Judaism
Juxtapositions of Judaism
Lori J. Gainer
University of Phoenix, Austin Campus
World Religious Traditions / REL 134
Dr. Grant Sisk
October 15, 2007
Juxtapositions of Judaism
With 14 million people identifying themselves as Jewish, there exists a disparity between what being Jewish means to these 14 million individuals. This identification encompasses those who consider themselves to be Orthodox Jews; who adhere to the strictest form of the faith, Reformed Jews; who practice a less stringent form of the religion, and Secular Jews; who claim no faith or association to the religious institution of Judaism but are of Jewish decent. Yet those identifying themselves as Jews, overall appear to be a proud people of extensive history. The history of the Jewish faith and people is fraught with triumph and tragedy, heartache and heroes. From the time of Abraham throughout the longevity of this people to current time, this group of people experienced a roller coaster ride of high points and extreme lows of spiritual strength and leadership, and in relation to social and economic status and standing. The early history reveals a journey from freedom to slavery and back to slavery again, on multiple occasions; success in building a temple of worship only to see the temple destroyed, rebuilt and destroyed; and the rise of a prosperous nation falling to the dredges of living in ghettos.
This rich history’s lineage can be traced back to the creation of the world when “Adam and Eve were created and lived in the Garden of Eden” (Rich, 2001). However, most historians cite the beginning of Judaism as the years of 1900 – 1700 B.C.E. At this time, Abraham was noted to be the chosen one to hear and adhere to the voice of God. Many scholars have doubted the historical accuracy of many writings associated with the foundation of this faith, since there is not corroborating stories shared from neighboring societies in the same era. There are, however, similar stories beginning in the years around 1250 B.C.E. During this period Moses was said to have brought the word of God down from the mountain, in the form of the stone tablets known as the Ten Commandments. The written accounts of creation, the stories of Abraham and the lineage of the Children of Israel, and the historical beginnings of this people are documented in the writings known as the Talmud. This book of religious writings is the same as the Old Testament books of the Bible that serve as a foundation in the Christian faith (Fisher, 2002). The basic, “thrust of Judaism was the rejection of the gods of the surrounding people, and the acceptance of and adherence to the one true God who was in close relationship to the people, lake a parent to children” (Fisher, 2002). This belief, of God being relationally close to the people, was a in direct contrast to the faith followings of the surrounding polytheistic beliefs.
