Christianity and Contradiction

Christianity & Contradiction

Moshe Ben-Chaim

Reader: Dear Jewish Times:

The Jewish Times does not accept the New Testament as inspired Scripture, of course. But neither does it accept it as a historical record of events. What sort of evidence would Jewish Times accept as valid? An eyewitness still alive from 2004 years ago? Before and after photos of lame men walking, cured lepers? Perhaps we could show a coroner's report showing the cause of Jesus' death. Then we could find a satellite photo showing the Roman guard posted around the tomb of Jesus and then Jesus walking out, alive. Hmm, you see the dilemma? There is no evidence that you would accept; therefore it is pointless to conduct a debate.

Mesora: No dilemma. Ask yourself why we affirm the Revelation at Sinai and deny Jesus. Wouldn't you like to know why - with no satellite photos - we accept Sinai and Moses' Torah?

But before I give you an answer, let me shed some light on your glaring blindness: You say, “What sort of evidence would Jewish Times accept as valid: an eyewitness from 2004 years ago; photos of lame men walking, cured lepers; a coroner's report; a satellite photo?” Such statements are Christian attempts to make us look foolish for asking a religion for “proof” of their beliefs. You are immersed so deep in the murk of blind faith, that it cakes-over your eyes. You cynically mock our demand for rationality and proof. However, you look foolish in this dialogue. With this type of sarcasm you attempt to dismiss the notion that there can be any proof for history. You try to portray our request as impossible, only because this is your vision of religion: one where intelligence and proofs take a back seat. However, you too accept Revelation at Sinai. You too accept world history. So, your words here are either transparent, malicious venom, or you ignorantly contradict your very belief in a provable history.

Accounts like Sinai, histories of Caesar’s and Pharaoh’s existence, and Alexander’s victories are all accepted as 100% proven truths. Now, unless you wish to deny world history, you already know what is accepted as a valid proof for history. So why don’t you provide such proof for Christianity, or admit you have none?

Masses attended Sinai, 2.5 million strong. Such numbers are absent in all accounts of Jesus' miracles, and all other religions claiming divinity. We do not accept any historical event that lacks masses. Such stories are contrived.

Reader: Eyewitnesses did write the events in what are now the Gospels - contrary to what you assert. This is not the place to present the evidence for the veracity of the Gospel stories. There are plenty of Christian websites with this information for the man who wished to fully understand the Christian's faith in them.

Mesora: Your Gospels lack any proof, as proof of history exists only with mass witnesses. Anyone can write down, “Masses saw Jesus perform miracles.” But that proves nothing other than a healthy imagination.

The most Christianity has are the words, “multitudes followed Jesus.” No record of who these people were, where they came from, or their numbers. You either believe or you don’t. Your New Testament’s claims are vague at the least, and contradictory at the most, as seen in your four Gospel accounts that vary greatly about the same, so-called events.

However, Judaism records with great detail, the Jewish Tribes, their numbers, their princes, and counts them as a whole more than once in the Bible. There is no doubt as to who those people were, where they came from, exactly how may they were, and to where they traveled. No ambiguity. This is why you accept it too.

You should also be concerned about Moses’ many addresses to the Jews. He tells the entire nation not to forget “what your eyes saw.” (Deut. 4:10) Such a statement is not found in your New Testament tales about Jesus, and for good reason: Jesus could not make anyone believe they saw, what in fact they did not see. He performed no miracles. Remind yourself what our Bible says:

“For your eyes have seen all the great acts of G-d that he performed.” (Deut. 4:7) Moses notes that those events that transpired before the entire nation were clearly perceived. He states, “You are the ones who have been shown, so that you will know that God is the Supreme Being and there is none besides Him. From the heavens, He let you hear His voice admonishing you, and on earth He showed you His great fire, so that you heard His words from the fire”. (Deut. 4:9-13,32-36).

“And G-d spoke to you from amidst the flames, a sound of words did you hear, and a form you did not see, only a voice.” (Deut. 4:12)

“And all the people saw the voices and the flames and the sound of the horn, and the mountain burning, and the people saw, and they stood from a distance.” (Exod. 20:15)

You must realize the world of difference between your New Testament and our authentic Bible. Moses does not tell the people years later what happened, as is the case with your Gospel writers. Your approach is bereft of any proof, as it expects belief in a story recounted to those not at the “event”. Your Gospels were written decades after the assumed miracles of Jesus. Therefore the stories were not told over to anyone of Jesus’ era, so they could not attest to having witnessed anything. It’s all blind faith.

