Jewish Schools Teach About God
Last week an article in the paper caught my attention, namely that Jewish day schools are beginning to train teachers to talk about God in their classrooms. Religious education in these schools "usually covers areas such as holidays, rituals, and liturgical or modern Hebrew." (Lawrence Ziffer, executive VP of the Center For Jewish Education) The article goes on to say that Judaism does not require adherence to specific doctrines, rather actions are important. (Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, San Francisco) He says further that God is "ultimately, utterly unknowable."
As an evangelical Christian I couldn't help but wonder how it is possible to talk about being Jewish or teaching Jewish traditions and history without mentioning the God who called and made them a people? While I have no objection to teaching behavior and ethics from a spiritual perspective, whatever happened to the God of Israel and the challenge from the prophets to "seek and worship God."
Lest I become too critical of these of a different religious faith, I also need to look inward and see what Christianity is teaching, or more specifically, what we are communicating to the world.
Question 1: Is it better to live and act and speak good things with little attention paid to God or to acknowledge God and live and act and speak as if He were not? In other words, is it better to be a Christian by faith but continue to be self-centered and live with no sense of integrity in your daily life or to have little faith but dedicate your life to the cause of justice, righteousness, and service to your fellow man?
Obviously the answer is both-and. If I have faith and desire to honor God, I WILL live my life with integrity, morality, and seeking the betterment of all mankind, without setting God aside.
Question 2: Is it more Godly to point out the sins of others and denounce what we consider "evil" or to love the "sinners" of the world who support things we consider evil and speak positively on behalf of the gospel?
Again obviously, the answer is to love all people, even those opposed to what I believe and think is right.
Perhaps if the Christian church would spend more time loving and affirming the good and less time comdemning the bad, we might get a hearing from the world. And if we participate in good things in our community, live out the command of the gospel to love, perhaps we will also be able to talk about the God whom we serve.
It is a surprise to me that a Jewish school would not teach about God.
May it not be a surprise to the world that Christians stand not only for the right but also for God who came in Jesus Christ.
What do you think?
Charlie
Last week an article in the paper caught my attention, namely that Jewish day schools are beginning to train teachers to talk about God in their classrooms. Religious education in these schools "usually covers areas such as holidays, rituals, and liturgical or modern Hebrew." (Lawrence Ziffer, executive VP of the Center For Jewish Education) The article goes on to say that Judaism does not require adherence to specific doctrines, rather actions are important. (Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, San Francisco) He says further that God is "ultimately, utterly unknowable."
As an evangelical Christian I couldn't help but wonder how it is possible to talk about being Jewish or teaching Jewish traditions and history without mentioning the God who called and made them a people? While I have no objection to teaching behavior and ethics from a spiritual perspective, whatever happened to the God of Israel and the challenge from the prophets to "seek and worship God."
Lest I become too critical of these of a different religious faith, I also need to look inward and see what Christianity is teaching, or more specifically, what we are communicating to the world.
Question 1: Is it better to live and act and speak good things with little attention paid to God or to acknowledge God and live and act and speak as if He were not? In other words, is it better to be a Christian by faith but continue to be self-centered and live with no sense of integrity in your daily life or to have little faith but dedicate your life to the cause of justice, righteousness, and service to your fellow man?
Obviously the answer is both-and. If I have faith and desire to honor God, I WILL live my life with integrity, morality, and seeking the betterment of all mankind, without setting God aside.
Question 2: Is it more Godly to point out the sins of others and denounce what we consider "evil" or to love the "sinners" of the world who support things we consider evil and speak positively on behalf of the gospel?
Again obviously, the answer is to love all people, even those opposed to what I believe and think is right.
Perhaps if the Christian church would spend more time loving and affirming the good and less time comdemning the bad, we might get a hearing from the world. And if we participate in good things in our community, live out the command of the gospel to love, perhaps we will also be able to talk about the God whom we serve.
It is a surprise to me that a Jewish school would not teach about God.
May it not be a surprise to the world that Christians stand not only for the right but also for God who came in Jesus Christ.
What do you think?
Charlie
posted by Charlie | 8:19 AM
1 Comments:
**Perhaps if the Christian church would spend more time loving and affirming the good and less time comdemning the bad, we might get a hearing from the world. And if we participate in good things in our community, live out the command of the gospel to love, perhaps we will also be able to talk about the God whom we serve.**
Well said! Thank you!
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