Diuretic
Permanently confused
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- #21
Again, interesting and informing. I think it's almost human nature to went to spread the good word, whatever it might be. The reference to Hellenistic times is interesting. I wasn't aware of Judaism being active in ancient Greece (if I have that right). Paul and the Corinthians I remember and of course Christianity itself has much ancient Greek influence (I assume this was before Constantine) but I didn't know about Judaism and Hellenism.
Jews avoided proselytism because of the later dominance of Christianity and Islam. That makes sense, if you're outnumbered and tolerated (but put a foot wrong and you get persecuted) then it would pay to keep to your own community and not try to sign up members of the dominant religion in a given community.
But I'm still thinking back to Judaism before Christianity (and later Islam). Judaism apparently had a proselytising nature but I wonder if that was just because there was an open and humane acceptance of pagans who wanted to get away from their pantheistic religions. I mean, I know the Judaic God was a bit of a task master but put Him up against some of those other pagan gods and I reckon it's no contest. From fear of the gods to a sort of benign, though maybe awesome (in its true sense) paternalism in the Judaic God to a loving Christian God (thought not without certain requirements) seems to be almost a metaphor for the evolution of humans.
Okay, now I'm getting right out in left field.
Jews avoided proselytism because of the later dominance of Christianity and Islam. That makes sense, if you're outnumbered and tolerated (but put a foot wrong and you get persecuted) then it would pay to keep to your own community and not try to sign up members of the dominant religion in a given community.
But I'm still thinking back to Judaism before Christianity (and later Islam). Judaism apparently had a proselytising nature but I wonder if that was just because there was an open and humane acceptance of pagans who wanted to get away from their pantheistic religions. I mean, I know the Judaic God was a bit of a task master but put Him up against some of those other pagan gods and I reckon it's no contest. From fear of the gods to a sort of benign, though maybe awesome (in its true sense) paternalism in the Judaic God to a loving Christian God (thought not without certain requirements) seems to be almost a metaphor for the evolution of humans.
Okay, now I'm getting right out in left field.