In contrast, Moses addresses the people as a nation, more than once, reminding them of what “their eyes saw.” The fact we have these stories about the Jews’ acceptance of what they saw, is only possible if they did in fact accept Moses words, and their own eyes. Judaism is set apart from every other religion by the attendance and testimony of millions of people, whose names we know, and whose numbers are verified.

Reader: There were plenty of folks around who could have refuted the Gospels as frauds. Funny, we don't find any.

Mesora: Are you completely ignorant of the Jewish view that denies Jesus? Are you completely blind to your own view that bases itself, not on proof, but on “blind faith?” Your own religion stands behind the doctrine of belief, as opposed to proof! But I won’t disappoint you. I will soon offer a few refutations of your positions.

Reader: And what would the early Christians have to gain from perpetrating the fraud? Let's see, being thrown out of the Jewish community. Being fed to lions, beaten and imprisoned by Romans. Laughed at by the Greek pagans. Where is the incentive for the Apostles and other Jewish converts to perpetuate the new faith?

Mesora: This is what they gain: the easy-way-out doctrine of forgiveness without remorse and reflection; the idolatrous man-god, the satisfying emotion of pity for a victimized Jesus nailed on a cross, normal human aggression now can be targeted at the Jewish scapegoat, and no more 613 weighty commands…you need not look far to understand the weakness of those people who desire Christianity over Judaism. They gain an easier life that caters to base instincts and emotions. Instead of a system like Judaism where man must conquer his emotions, they can outlet their drives guilt-free.

Reader: Why not try to refute the evidence, as it exists? Find the errors in interpretation. The Epistles of Paul and the Gospel of Matthew offer many references to Hebrew Scriptures as evidence. Why not work to show that their interpretations are erroneous? I would love to see this, and if it already exists please tell me where I can find it. I am only interested in knowing the truth, whatever it is. So far, the only religion that I have found with the ring of truth is Catholicism.

Mesora: I will comply, showing fully how your interpretations are erroneous. Your Epistles err gravely when attempting to teach the Jews how to interpret our “Divine Book”.

Rabbi Reuven Mann poignantly allegorized Christianity: the Epistles are akin to travelers, journeying to a far-off, unknown island. After reading the islanders’ history and books, the travelers told these islanders their OWN version of what these islanders are to believe about their history, insisting that the islanders have their OWN facts wrong. This would be absurd, for anyone to approach another people, and tell them what to believe. Perhaps I will approach Einstein and tell him what he really means by his theories! The entire foundation of Christianity is built on lies and foolishness. I feel truly sad for Christian children who are never trained to think, and become duped into accepting notions based on blind faith, and not reason.

The Jews never accepted Christianity’s distortion of our Bible. The New Testament is a foolish attempt to hijack the Bible authority possessed by the Jewish nation alone. Even according to you, the Jews were the sole recipients of the Torah at Sinai. During that great miracle of G-d’s selection of the Jews, G-d appoints the Rabbis as the sole body of Biblical authority. (Deut. 17:11) Therefore, Christianity claiming possession of the correct Bible interpretation denies G-d’s words.

Judaism rejects the New Testament’s interpretations of G-d’s Bible. The Jews are the authority of their own book. Christians, who arrive later on, are in no position to tell us how to understand our heritage, what audacity! This reasoning alone is airtight. But I will go one further: the Talmud states that prophecy ended. Therefore, all of these stories of Jesus receiving prophecy from G-d are contradicting G-d’s appointed Bible leaders, who said prophecy had ended.

Reader: When Christians speak of a “new” covenant, they do not mean that G-d changed His mind and made up a different covenant whole cloth. Christians interpret the events recorded in the New Testament in light of the covenant found in the “old” Testament (if I may use that phrase to distinguish the two).

Mesora: This is another lie: Christianity does in fact view G-d as having changed His mind, as Christianity contradicts G-d:

G-d said: “Fathers are not killed for their sons (sins), and sons are not killed for their fathers (sins), each man in his own sin will be killed.” (Deut. 24:16)

Christianity says: Jesus although bearing no sin, died for other people’s sins - a direct violation of G-d’s word, what we call blasphemy.

