Interfaith Monologue II

Moshe Ben-Chaim

The recent papal edict to include a prayer for the conversion of Jews evoked one response: “How do we now sit and dialogue when the other side believes we are blind and need to be converted?” But this has always been the Christian doctrine. So why are Jews suddenly surprised?

God designated the Jew to teach the world. But many Jews have it backwards: philosophically, religiously, and historically. Jews consistently cave to world recognition, and lately...that of the Church. Jews abandon God’s promises: “If only My people would listen to Me; if Israel would follow My ways, in an instant I would subdue their foes; and against their tormentors [I would] turn My hand”. (Psalms 81)

God’s Torah also says “Like the ways of the land of Canaan that I bring you there, do not do, and in their statutes do not walk.” (Lev. 18) God knows human insecurities, demanding we follow reason, not social approval, so he warns against our need to copy others and seek their accolades. Ironically, when the Jew caters to others, he gains no respect, but is rejected, just as a star has less respect for fans than for his competition. If we would hold fast to our Judaism, we would benefit from God’s preferred lifestyle. We would also offer other religions God’s intended example of His perfect Torah system, regarding which God promises this response from the nations: “Certainly, a wise and understanding people is this great nation.” (Deut. 4:6) But when we seek to compromise Judaism for the recognition of others, we misrepresent Judaism: to them, and to our own.

It is historically proven that God revealed Himself to mankind with His singular will only once...upon Sinai. No other religion claims masses witnessed God's revelation, except Judaism. And this truth has been transmitted throughout time, even by other religions, precisely because it did in fact occur. Had Revelation at Sinai been fabricated, Moses would never have be successful telling the Jews, "Guard your souls exceedingly, lest you forget what YOUR eyes saw...God spoke to you from amidst the fire". (Deut. 4:9,12) Other religions do not claim mass witnesses of revelation since they would never be accepted at their inception with grandiose lies, or later, since no transmission of such lies would commence.

Since only one mankind exists, there can be only one "best" lifestyle for us all, what we call a "religion". Judaism alone is a proven religion; explaining why all other religions are based on belief, and not the Sinaic proof which provides Judaism its unparalleled status. God granted man a mind to reason between truth and falsehood, between what is proven, and what are merely accepted beiefs. He desires we follow proof, not belief...for belief does not validate what is reality, as does proof. And God desires that man not fool himself.

Judaism is as diametrically opposed to Christianity and others, as truth is to falsehood. Judaism’s primary tenets are: God alone retains all focus, God is not physical, nothing else [read “man”] is to be deified, and no other religion is truth. The Church has the opposite opinion on all four tenets. With nothing at all in common, all talk is interfaith "monologue". The very need to engage other religions in dialogue is a glaring stain on Judaism. We know through intelligence that God’s words are true: we need absolutely no human validation, nor do we recognize other religions as God’s word. All dialogue is futile, it hurts Judaism, and it teaches our children a false lesson.

But since Jews have sunken to treasure alien accolades over the pursuit of God’s truth, there exists a preponderance of Jewish leaders who are suddenly “surprised” at the Church’s prayers, and feel the need that they recognize us.

We don’t need recognition from anyone except God. Our Jewish leaders simply don’t know what Judaism is. They lack the courage which only a true Torah student possesses, as they seek damaging, human acceptance at the forfeiture of God’s words and His mandate that we lead others.
For many of today’s Jew, sadly, God’s word is second to that of the Church.