Jewish soul or however you want to put it, but their mother isn't Jewish. So they were one of the 'chosen people' from the start but just kinda got it confirmed/made official by conversion.

Reply 794

i don't like the term 'jew'
i hate being called a 'jew', as it can be said in a malicious way. jew just sounds so horrible.

Reply 795

Mr1

If Jews believe that they are the chosen people and chosen race by god, then don't you think its a jewish duty to spread the word and tell others and encourage others to convert and become the chosen people aswell??

no, the convertion process is made hard, and not forced or advertised to people, so that only true believers and people that TRULY want to become jewish can.
and most of these converters do tend to become more orthodox than jewish-born people.
its not our job to force our religion on other people

Reply 796

amosharper

There's a lot I don;t know about modern Judaism, or opinions therein, that I'd like to find out:

- Who was Jesus?

- Is there a heaven and hell? If so, are they immediate?

- How will the Messiah be recognised? Why does this not fit Jesus?

- What would Jesus benefit from claiming deity?

- Revelation - trustworthy?

- 'This is my Son with whom I am well pleased' / Temple Curtain ripping on Jesus' death / miracles - are these lies?

I appreciate a great deal of this comes down to opinion, but I'd like to hear it.

Thanks

- Amos

jesus was a jewish man, just like any other.
no there is no heaven or hell. jewish people believe in the afterlife. our bodies need to be preserved so that when the messiah comes, they are there. thats why we can't be cremated.
im not really qualified to answer these questions. i dont know about jesus really.

Reply 797

jazzzy

i don't like the term 'jew'
i hate being called a 'jew', as it can be said in a malicious way. jew just sounds so horrible.

So what would you prefer? Jew is the Anglicised version of "Yehudi" which is the Hebrew for Jew.

Reply 798

smellielli

So what would you prefer? Jew is the Anglicised version of "Yehudi" which is the Hebrew for Jew.

something that doesnt sound so horrible; like its being spat out.
yeh but the difference is that 'yehudi' doesnt sound at all bad.
id just prefer to be called jewish, not 'a jew'

Reply 799