G-d said: “…for man cannot know me while alive.” (Exod. 33:20)

Christianity says: G-d became man. Not only does this claim knowledge of G-d when G-d said this is impossible, but it imputes humanity onto G-d.

G-d said: “Listen Israel, G-d is your G-d, G-d is One.” (Deut. 6:4)

Christianity says G-d is a Trinity. The most fundamental principle is denied. Christianity has no regard for honesty or for G-d’s word, but follows its own agenda to glorify a man-god.

G-d never says that atonement is achieved other than through repentance.

Christianity says atonement is achieved by the death of a man. Christianity concocts baseless notions and calls it “G-d’s Words.”

Reader: The events of Jesus' life is a fulfillment of a covenant of signs or symbols to a covenant of reality. What we see in the Mosaic liturgy of Passover, for example, is the sacrifice of an animal to preserve the Israelites from the Angel of Death. The lamb's blood on the doorpost was a sign to the angel and a mark that these people were G-d's people. How can an animal's blood absolve us of sin? G-d chose the death and sprinkled blood of an innocent, unblemished lamb as a sign of the innocent, unstained-by-sin Redeemer crucified on a cross. The old covenant was fulfilled (not discarded) and only with the old covenant can the new one be understood.

Mesora: You make leaps that make no sense: Where in G-d’s name do you see in His Torah any mention of a cross? Even more alarming is your principle that “G-d lies”: G-d mentions no further requirement other than the Paschal Lamb, yet you claim Jesus’ crucifixion was necessary! You thereby claim that G-d’s words are lies. You suggest He doesn’t tell the truth when He says to offer the Passover Lamb as complete atonement. Listen to yourself talk; you deny G-d’s very words.

The sacrificial lamb during our Egyptian Passover, you now tie to Jesus? You unite two completely unrelated matters. You take a proven story of the Jews being atoned by killing the Egyptian god, and suggest a stupid idea that a man’s death affords atonement. Do you hear your own words? Your words have no meaning, no semblance of rationality, and you expect me to applaud?

The Jews were commanded by G-d to kill the lamb. And this fact has reason: for G-d to offer the Jews His Bible and for them to accept Him exclusively as G-d on Sinai, the Jews must deny all other assumed deities. Thus, G-d reasonably commanded them to make a display that they denied the Lamb to be god - by its slaughter, although their Egyptian oppressors did believe this foolishness.

In stark contrast, Christianity has no reason or proof for its claims. Your ideas contradict G-d as the Bible clearly shows, and your positions enunciated herein contain ridiculous notions, no rhyme or reason, and have no facts as support, as I mentioned.

You completely ignore the greatest minds like Maimonides, Nachmonides, Ibn Ezra, Saadia Gaon; the list goes on. These great thinkers - great by anyone’s standards – unanimously admitted that Revelation at Sinai is a proven event. They simultaneously deny Jesus, Christianity’s claims, and all of your words. Now, if great thinkers were unanimous in an opinion, why don’t you wonder why? Perhaps there is “reason” for their agreement. I urge you to educate yourself on their words.

But offering you a drink of your own poison...if you do accept the word of a Jesus - a single man - that G-d spoke to him and selected him as a Messiah, then you must also accept Mohammed, as he bases himself on the same argument as Christianity; “one man’s words are enough.” You cannot answer this contradiction! But Judaism does not have this problem, as we base ourselves on reason, and proof: the masses who attended Revelation at Sinai. We do not rely on the word of one man, for who is to say whether he is truthful about his assumed prophecy? But we rely on what was seen and heard by millions. There can be no mistake: the only proven religion is Torah given at Mount Sinai.

I will end citing the Bible’s words on a false prophet (Deuteronomy 13:2-6): “If there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder of which he spoke to you comes to pass, and he says, “Let us go after other gods which you have not known and let us serve them. Do not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. God your lord is testing you to see if you are truly able to love God your Lord with all your heart and all your soul.”

With the Trinity, Jesus denied that G-d is one. Christianity denies G-d’s words that people are killed for “their own sins.” Hence you have a man named Jesus who led the people astray from the One G-d, and His words.

Jesus was a false prophet.