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 Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:57 am
After browsing around through some things at my Rabbi's office (I do volunteer work with him, so I end up there a lot) I got curious about something.
In your opinion, do you think Judaism is a religion that is allowed to evolve as societies change, technologies change, and times change? Are all things in Judaism locked in stone, or do some become obsolete, and new ones become necessary?
In short, can Judaism as a religion evolve, and still be considered Judaism, or must it remain the same?
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:07 am
Some things have already evolved. Women don't wear burkas anymore, but we still have to be tznius.
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:43 pm
Judaism can evolve in a sense, as long as it follows the laws set in the Torah. The only real evolution that can possibly fill that criteria is new halahot that arise as new technology is made. For example: Heart transplants, TV, cars, cigarettes, etc - did not exist once upon a time. Can they be used, or not? If so, how, why, and when? The rules in the Torah STAY THE SAME, and the conclusion will be based on those rules... Those Judaism will evolve to meet the answers to these problems. Judaism will not, however, change and drop out certain mitzvot...
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:49 pm
I think it can change, but I also think that with those changes there has to be a point where it stops to prevent it from assimilating into other cultures.
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 5:35 pm
nathan_ngl Judaism can evolve in a sense, as long as it follows the laws set in the Torah. The only real evolution that can possibly fill that criteria is new halahot that arise as new technology is made. For example: Heart transplants, TV, cars, cigarettes, etc - did not exist once upon a time. Can they be used, or not? If so, how, why, and when? The rules in the Torah STAY THE SAME, and the conclusion will be based on those rules... Those Judaism will evolve to meet the answers to these problems. Judaism will not, however, change and drop out certain mitzvot... I agree very much with Nathan, though sometimes I get upset with people who take the bible so litterally, when it was written a very long time ago, and a lot of things have changed. I think Judaism has been accommodating to change and such, and will change if it needs to, but still follow the Torah, like Nathan said, and this is respectable. I have a question about technology though: Shabbat Elevators. I just don't understand the things. We don't have them here, but when I was looking for hotels in Israel, I noticed "Shabbat elevators" a lot in Kosher hotels. What are they?
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 5:41 pm
kingpinsqeezels I have a question about technology though: Shabbat Elevators. I just don't understand the things. We don't have them here, but when I was looking for hotels in Israel, I noticed "Shabbat elevators" a lot in Kosher hotels. What are they? The whole problem with normal elevators is that you cannot press the buttons to tell the elevator which floor you want to stop on. So on shabbat, the elevators are set to 'automatic', meaning it automatically closes after 30 seconds or so, and stops at every floor - that way people who can't go up the stairs can still use the elevator - It only take a bit longer. It larger hotels, which usually have 2-3 elevators, one elevator goes on odd numbers, the other goes on even, and the third is manual (for anyone who doesn't keep shabbat) 3nodding
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:26 pm
nathan_ngl kingpinsqeezels I have a question about technology though: Shabbat Elevators. I just don't understand the things. We don't have them here, but when I was looking for hotels in Israel, I noticed "Shabbat elevators" a lot in Kosher hotels. What are they? The whole problem with normal elevators is that you cannot press the buttons to tell the elevator which floor you want to stop on. So on shabbat, the elevators are set to 'automatic', meaning it automatically closes after 30 seconds or so, and stops at every floor - that way people who can't go up the stairs can still use the elevator - It only take a bit longer. It larger hotels, which usually have 2-3 elevators, one elevator goes on odd numbers, the other goes on even, and the third is manual (for anyone who doesn't keep shabbat) 3nodding How is riding an elevator differen't from pushing buttons though?
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:45 pm
And now I find myself unable to continue the discussion intelligently. sad
I've never been able to read the Torah, nor any Jewish religious material. It wasn't safe to own such materials where I lived, although maybe now I can get my hands on some stuff.
Anywho: Why do you say the Torah won't ever change?
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 8:40 pm
Dis Domnu And now I find myself unable to continue the discussion intelligently. sad I've never been able to read the Torah, nor any Jewish religious material. It wasn't safe to own such materials where I lived, although maybe now I can get my hands on some stuff. Anywho: Why do you say the Torah won't ever change? Well let me ask you some questions. Where did you live that it was not safe? What is the meaning of your signature? I guess I think that the Torah won't ever change because it hasn't yet. Look at the bible, look at how it has been raped over the years to be used in benefit of the Christians! (The bad ones. I don't believe all of them are horrible.) I believe if the Jewish people are still happy with what the Torah has to say, why change it? Unlike the "Christians", most of us have no ulterior motives. Most of us, some Christians.
