Jewish ApoLOLgetics

Coming from a Jewish family myself, I am constantly confronted with the idea that Judaism is somehow different and more reasonable. That modern Judaism puts so much emphasis on knowledge and learning, and rational thought.
I don't see it as.....at least not as much as I hear the claim.
Here is one example, from one very well respected Rabbi in Mexico city.

NOTE: Bereshit means Genesis in Hebrew.
So the passage I read is Genesis 9:11-16.
What...you dont know hebrew? WELL YOU SHOULD!!!!!!!! :)

PaulsEgo's Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/PaulsEgo

DPR Jones's Video on the flood:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45E_1orqHd8&feature=feedu

References:
"FRUTOS DE LA TORAH"
Reflexiones de las Parashiot
Rab. Ilan A. Rubinstein
Pag. 17-18

"Atheist Universe" Why God didn't have a thing to do with it.
David Mills
Xlibris Corporation


All images used in this video are covered under "Fair Use" for nonprofit educational purposes (Title 17 § 107 of the USC)

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• Apologetics
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[MinervaInTheBrain]

They don't care if it's testable.

[djosephallen]

@MinervaInTheBrain

Cant blame a guy for tryin:)

[LazySundayClub]

Damn, it's nice to see a well thought-out presentation like this, especially lately. And it's fascinating to hear anything about Jewish apologetics; I tend to put Judaism on kind of a pedestal, due to its apparent sophistication compared to most of Christianity. (Not to mention my many 'Jewish' (emphasis on "ish") heros: Gershwin, Hamerstein, Brecker, Reiner, Shearer, Radner, Allen, etc, etc, etc, etc......) Oh, I mustn't forget Justine Shapiro. Mmmmm, Justeeeeene. ;)

[djosephallen]

@LazySundayClub

Yeah but see thats the thing. Its just that...APPARENT sophistication. Sure there are sophisticated thinkers in Judaism, and it has a long history of thought. So do christians. People get caught up in the whole "Talmudic" thought and kabalah and all that stuff, and tend to see judaism as more respectable. But strip it down, to the bare essentials, like Noah, Adam and eve, etc....and any jew who is not a secularist or very liberal, will believe the same absurdities christians do.

[Chibling]

I also think that there is a large number of "secular Jews" that are basically Jews by name only that they are sort of viewed as not extremist... even though there are definitely extremist Jews out there

[djosephallen]

@Chibling

Sure,and I tried to concede that in the vid. But the same can be said of christians. There are christians that dont take the bible literally, and are very secular compared to conservative or fundamentalist ones. All religions have that. But my point in the video is that the ones that are more serious about it, and believe what the bible says,do so, and justify the absurdities in the bible in the same way. There might be less jews like this, maybe because there are less jews period.

[ProfMTH]

You're right about why people tend not to go after Jewish apologetics. It seems there are 2 other reasons. (BTW, Jewish apologetics seems to be growing, especially in the context of "anti-missionary", i.e., anti-Christian-evangelism efforts.) 1st, people fear it will come off as anti-Semitic (an understandable, if largely unreasonable concern). 2d, some of the stuff Jewish apologists offer comes in handy when refuting Christian apologetics--a sort of the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-fr­iend thing.

[djosephallen]

@ProfMTH

Hey M..Good points. I guess being "jewish", I tend to forget that non jews criticizing jews automatically qualifies as antisemitism.

Your second point, I find it so frustrating, because jewish and christian apologists have no qualms about debating atheists, and pretend they are on the same side, since they both believe in a god. I ask myself if for example someone like Rabbi Wolpe who does debates with other non jewish theists ever thinks: This guy next to me thinks Im going to hell.:)

[kobyma2]

I think that the only reason you don't hear a lot of Jewish preachers and apologists is because there aren't that many Jews around. Here in Israel, where Jews are the majority, they're pretty common, and they're just as ridiculous as their Christian equivalents.

[Blackmark52]

Jews do seem to embrace secular values more readily: Humanistic Judaism is a movement that emphasizes Jewish culture and Jewish history — rather than belief in God — as the sources of Jewish identity. Its rituals and ceremonies do not include prayer or any invocation of a deity.

I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for a secular Christianity or Islam.

[djosephallen]

@lazaroinbed2010

Gracias!

[lazaroinbed2010]

genial video, che. segui adelante. Excelentes puntos en los que haces incapie!

[EvenGodsSuffer]

I've heard that it never rained before the Flood and that's why:

!. the rain took everyone by surprise

2. no one had boats

3. no one had ever seen a rainbow