All praise be to YHWH - my Rock - and my Saviour

Submitted by Oliver (United States), Oct 24, 2009 at 19:04

Submitted by Seamus Dafydd Dives MacNemi (United States), Oct 19, 2009 at 13:20

First of all, Yeshua was not the central focus for any of us. True, he was a teacher but it was what he taught that was important and not the person. The teacher is not the lesson. We must learn the lesson and not worship the teacher. It is obvious that Christians understand little of the power and potentials of the human mind and even less of the arts of self mastery that the tradition endeavors to teach. Instead you would have us squander our lives in endless repetition of empty ritual to no avail for some vague notion of an after life. To us this is a total waste of time.

I won't argue with what you believe BUT don't tell me what I believe and don't tell me that what I believe is null and void because you don't believe it has any 'worth'. As a Christian I place no trust in the 'power and potential of the human mind' – I trust in the power and potential of YHWH. If you 'Jews' still had the Temple you would not be advancing 'the endless repetition of empty ritual' argument – but that is where Jesus implied Judaism had 'devolved' – and without the 'vague notion of an afterlife' it is Judaism that is null and void.

I must say that it is surprising that the Sadduceeic view of 'no resurrection' has found its way into the Phariseeic notion of the afterlife. One of the primary counter-points of Jesus' debates was always to get the Sadducees and Pharisees to argue about the 'resurrection' – Judaism has thrown away eternal life just to spite Christianity.

Ours is a practical way of living in the world. It is as simple as pulling an ox cart out of a ditch. When we look at life we see that there is a right way to do things and a wrong way. The wrong way is the way of failure and the right way is the way of success. We do not entertain any notion of an after life. For us it is enough if we live properly in this life. Let Heaven take care of itself.. G-D wills what HE will. We must accept it and live accordingly. The only power that we have is to determine how we will act in this life. We cannot turn the hand of G-D. We believe in personal responsibility (and by responsibility we mean the ability to respond appropriately to any given situation) and we do not look to others to save us from our own mistakes. If we err, it is up to us to correct our error before it becomes a liability. We have no devil to blame for our laxity nor do we seek one. We will not hold ourselves responsible for the errors of others. Adams sin was his alone and it has no bearing upon us. We will make our own mistakes and for those alone will we be held accountable before G-D. Neither will G-D judge us harshly for in our errors is the proof that we are trying at least. One who does not err is not trying and the effort is often of more importance than the success.

Again I won't argue with what you believe BUT how do you satisfy the requirements of the Law of Moses in, say, Lev 4? Where is it prescribed, in the Tanakh, that a Jew can 'live' outside of the Law of Moses? You are incorrect concerning the sin of Adam – for because Adam sinned, Adam died and death was passed along to all of mankind as a result of his sin – the sin of Adam surely has a bearing on all of us. It is clear that from the beginning – sin required the death of something as a propitiation – that is the premise of the entire Law of Moses – I don't see where YHWH has ever relented in this requirement – so when you stand before YHWH in all of your accountability (self-righteousness), to what death (sacrifice) will you point to make propitiation for you sins?

Contrary to what some might have you believe our ancestors were not the superstitious primitives that we are pictured to be. Our thinking at that time was far more advanced practically than any of you can even imagine. Our understandings of human nature and the power and potentials of the human mind were far greater than even your modern science can embrace. Yet you choose to dismiss us as irrelevant. We are not a part of your salvation scheme. Neither do we wish to be a part of your play. We have our own way and we wish to be left alone to live our lives in peace.

I'm sorry; I missed where I said anything about 'superstition' or 'primitive thinking' or 'irrelevance'.

But as to salvation – I believe 'salvation' is a significant aspect of faith in YHWH: [all JPS]

Gen 49:18 I wait for Thy salvation, O Lord. [Abraham]

Exo 15:2 The LORD is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation; this is my God, and I will glorify Him; my father's God, and I will exalt Him. [Moses]

1Sa 2:1 And Hannah prayed, and said: my heart exulteth in the LORD, my horn is exalted in the LORD; my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in Thy salvation. [Hannah]

2Sa 22:2 and he said: The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

2Sa 22:3 The God who is my rock, in Him I take refuge; my shield, and my horn of salvation, my high tower, and my refuge; my saviour, Thou savest me from violence. [David]

1Ch 16:23 Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; proclaim His salvation from day to day.

1Ch 16:24 Declare His glory among the nations, His marvellous works among all the peoples. [David]

Isa 43:3 For I am the LORD thy God, The Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour;

Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no saviour.

Isa 45:21 Declare ye, and bring them near, yea, let them take counsel together: Who hath announced this from ancient time, and declared it of old? Have not I the LORD? And there is no God else beside Me, a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside Me.

Isa 45:22 Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.

Isa 45:23 By Myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from My mouth in righteousness, and shall not come back, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Hos 13:4 Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt; and thou knowest no God but Me, and beside Me there is no saviour.

'You' may think it appropriate to keep the only means of 'salvation' to 'yourself' BUT it seems to me that YHWH has declared that it is necessary for 'you' to proclaim the 'only' Saviour to 'all the earth' 'all the peoples' 'all the ends of the earth' – while 'you' may think that 'you' have no part in 'my' salvation scheme, I have availed myself of the salvation scheme of YHWH in spite of 'your' selfishness.

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