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I find Jews and Muslims to be the most alike. They tend to keep to themselves, marry among themselves, and allow their kids to only associate with their kind. I am talking about the serious kind of religious Jews or Muslims. they look out for each other , and only each other.
I find Jews and Muslims to be the most alike. They tend to keep to themselves, marry among themselves, and allow their kids to only associate with their kind. I am talking about the serious kind of religious Jews or Muslims. they look out for each other , and only each other.
Not to mention that in both Judaism and Islam, there's dietary laws (kosher and halal), there's male ritual circumcision, and rabbis and imams (at least Sunni imams) aren't the same kinds of clergymen as priests.
When discussing Jews in relation to other cultures/ethnicities/religions one must take into account whether or not you're referring to a secular/reformed Jew, a more observant conservative or highly devout orthodox Jew.
As a reformed (liberal) Jew raised within a very large insular, urban community in the Midwest, I can tell you that none of the cultures listed are truly good comparisons. On a secular level, I would say we have some parallel traits to the Italian community, primarily in relation to family structure/values, emotional make-up and sense of humor. Despite our vastly different religious beliefs, these two communities have often intermarried, successfully, and enjoyed a common ground both in business and in personal life.
Now if you are looking at the highly traditional, orthodox sector of our culture then, most definitely, we have some common elements with the Muslim faith, including devout spiritual practices, similar dietary laws, separation of women and men in the house of worship and dominance of males within the social order. Additionally, many of the most devout orthodox communities are quite sheltered from society and would never condone intermarriage - much the same as many Muslim groups.
I am referring, primarily, to the Ashkenazi sector of Judaism. Though we have many, many overlaps with the Sephardic sect, there are also some fundamental differences including our foods, religious rituals, historical origins, physical appearance, and some core values.
I find Jews and Muslims to be the most alike. They tend to keep to themselves, marry among themselves, and allow their kids to only associate with their kind. I am talking about the serious kind of religious Jews or Muslims. they look out for each other , and only each other.
If this was the case, I wonder why states like MS are virtually 90% (plus) Christian? They must marry among themselves....and look out for each other.....
Fundies in every religion are big into segregating themselves and intermarrying. I had employees who were Jehovahs Witnesses and they were not allowed (fear of mom and dad) to marry outside the faith.
Jews are known to be very secular, so the communities you speak of are definitely the exception, not the rule. Most Jewish families I know of intermarried (and being from Philly, that's a lot of intermarriage).
Even in Israel, only 30% of the population considers religion to be an important part of their lives.....
I think most all fundies in the Abrahamic Religions are cloistered in one way or another from the general society.
Then again, so are the Amish and other similar groups. I doubt Amish would allow their children to marry a Hindu or even a Catholic.
Disclaimer before I post anything: I am Jewish; Ashkenazi (mostly Russian/Ukrainian) heritage, 3rd gen American-born, raised Reform but more cultural than religious.
Quote:
Originally Posted by peequi
although I am not a Jew, nor really a pro Israel guy, nor a religious guy, I can see why they are called God's chosen people.
But do you actually know what that means? I ask because SO many people misunderstand that, and think it means we believe we're "special" or better than anyone else - when it really means we were chosen to SUFFER and prove our worthiness (to G-d), while the other religions get more slack. You may have already known that, but few Gentiles do! And I only wanted to elaborate because it's common fodder for the anti-Semites.
But do you actually know what that means? I ask because SO many people misunderstand that, and think it means we believe we're "special" or better than anyone else - when it really means we were chosen to SUFFER and prove our worthiness (to G-d), while the other religions get more slack. You may have already known that, but few Gentiles do! And I only wanted to elaborate because it's common fodder for the anti-Semites.
From a Christian perspective, Jews were "the chosen people" to bring salvation to all humankind through Jesus Christ (he comes right out of Jewish tradition). It is that simple. Now I know a lot of Jews and non-Jews think this is non-sense, but it is a widely held belief among Christians around the world. There are a lot of Messianic Jews who share this interpretation / understanding.
For non-Messianic Jews, there does seem to be an emphasis on collective suffering, rooted in a historical perspective as a people apart. For the Christian, this suffering comes with taking up one's individual cross and following the Master Christian, Jesus.
