Delta4Embassy
Gold Member
One advantage of a 14 year-old computer is a 14 year-old Texts Directory with all my scribblings from over the years. Consequently this post. And while I don't expect slobbering anti-semites to read it and think "Oh wow, how wrong I've been!" I figure some will benefit from it.
It occurs that rather than argue with every antisemitic poster in every thread I should just post some info from actual Jewish and Zionist sources revealing our positions. Not that I believe truth can combat hate, but it might prove helpful for some of the fence-sitters. First, let's explain a bit about the Jewish view of non-Jews since that comes up rather a lot:
You don't have to be Jewish to find favor in G-d's eyes
G-d gave only seven basic commandments to gentiles
Yiddish words for gentiles are goy, shiksa and shkutz
Judaism does not approve of interfaith marriage, but it is very common
Jews do not proselytize, but it is possible to convert to Judaism
"Judaism maintains that the righteous of all nations have a place in the world to come. This has been the majority rule since the days of the Talmud. Judaism generally recognizes that Christians and Moslems worship the same G-d that we do and those who follow the tenets of their religions can be considered righteous in the eyes of G-d.
Contrary to popular belief, Judaism does not maintain that Jews are better than other people. Although we refer to ourselves as G-d's chosen people, we do not believe that G-d chose the Jews because of any inherent superiority. According to the Talmud (Avodah Zarah 2b), G-d offered the Torah to all the nations of the earth, and the Jews were the only ones who accepted it. The story goes on to say that the Jews were offered the Torah last, and accepted it only because G-d held a mountain over their heads! (In Ex. 19:17, the words generally translated as "at the foot of the mountain" literally mean "underneath the mountain"!) Another traditional story suggests that G-d chose the Jewish nation because they were the lowliest of nations, and their success would be attributed to G-d's might rather than their own ability. Clearly, these are not the ideas of a people who think they are better than other nations.
Because of our acceptance of Torah, Jews have a special status in the eyes of G-d, but we lose that special status when we abandon Torah. Furthermore, the blessings that we received from G-d by accepting the Torah come with a high price: Jews have a greater responsibility than non-Jews. While non-Jews are only obligated to obey the seven commandments given to Noah, Jews are responsible for fulfilling the 613 mitzvot in the Torah, thus G-d will punish Jews for doing things that would not be a sin for non-Jews."
Judaism 101: Jewish Attitudes Toward Non-Jews
"Zionism: The national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel. Has come to include the development of the State of Israel and the protection of the Jewish nation in Israel.
Zionism avocated, from inception, tangible as well as spiritual aims. Jews of all persuasions - left and right, religious and secular - joined to form the Zionist movement and worked together toward these goals. Disagreements led to rifts, but ultimately, the common goal of a Jewish state in its ancient homeland was attained.
The term Zionism was coined in 1890 by Nathan Birnbaum.
Types of Zionism:
General Zionism | Messianic Zionism | Revisionist Zionism | Christian Zionism | Socialist Zionism"
A Definition of Zionism | Jewish Virtual Library
"Anti-Semitism (also Antisemitism) is the prejudice, discrimination, and hatred of Jews as a national, ethnic, religious, or racial group.
"The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," a text debunked many years ago as a fraud perpetrated by Czarist intelligence agents, continued to appear in the Middle East media, not as a hoax, but as established fact. Government-sponsored television in Syria ran lengthy serials based on the Protocols. The presentations emphasized blood libel and the alleged control by the Jewish community of international finance. The clear purpose of the programs was to incite hatred of Jews and of Israel. Copies of the Protocols and other similar anti-Semitic forgeries were readily available in Middle Eastern countries, former Soviet republics and elsewhere. Similarly, allegations that Jews were behind the 9/11 attacks were widely disseminated."
Report on Global Anti-Semitism (2004)
During the Cold War, Soviets had a term for westeners working on behalf of Sovet interests: "useful idiot." That is, they mocked and disparaged Americans and others who were pro-communist for their efforts to spread communist dogma throughout democratic nations. I guess because the communists themselves knew the downside but were trapped within those political systems.
Today, the antisemites are repeating the same sort of "idiot" mentality working on behalf of pro-Islamic forces while insisting they don't like Islamicists any more than Jews. Judaism might not be your cup of tea (and surely a religion which tolerates other faiths, and doesn't insist you must become like us for G-d to love you is obviously the worst thing in the world) but we're not cutting people's heads off when they don't convert to Judaism or Christianity.
By perpetuating antisemitic ideology, you're only helping Islamic interests. If that's your goal fine, but if you're of the American conservative persuassion worrying about Sharia Law in the US, and similar "threats" then ask yourself why you would side with those very same Islamics against the Jews. "The enemy of my enemy may be my friend."
