A Conversation for Creation - A Mainstream Christian Viewpoint
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danshawen Started conversation May 27, 2014
Not all Christians are Creationists indeed. I wasn't, but because Creationism vs. science very much offended me (among other reasons), I have since converted to Judaism.
The Talmud is a voluminous record in Hebrew of rabbinical debate over the first five books of Moses (the Christian Old Testament). The book of Genesis was argued between rabbinical scholars for 1000 years before there was a single member of the religion much later known as Christianity.
Debate was encouraged in Jewish tradition. The Torah, although greatly respected, was never viewed by Jews as the unerring inspired word of G-d the way it is viewed by Creationist Christians, (and notice, in orthodoxy we do not even say his name).
Only certain fundamentalist Christian sects, who worship a text amended and translated from Hebrew and Aramaic through Greek (polytheists) and Roman (more polytheists) languages have elevated the status of the book of Genesis to something akin to a science textbook. In doing so, they are making the same mistake that Jewish tradition has made many times in those first five books of Moses; worshiping something (like a sacred text, for instance) as if it were an idol, (like a golden calf).
Idol worship breaks the first commandment. If they get that one wrong, what are the chances they will get any of the other ones right? The Torah (which actually has 613 commandments) is revered for what it teaches us, but is is not worshiped as though it were an idol or something that is worthy of devotion all by itself.
Judaism is also the most tolerant of other religious traditions. I sometimes break with the tolerant part only because I have some residual issues coming from my previous culture. Eventually, I will be silent on such issues, like others who are observant of the teachings of the Torah. I only hope this lesson teaches you something about the origins of the book of Genesis which no one here seems to remember.
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