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For the english version of it and not to the title. the hebrew version of it has no vowels (no letters to represent them). If non-jews can add letters to make hebrew words pronouncable then jew can remove letters. Maybe Gd and Lrd would've been simpler.
Gd's name is treated with unusual care in Jewish tradition. The divine name, YHWH (spelled with the Hebrew letters yud, hey, vav, hey) is never pronounced. Traditionally, Jews read the word "Adonai" (often translated as "the Lrd") whenever reading Gd's holiest name in Torah or in prayer. However, "Adonai" is not Gd's name. Speaking even the word "Adonai" is avoided outside of worship or study. This "stand-in" for Gd's name is itself replaced by "Ha-Shem" ("The Name").
As to the OP. Yes to your question.
As to Mircea. You're mixing different versions as if they were only one. Its like saying people from Toledo know everything and only their version is correct. Since the root of your name is Peace, why dont you try following it?
Was there a reason that Yahweh did not deserve to be respected?
Did Yahweh forget to tell the Hebrews not to pronounce his name for 1,700 years (what kind of "god" forgets?)?
Also, I am an atheist. Why do I have to constantly instruct people in their own religion?
Well, I'm not an atheist but I find your posts on this thread very interesting and informative. It isn't unusual for members of a religious tradition to not know very much about the evolution of their particular belief systems.
Facts get crowded out by what people are told by their parents,and their parents, their parents until the original answer which was never meant to be comprehensive has taken over as though it is the total sum of the story.
Most people's view of their religion is faith-based. They simply aren't interested in anything more than their 'traditional' view of their faith. Which is fine but leads to misunderstandings between those who are interested in the origins of traditions.
I run into that all the time with my fellow Mennonites. Practitioners of a faith are often the very worst at understanding themselves.
Now speaking for myself, unless I've seriously misunderstood you, I would take the bolded part as a rhetorical, sardonic kind of question of origins, not as an attack on my faith, even if I didn't know the answer to your question. If I didn't know the answer, that in itself wouldn't affect my faith, nor would I take offence at the question.
Well, I'm not an atheist but I find your posts on this thread very interesting and informative. It isn't unusual for members of a religious tradition to not know very much about the evolution of their particular belief systems.
Facts get crowded out by what people are told by their parents,and their parents, their parents until the original answer which was never meant to be comprehensive has taken over as though it is the total sum of the story.
Most people's view of their religion is faith-based. They simply aren't interested in anything more than their 'traditional' view of their faith. Which is fine but leads to misunderstandings between those who are interested in the origins of traditions.
I run into that all the time with my fellow Mennonites. Practitioners of a faith are often the very worst at understanding themselves.
Now speaking for myself, unless I've seriously misunderstood you, I would take the bolded part as a rhetorical, sardonic kind of question of origins, not as an attack on my faith, even if I didn't know the answer to your question. If I didn't know the answer, that in itself wouldn't affect my faith, nor would I take offence at the question.
Netwit,
We do have an understanding of our tradition. It is mircea who is wrong and it has been pointed out to him. And if you look at his bio. he is not just an atheist. He lists himself as Romanian Orthodox; Agnostic Atheism; Constructivism; Ultra-Conservative.
The question was just why do Jews leave the o out of G-d. Really a simple question and it was answered by many.
I realize it has something to do with their belief that god's name is to revered to the point of being unspoken, but isn't the word god just a generic form and not a personal name?
To answer your question strictly and literally...yes.
But the name G-d is written with the hyphen out of respect. For the same reason we wear yarmulkes in synagogue. Covering the head is a sign of respect for the Creator, plain and simple.
For a good explanation of why the NAME is written as G-d and other things, such as the pronunciation of the NAME, please see: Judaism 101: The Name of G-d.
When it comes to the internet the argument is a bit silly since a post can't be defaced or destroyed like a written text, where the rule makes sense from a Judaic perspective.
It's WAY cheaper to print a '-' than an 'o' in holy texts, given how many times the word is used.
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