Questions about Jews, Judaism and so on.

[civ2]

classical
Huh???
Do you mean the Festival of Passover???
Well, obviously yeah, like all normal (not only "religious" btw) Jews do.

aronnax
Wrong person to ask.
But I wanna ask you in response - are you Jewish?

Loppan
HUH???
Sorry, but your question is like:
"Oh, what did Newton learn from Einstein?"
Except in my example both are going in the SAME direction.

tailless
Yeah, ADOPTED sons would be a nice and quite accurate parable.

link
The amount of converts compared to biological descendants of Jacob is much less (ok, I think so - might be wrong) than the inaccuracy caused by the genetics testing itself.
We don't know genetics SO much.
OK, this might be wrong - it's just my OPINION.
Anyways, genetics have nothing to do with culture.

 

[Loppan Torkel]

In this case genetics, as well as heritage, have some connection to culture. How far back can you trace your Jewish heritage?

Also, my earlier question about influences from Christianity can't be compared to Newton learning from Einstein... but it seems like you deny any such influence.

 

[Link]

Genetics have to do with everything, as they determine everything about a person.

 

[civ2]

Loppan
I'm quite surprised at the very question.
That's why I actually don't see it as possible.
Or are you referring to anything "cultural"?
Because in that case, there obviously was an influence from every country and culture where Jews lived - same way as it happens to any other nation.
Please, specify what you are referring to (if anything specific), OK?

link
Yes and no.
There are many traits a person develops in his childhood regardless or sometimes even inspite of his/her genetics.
Anyways, this becomes an off-topic - at least I don't see any connection to it.

 

[classical_hero]

classical
Huh???
Do you mean the Festival of Passover???
Well, obviously yeah, like all normal (not only "religious" btw) Jews do.

Are you taught the significance of it?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Moderator Action: EDIT: Reopened. The same rules apply as for any thread like this. This also doesn't change the fact that these threads need moderator approval.

 

[El_Machinae]

Bast
Um, that was kinda weird - but thanks, I guess.

Anyways, waiting for questions.

Moderator Action: You don't need to reply to every single post, or post just to post a low-content post. An "Ask a ..." thread is supposed to be useful discussion.

How many jews does it take to screw a lightbulb?

Same number as nonconformists to kick-butt a pirate.

The subtleties of gay euphamisms are evidently not an integral part of the Torah.

Moderator Action: These three posts are inappropriate. Please don't troll or respond to trolling.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

This ends now! OK?
That's exactly what I meant by writing in the FIRST post:
"If you don't have a nice thing to say - just be SILENT."
And I mean it - you disturb other serious people by such stupid interruptions.
And I'm not referring to myself.

Waiting for ON-TOPIC posts, PLEASE.

Moderator Action: Again, you don't need to post low-content posts in your threads. If people are trolling use the report function

 

[Loppan Torkel]

Loppan
I'm quite surprised at the very question.
That's why I actually don't see it as possible.
Or are you referring to anything "cultural"?
Because in that case, there obviously was an influence from every country and culture where Jews lived - same way as it happens to any other nation.
Please, specify what you are referring to (if anything specific), OK?

The traditional and "religious" Jews are not the majority in Judaism. Those with a more lenient Jewish faith are likely to have been influenced by society throughout history as well as those with other religious beliefs. Muslims and Jews probably less than Christians due to the focus on the law, but some concepts could still seep in that isn't canonistic. I wondered if "Abba, Father" is a traditional Jewish concept of God or something later appearing?

 

[useless]

What's your view of the Palestinians? And of Israel as a valid state?

 

[Dida]

Richard Dawkins accuse hasidic Jews of child abuse. Do you agree with his point of view?

 

[Joecoolyo]

That's why I don't like when people say being Jewish is "cultural" - cause it's NOT.

What do you mean by this? Do you not like people who only think Judaism is a culture? Or people that are only Jewish for the culture?

I mean, I'm Jewish, but only for the culture since I dumped most of the religious stuff over the years.

 

[aronnax]

Wrong person to ask.
But I wanna ask you in response - are you Jewish?

No. But those synagogues are National Heritage Sites and I wanted to look at some Jewish architecture.

 

[Joecoolyo]

Is it okay that I answer this one civ2?

No. But those synagogues are National Heritage Sites and I wanted to look at some Jewish architecture.

Well, I don't know too much about Singapore, but I do know that there really isn't much of a Jewish architecture out there. When we built synagogues over the years, we mostly borrowed our architecture from the places we built them in. Such as a synagogue in the middle east is going to look like middle eastern architecture, while one build in Russia is going to look, well, Russian.

Unlike churches or mosques, we don't have any building requirements for our houses of worship, so they end up varying widely.

I'd look some up to show you, but I have to run out the door.