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 8:48 pm
kingpinsqeezels Dis Domnu And now I find myself unable to continue the discussion intelligently. sad I've never been able to read the Torah, nor any Jewish religious material. It wasn't safe to own such materials where I lived, although maybe now I can get my hands on some stuff. Anywho: Why do you say the Torah won't ever change? Well let me ask you some questions. Where did you live that it was not safe? What is the meaning of your signature? I guess I think that the Torah won't ever change because it hasn't yet. Look at the bible, look at how it has been raped over the years to be used in benefit of the Christians! (The bad ones. I don't believe all of them are horrible.) I believe if the Jewish people are still happy with what the Torah has to say, why change it? Unlike the "Christians", most of us have no ulterior motives. Most of us, some Christians. My signature is a running thing between Omnileech of the ED-P and I. Or, it was, until he started doing his Carmen Sandiago thing, so I might as well change it back to what it used to be. Where I lived that wasn't safe? A little town called Delhi, New York.
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:20 pm
Dis Domnu kingpinsqeezels Dis Domnu And now I find myself unable to continue the discussion intelligently. sad I've never been able to read the Torah, nor any Jewish religious material. It wasn't safe to own such materials where I lived, although maybe now I can get my hands on some stuff. Anywho: Why do you say the Torah won't ever change? Well let me ask you some questions. Where did you live that it was not safe? What is the meaning of your signature? I guess I think that the Torah won't ever change because it hasn't yet. Look at the bible, look at how it has been raped over the years to be used in benefit of the Christians! (The bad ones. I don't believe all of them are horrible.) I believe if the Jewish people are still happy with what the Torah has to say, why change it? Unlike the "Christians", most of us have no ulterior motives. Most of us, some Christians. My signature is a running thing between Omnileech of the ED-P and I. Or, it was, until he started doing his Carmen Sandiago thing, so I might as well change it back to what it used to be. Where I lived that wasn't safe? A little town called Delhi, New York. Why are they so anti-semetic? And why is it tolerated if it's so horrible?
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:22 pm
kingpinsqeezels Dis Domnu kingpinsqeezels Dis Domnu And now I find myself unable to continue the discussion intelligently. sad I've never been able to read the Torah, nor any Jewish religious material. It wasn't safe to own such materials where I lived, although maybe now I can get my hands on some stuff. Anywho: Why do you say the Torah won't ever change? Well let me ask you some questions. Where did you live that it was not safe? What is the meaning of your signature? I guess I think that the Torah won't ever change because it hasn't yet. Look at the bible, look at how it has been raped over the years to be used in benefit of the Christians! (The bad ones. I don't believe all of them are horrible.) I believe if the Jewish people are still happy with what the Torah has to say, why change it? Unlike the "Christians", most of us have no ulterior motives. Most of us, some Christians. My signature is a running thing between Omnileech of the ED-P and I. Or, it was, until he started doing his Carmen Sandiago thing, so I might as well change it back to what it used to be. Where I lived that wasn't safe? A little town called Delhi, New York. Why are they so anti-semetic? And why is it tolerated if it's so horrible?
That's what I was wondering...
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Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 10:27 am
kingpinsqeezels Dis Domnu kingpinsqeezels Dis Domnu And now I find myself unable to continue the discussion intelligently. sad I've never been able to read the Torah, nor any Jewish religious material. It wasn't safe to own such materials where I lived, although maybe now I can get my hands on some stuff. Anywho: Why do you say the Torah won't ever change? Well let me ask you some questions. Where did you live that it was not safe? What is the meaning of your signature? I guess I think that the Torah won't ever change because it hasn't yet. Look at the bible, look at how it has been raped over the years to be used in benefit of the Christians! (The bad ones. I don't believe all of them are horrible.) I believe if the Jewish people are still happy with what the Torah has to say, why change it? Unlike the "Christians", most of us have no ulterior motives. Most of us, some Christians. My signature is a running thing between Omnileech of the ED-P and I. Or, it was, until he started doing his Carmen Sandiago thing, so I might as well change it back to what it used to be. Where I lived that wasn't safe? A little town called Delhi, New York. Why are they so anti-semetic? And why is it tolerated if it's so horrible? I don't know why, they were like that when my family moved there. And it's tolerated, I'd assume, because the people capable of putting it down (the local authorities, and whatnot) are just as bigoted as the people who they'd be stopping.
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Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 2:18 pm
Dis Domnu I don't know why, they were like that when my family moved there. And it's tolerated, I'd assume, because the people capable of putting it down (the local authorities, and whatnot) are just as bigoted as the people who they'd be stopping. What a horrible place to be forced into. I live someplace where people think bigotry is a big joke, so it doesn't matter if you make fun of someone for being different. It's normally all jokingly, but people are still stupid.
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Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 5:16 pm
kingpinsqeezels Dis Domnu I don't know why, they were like that when my family moved there. And it's tolerated, I'd assume, because the people capable of putting it down (the local authorities, and whatnot) are just as bigoted as the people who they'd be stopping. What a horrible place to be forced into. I live someplace where people think bigotry is a big joke, so it doesn't matter if you make fun of someone for being different. It's normally all jokingly, but people are still stupid. Well, I'm out of there now. Got a meeting with the local Rabbi to do some Torah study this Thursday. Err, back on topic, what was I talking about again? I seem to have lost the train of my own thread.
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