The reason that Green calls Noachidism a
"inferior religious system" is that she assumes that since it
only consists of seven laws, than Judaism must naturally consider it less
worthy than the Sinai (Jewish) covenant of 613. But again that is a claim
she is making without even understanding Noachidism and Judaism in the
first place. The reason Jews have much more commandments is because most
of them are ritual laws, such as don't eat pork and sacrifice at this time
and blah blah blah.... because Jews are supposed to be "priests"
and a "light to the nations". Noachidism underscores the Jewish
belief in religious pluralism. Most religions contain the Noachide laws,
but then since different people have different cultures or beliefs, they
are each allowed to present this basic morality in different forms, hence
different religions. For the Jewish people, their manifestation includes
many ritual laws. But Judaism never believed that Noachidism is
"inferior" to Judaism. On the contrary, the Babylonian Talmud
speaks of a Noachide commandment observer as if he/she were a High Priest
(Sanhedrin 59A).
"and would bet my life that 99% of Gentiles
haven't."
This shows again how Green doesn't understand
Noachidism, and yet she attacks it anyway. It doesn't matter if one never
heard of Noachidism because it is not a requirement of belief but rather
basic morality that is readily discernible by rational thought. Noachidism
is Judaism's version of "natural law". Despite Maimonides
opinion that one must recognize the Torah in order to qualify as a
righteous Gentile (in addition to obeying these commandments), a majority
of rabbinical authorities believe that no such distinction exists, or in
other words, obeying the commandments without knowing about them (which is
possible because of their rational basis) is still simply obeying them and
is worthy of reward.
Green states "By the standard of the Noahide
system that we made up, Mother Theresa does not have such a place because
she was an idolator." But this is not true. We must remember that
with "every two Jews, you get three opinions" and therefore
there is not a rabbinical concensus on many issues. However, if we were to
go by majority opinion (of rabbis), Christianity is not idolatry, despite
Trinatirianism. While it would be idolatry for Jews, who are forbidden
from worshipping anything except the One G-d (as a pure Unity), variations
and manifestations of monotheism, and even systems such as Hinduism (in
which differents gods are different manifestations of one God or supreme
source) are acceptable to Gentiles. I would invite Green to read more
rabbinical literature before giving misinformed statements such as these.
Much of my points are underscored previously in Ivan Lang's rebuttal.
The next statement is not only not true but if seen
by someone without knowledge of its context, it would be easily seen as
anti-Semitic. "Genetic holiness, an extra part to the soul, or innate
superiority over others, in spite of one's personal behavior toward his
fellow man". I'm sorry, Eleanor, but genetic holiness is not part of
Judaism or the beliefs of the Jews, and despite what you say,
"one's personal behavior toward his fellow man" is actually the
most important thing in Judaism. Were the Jews you hung out with really
"Orthodox", or even Jews at all?, because I'm beginning to
doubt it. No offense.
"If we can see that dying for the sins of
another accomplishes nothing, and merit must be earned through good deeds,
why do we then make a mockery of logic and insist that all Jews have a
place in the World to Come by a virtue that is similarly unmerited,
unjustified, and unjust?"
Jews don't insist that. Sorry.
Green again says that Jews practice "deluding
oneself into thinking he/she is genetically superior to another.",
but Jews don't believe in genetic "superiority". It is usually
anti-Semites who make such incorrect claims about Jewish thought, but
since Green says that Jews are "her people" I'm just going to
have to assume that she is incredibly misinformed.
She claims that "secular Jews have accomplished
so much, while ultra-Orthodox ones have accomplished so little good in
this world for the betterment of universal mankind.", but as Ivan
Lang comprehsively points out, those secular Jews were rabbis and Orthodox
Jews until the Enlightenment, and that the reason they were seperated was
geography (Jews were more assimilated in Germany, but isolated in Poland
and Russia).
In conclusion, Green's commentary is based not on
what Judaism is or believes that rather what she wants or thinks it
believes or is.
For resources, I suggest
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noahide_Laws
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_views_of_religious_pluralism
Again, I 100% respect the choice to abandon organized
religion. It just makes sense to me that one should try to justify it with
accurate facts and not ridiculously made-up ones.
Related links
•
Born Again as an Infidel Eleanor
Green 2005/04/20
•
Rebuttal:
Born Again as an Infidel Ivan M. Lang 2005/04/21
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