It occurs that rather than argue with every antisemitic poster in every thread I should just post some info from actual Jewish and Zionist sources revealing our positions. Not that I believe truth can combat hate, but it might prove helpful for some of the fence-sitters. First, let's explain a bit about the Jewish view of non-Jews since that comes up rather a lot:
You don't have to be Jewish to find favor in G-d's eyes
G-d gave only seven basic commandments to gentiles
Yiddish words for gentiles are goy, shiksa and shkutz
Judaism does not approve of interfaith marriage, but it is very common
Jews do not proselytize, but it is possible to convert to Judaism
"Judaism maintains that the righteous of all nations have a place in the world to come. This has been the majority rule since the days of the Talmud. Judaism generally recognizes that Christians and Moslems worship the same G-d that we do and those who follow the tenets of their religions can be considered righteous in the eyes of G-d.
Contrary to popular belief, Judaism does not maintain that Jews are better than other people. Although we refer to ourselves as G-d's chosen people, we do not believe that G-d chose the Jews because of any inherent superiority. According to the Talmud (Avodah Zarah 2b), G-d offered the Torah to all the nations of the earth, and the Jews were the only ones who accepted it. The story goes on to say that the Jews were offered the Torah last, and accepted it only because G-d held a mountain over their heads! (In Ex. 19:17, the words generally translated as "at the foot of the mountain" literally mean "underneath the mountain"!) Another traditional story suggests that G-d chose the Jewish nation because they were the lowliest of nations, and their success would be attributed to G-d's might rather than their own ability. Clearly, these are not the ideas of a people who think they are better than other nations.
Because of our acceptance of Torah, Jews have a special status in the eyes of G-d, but we lose that special status when we abandon Torah. Furthermore, the blessings that we received from G-d by accepting the Torah come with a high price: Jews have a greater responsibility than non-Jews. While non-Jews are only obligated to obey the seven commandments given to Noah, Jews are responsible for fulfilling the 613 mitzvot in the Torah, thus G-d will punish Jews for doing things that would not be a sin for non-Jews."
Judaism 101: Jewish Attitudes Toward Non-Jews
"Zionism: The national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel. Has come to include the development of the State of Israel and the protection of the Jewish nation in Israel.
Zionism avocated, from inception, tangible as well as spiritual aims. Jews of all persuasions - left and right, religious and secular - joined to form the Zionist movement and worked together toward these goals. Disagreements led to rifts, but ultimately, the common goal of a Jewish state in its ancient homeland was attained.
The term Zionism was coined in 1890 by Nathan Birnbaum.
Types of Zionism:
General Zionism | Messianic Zionism | Revisionist Zionism | Christian Zionism | Socialist Zionism"
A Definition of Zionism | Jewish Virtual Library
"Anti-Semitism (also Antisemitism) is the prejudice, discrimination, and hatred of Jews as a national, ethnic, religious, or racial group.
"The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," a text debunked many years ago as a fraud perpetrated by Czarist intelligence agents, continued to appear in the Middle East media, not as a hoax, but as established fact. Government-sponsored television in Syria ran lengthy serials based on the Protocols. The presentations emphasized blood libel and the alleged control by the Jewish community of international finance. The clear purpose of the programs was to incite hatred of Jews and of Israel. Copies of the Protocols and other similar anti-Semitic forgeries were readily available in Middle Eastern countries, former Soviet republics and elsewhere. Similarly, allegations that Jews were behind the 9/11 attacks were widely disseminated."
Report on Global Anti-Semitism (2004)
During the Cold War, Soviets had a term for westeners working on behalf of Sovet interests: "useful idiot." That is, they mocked and disparaged Americans and others who were pro-communist for their efforts to spread communist dogma throughout democratic nations. I guess because the communists themselves knew the downside but were trapped within those political systems.
Today, the antisemites are repeating the same sort of "idiot" mentality working on behalf of pro-Islamic forces while insisting they don't like Islamicists any more than Jews. Judaism might not be your cup of tea (and surely a religion which tolerates other faiths, and doesn't insist you must become like us for G-d to love you is obviously the worst thing in the world) but we're not cutting people's heads off when they don't convert to Judaism or Christianity.
By perpetuating antisemitic ideology, you're only helping Islamic interests. If that's your goal fine, but if you're of the American conservative persuassion worrying about Sharia Law in the US, and similar "threats" then ask yourself why you would side with those very same Islamics against the Jews. "The enemy of my enemy may be my friend."
