barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold) (11/12/85)
Sorry, all I got of your pathway was notes@isucs1.UUCP which isn't enough for me to figure out. My apologies to other netters. (Incidentally, Eliyahu wrote me a note implying that there'd been LOTS of other responses to my original posting, but the only one I saw was his, but I'm apparently not getting all of this newsgroup, why I don't know. And net.flame is gone so I can't protest there.) Anyway.... By saying "non-Jews religion was good enough for them, but not for me," I was basically referring to the Jewish tenet that non-Jews are only obligated to obey the seven Noachic commandments. Jews have lots more lawss to fulfill. Non-Jews can please God and inherit the World to Come if they comply with the laws they are given. So can Jews but they have to work harder. I see serving God as one purpose of a religion but certainly not the only one. I was taught that God and man cooperate (admittedly as senior and junior partners), and that was the reason why the Jewish pattern of human relationship with God is a contract or covenant. You can always undertake additional responsibilities in a contractual relationship. You can buck for a more demanding and more fulfilling job. I did NOT say that faith was unimportant. I did paraphrase the Pirke Avot (a section of the Talmud) in which one scholar says that it is better that good works exceed faith than that faith exceed good works. Obviously (to me) a faith not evidenced by good works and compliance with the law is not very respectworthy. Discussing were Christianity went wrong seems like a rather explosive topic. Perhaps this would best be done by private mail (if you'll send me a better pathway). Or after we've agreed on ground rules for the discussion. I will say that one of the things that irritates me about Christianity is its claim that it knows more about my God and Bible than my religion does, but this is a very minor point indeed. Lee Gold ...ucbvax!ucla-cs!lcc!barry will reach me so will something arriving at sdcrdcf!barryg