From a Christian perspective, Jews were "the chosen people" to bring salvation to all humankind through Jesus Christ (he comes right out of Jewish tradition). It is that simple. Now I know a lot of Jews and non-Jews think this is non-sense, but it is a widely held belief among Christians around the world. There are a lot of Messianic Jews who share this interpretation / understanding.
For non-Messianic Jews, there does seem to be an emphasis on collective suffering, rooted in a historical perspective as a people apart. For the Christian, this suffering comes with taking up one's individual cross and following the Master Christian, Jesus.
Yes, I do know of the Christian perspective on this - and I suppose you could say it ties in with our beliefs, since our suffering was what brought salvation to the Gentiles. I'm honestly not enough of a scholar to analyze it further, but just wanted to make sure they (the person I quoted) weren't basing that on the false definition.
When discussing Jews in relation to other cultures/ethnicities/religions one must take into account whether or not you're referring to a secular/reformed Jew, a more observant conservative or highly devout orthodox Jew.
As a reformed (liberal) Jew raised within a very large insular, urban community in the Midwest, I can tell you that none of the cultures listed are truly good comparisons. On a secular level, I would say we have some parallel traits to the Italian community, primarily in relation to family structure/values, emotional make-up and sense of humor. Despite our vastly different religious beliefs, these two communities have often intermarried, successfully, and enjoyed a common ground both in business and in personal life.
Now if you are looking at the highly traditional, orthodox sector of our culture then, most definitely, we have some common elements with the Muslim faith, including devout spiritual practices, similar dietary laws, separation of women and men in the house of worship and dominance of males within the social order. Additionally, many of the most devout orthodox communities are quite sheltered from society and would never condone intermarriage - much the same as many Muslim groups.
I am referring, primarily, to the Ashkenazi sector of Judaism. Though we have many, many overlaps with the Sephardic sect, there are also some fundamental differences including our foods, religious rituals, historical origins, physical appearance, and some core values.
As a fellow Reform/Secular-Ashkenazi-American Jew, I would concur with most of this... except that it's Reform, as opposed to ReformED. Not that it matters, but that would kinda change the word's definition.
I also think we share many values with the Asian (particularly Chinese and Indian) cultures, at least in terms of our emphasis on higher education and intellectual pursuits. Ever wonder why the medical and legal fields are dominated by Jewish and Asian folks? It's not because we're biologically better at those things, but more likely connected with how we're raised - and what our parents expect of us, generally speaking. We're also kinda obsessed with Chinese food, but I don't know if there's a good explanation for that. LOL
As a fellow Reform/Secular-Ashkenazi-American Jew, I would concur with most of this... except that it's Reform, as opposed to ReformED. Not that it matters, but that would kinda change the word's definition.
I also think we share many values with the Asian (particularly Chinese and Indian) cultures, at least in terms of our emphasis on higher education and intellectual pursuits. Ever wonder why the medical and legal fields are dominated by Jewish and Asian folks? It's not because we're biologically better at those things, but more likely connected with how we're raised - and what our parents expect of us, generally speaking. We're also kinda obsessed with Chinese food, but I don't know if there's a good explanation for that. LOL
Thanks for the correction - didn't even notice what I typed!
Our parents were/are extremely ambitious for us, in part, because previous generations fled such horrific abuse (who didn't right?) - and they passed down 'survival of the fittest' instincts to us in a big way. Agreed that our culture places extremely high value on education, intellectualism, independent thought and, of course, social justice.
I kinda see where you're going with the Chinese and Indian shared ambitions but can't say I really see too many overlaps. Even in modern India and China, the millenials are so dependent upon their parents wishes and expectations, where we're much more likely to go our own way, marry who we want, ignore cultural barriers and break from traditions in order to assimilate. Speaking, primarily, of the reform sector of our culture. If we're talking orthodox, well that's something different, entirely.
Good to know we share the Chinese food 'gene' My peeps are fairly obsessed with finding the proper bagel, a respectable pizza and an authentic local deli. Disclaimer: I'm originally from Chicago
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My peeps are fairly obsessed with finding the proper bagel, a respectable pizza and an authentic local deli. Disclaimer: I'm originally from Chicago
