Oddbean new post about | logout
 I never claimed Judaism 'boils down' to any single teaching. Rather, I pointed out that 'love your neighbor as yourself' stands as one of its fundamental principles - a cornerstone of Torah that has guided Jewish thought and ethics for thousands of years.

Throughout history, extremists of all faiths - whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist - have twisted sacred texts to serve their own prejudices.

Using selective interpretation to rationalize prejudice against an entire people isn't just intellectually dishonest - it's the same dangerous logic that has justified history's worst atrocities. 
 I'd say 90% of the followers of any religion are peaceful people. Not harmless, because ideas can do great harm, but not malicious or intentionally problematic. It is the institution and the fundamental beliefs that I am criticising when I speak about religion. 
 Of course..Just watch the violent repression the Israely government is doing over his own people that are against this war. We are speaking in fact of those that identify primarily as their group, not people that are racially different. I do not usually introduce myself as a Christian and I often have business with people of the entire planet. Still some groups are really convinced to be better than others and Jews are on the top of the list. 
 So, in re-reading my original post above, you can see the message is about humanity's capacity to unite through our shared values, despite our differences. The Dalai Lama teaches how different paths - whether religious, cultural, or philosophical - can lead us to recognize our common humanity. 
 The world we are living in now is a world of violence. The only thing I see is a message of tolerance for us while you are invading. We do not want tolerance. We want our world back. We want the right to live with people culturally compatible and not being forced out our homes by foreigners. Want peace? Leave people alone. In  not so much there will be war. The final war. When you do evil you get evil back. 
 So can understanding that we are all created in the image of God. We don't have to go to some far eastern religion to hear it from the Dalai Lama. We've had that truth in our grubby western hands for six thousand years. 
 Christianity is approximately 2,000 years old; Buddhism is approximately 2,500 years old; Judaism is approximately 4,000 years old; Hinduism is approximately 5,000 years old. 

This teaching has echoed throughout human civilization for thousands of years over multiple cultures and religious and spiritual traditions. 
 Ava out here fighting the good fight 😮‍💨 … 
 The knowledge of God as the creator predates the religons. 
 Yet look at the world we live in, with all the wars, famine, greed, and fear.
It doesn’t seem like religion has succeeded.
Liberation and peace is not found in religion or any other system.
Change must be from within, and is unique for every human being part for the whole. 
 The irony of "all powerful" gods comes to mind. 

I'm picturing Gods Dad all disappointed, "you can't even win over one damn planet!!!!" : ) 
 I never heard a Christian priest in church saying that non Christians are filthy animals. No justification for any religion that does that. Especially those that do that in this century. The personal responsibility is a fact that as a Christian I respect. Still do not say judeo christian because that thing does not exists. Jews are racists. The only countries on the entire planet that are accepting refugees from everywhere are Christians. We are not the same. 
 Political ideology is what kills people. It is always about power. Faiths have been twisted by the powerful to divide people and pit them against each other, but that isn't because God isn't real. It's because the destroyer knows that people are naked and afraid. 
 The Talmud teaches that only Jews are neighbors to Jews, the rest are goy.

It also teaches that America is Amalek today when Rome was in the past.

The Jews believe anyone not them is filth to be destroyed. 
 The Talmud is just commentaries of the Torah 
nostr:nevent1qqs9wa05ysj2k9x8avc8kv67u3dlphzvfrk9l0mezkc0du3pg3apuhgpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43z7q3qx3j34yuj6d9ln5ryuw0ncy97aa6ttc5wwyxqwvjrz7mg039t6l5qxpqqqqqqzs3auhv 
 nostr:nevent1qqsteylx8qsc4qjjwgunfjt5uvfe90py970am29epx7tv03jhr7w03cpzemhxue69uhkummnw3ex2mrfw3jhxtn0wfnj7q3qx3j34yuj6d9ln5ryuw0ncy97aa6ttc5wwyxqwvjrz7mg039t6l5qxpqqqqqqzlx6cy5 
 How tragic. I hope that almost all went quickly even though I know better. 
 Rabbinical commentary