 

[civ2]

MODERATORS
Thanks a lot.
Yeah, I tend to be easily baited by trolls.
I'll try to really IGNORE them.

Loppan
I'm like 200% sure.
Also what you (and many, including those in question) fail to understand is that there's a very BROAD "variety" of "religious" Jews.
And some of them aren't even AWARE how religious they REALLY are!
Seriously.
It might sound weird, but with SO MANY commandments (613, about a half not applicable nowadays without the Temple, but all this WITHOUT thousands upon thousands of DETAILS!) - it's virtually impossible to be "non-religious".
If someone is a vegetarian - he/she already fulfils a whole bunch of laws by NOT eating non-kosher!
If someone is just a "decent" person - he/she doesn't MURDER nor STEAL nor VIOLATE etc.
So any "decent" Jew is ALREADY pretty much "religious" - it's just he/she doesn't FEEL like that.
...
On your question.
I think you asked about JUDAISM.
Therefore we must refer to "religious" Jews - and those definitely weren't affected by other philospjies or religions, unless those were compatible with the original Torah view.
(Not that I know of any...)

useless
I wanted to joke by saying "your nick says it" - but it wold be too rude even for them (Pals).
If seriously, I already said that Israeli politics upset me a lot - so I'd like to not discuss it because of futility...

Dida
Well, why would I care what an atheistic antisemite is raving about?
(I did Google him.)

Joecoolyo
It wasn't meant as an insult, definitely.
So sorry if it looked like one...
But for me - being TRULY Jewish (fulfilling the PURPOSE of being Jewish) can't be accomplished without Torah values.
Sorry, but that's what I think.
I don't "look down" on "cultural" Jews - but I highly disapprove their attitude.
This reminded me of a joke:
Once there was a guy who bought a Jumbo jet.
And used... for breeding rabbits!
"Well, the rabbits feel cool there."
Yeah, they do - but is THIS the PURPOSE of a JET???
Same goes on being Jewish.
There's SO much we can do by revealing our vast spiritual abilities - and yet we're happy enough to "breed the rabbits"...

aronnax
Again - wrong address, sorry.
EDIT:
Joecoolyo actually answered you pretty much.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Would you characterize yourself as being orthodox, conservative, or reform? Are you quite religious? If not, why do you apparently look down upon "cultural" Jews who have little or no faith anymore?

 

[civ2]

Formaldehyde
I'm orthodox and trying to be as much observant as possible.

I don't "look down" on "cultural" Jews - but I highly disapprove their attitude.

Which is the truth.
I don't dislike PEOPLE - I dislike their ATTITUDE.

 

[aronnax]

Is it okay that I answer this one civ2?



Well, I don't know too much about Singapore, but I do know that there really isn't much of a Jewish architecture out there. When we built synagogues over the years, we mostly borrowed out architecture from the places we built them in. Such as a synagogue in the middle east is going to look like middle eastern architecture, while one build in Russia is going to look, well, Russian.

Unlike churches or mosques, we don't have any building requirements for our houses of worship, so they end up varying widely.

I'd look some up to show you, but I have to run out the door.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesed-El_Synagogue
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maghain_Aboth_Synagogue
The synagogues in question.
I wanna see them. But they won't let me. Even though it is a national monument, the guards won't let me go inside them. While anyone (during non-prayer times) can enter any temple, church or mosque, it seems like the Singapore Government and the Jewish Community decided to close it all off. Is there a cultural reason for this I don't get?

 

[civ2]

aronnax
Sorry to ask but could you please ask this question on a Singapore-related thread.
Cause I don't see this being connected to GENERAL Judaism thread at all...
Sorry.

 

[useless]

How is Dawkins anti semetic? Because he doesn't approve of certain Jewish sects's practices? Am i a islamaphobe because i disagree with wahabism? This is ridiculous.

I disagree with the hasidic practise of metzitzah b'peh ( http://en.wikipedia.org:80/wiki/Brit_milah#Metzitzah ) am i therefore an anti semite?

 

[Formaldehyde]

Formaldehyde
I'm orthodox and trying to be as much observant as possible.

Which is the truth.
I don't dislike PEOPLE - I dislike their ATTITUDE.

Ah. Then your own attitude is perfectly understandable, at least to me.

I once worked in a company of over a hundred people where all but 15 or so were orthodox Jews. I don't think that any of Jews who worked there who were not orthodox were non-religious due to this attitude towards them. But for the few of us who weren't Jewish, it really didn't matter how religious or not we were. But if you were Jewish, you were expected to leave well before sundown on Fridays as well as show your faith in other ways. The one who didn't was openly shunned and soon left.

Probably the greatest problem I had working there was that I knew that none of them would ever invite me to their own homes, or even want to hang out after work, even though I became friends with a number of them. They all wanted to keep their private lives as segregated as humanly possible because it was apparently part of their faith to do so.