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Why can't you just say God? Is it really that hard?

God God God God God God God God God God!!!

Oh no!!!!

We are in a guild that is about the beliefs of the Jewish people in God. Just use God. It is not like you are going to be damned to hell for it.

It's that whole commandment thing. That "Thou shalt not use the Lord's name in vain."

It's custom and tradition to write the Lord's name as G-D or HASHEM. HASHEM being the equivalant alias in hebrew. In prayer we use AD-NAI as oppsed to HASHEM to main good on the commandment.

But if you don't feel like writing out G-D and wish to go with your way, that's fine, who am I to tell you different? I'm just explaining what I do, and what others do, it doesn't mean I want or expect you to do it. That would be rude of me to make such a demand.

stare

Dern those commandments inconveincing people!

And you know Perks, that question wasn't directed towards me, but I was raised up Christian. I was not very observant, but I attended church every once in awhile with friends.
I'm not trying to convince you of anything, but I personally don't think ignorance towards Christianity is a reason to not convert to Judaism. If your soul messes more with another religion, why should it matter how educated of a Christian you are? I started with musings too...

I see...Well whatever floats your boat!

I think he was just saying that.

And oh my gosh! It's really hard...I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't willing to learn thousands of years worth of history, traditions, and language. It's like climbing to the very top of the empire state building. I'm in the basement dude. xp

Aww well shucks! One cookie at a time! whee

It's tough, but I'm certainly not complaining. At least I'm happy and having fun, unlike prior religions that made me feel like an outcast because I have short hair and dress how I want. *Whispers* Which may include jeans! *GASP*

I'm continually attracted to Judaism's emphasis on all-inclusiveness: all Jews, whether born Jewish or converted, are JEWS. Judaism is a religion, but Yisrael (the entire descent-group plus converts, who are considered adopted in) is a family. If a Jew does something wrong, no Jew says, "You're not a real Jew." They say, "You've made a mistake." Most of the time, they also add, "And I'd like to help you figure out how to correct it, or at least not make the same mistake again."

I'm attracted by its emphasis on knowledge, on each individual being as fully educated in the religious customs, traditions, laws, histories, thought patterns, and culture. There's no one saying that a person shouldn't learn everything that Judaism has ever taught or espoused or done.

We record our "dirty laundry" in our Bible, not just our shining moments: we show the world our mistakes in order that they, and we, can learn from them, rather than sweeping them under the rug or denying that they took place. We recorded Cain's story, not just Abel's; we recorded King David's murder and adultery, and his repentence from those horrible acts, as well as his embracing of true Torah ways and values and his subsequent successful leadership of the nation. We're honest this way.

We encourage our children and potential converts to ask questions, challenge the authorities, to look for things that will be difficult for them within Judaism. We know that keeping the 613 commandments is hard on those who were born to it and reared with them from birth, and we know that if someone has to come to these things later in life as a convert or as a Jew who's embracing Judaism for the first time because they didn't get that Jewish education as a child, IT IS HARD. We acknowledge that it's hard. We make bloody sure that before someone willingly accepts the yoke of the commandments, they know what they'll be promising, and that they know it's lifelong, no matter what, irreversible. And if someone says, "Hey, this is just too much," we say, "Yes, but that's okay. You don't have to be bound to all the things that we're bound to; Hashem respects you just as much for observing the seven Noachide laws as he respects us for observing the 613 -- and even if you disobey ALL the laws, Hashem still loves you."

Judaism is based in logic; indeed, our daily prayers spell out plainly the exact manner of Biblical exegesis, of elucidating not only what the Torah says, but what it means by it. Faith is lovely, but we acknowledge that it's also hard: what matters for us is not what we believe, but how we choose to interact with the rest of the world. Believe what you will, says Hashem -- but act with integrity and kindness. We focus on repairing the cracks in this world, uncovering the sparks of divinity in everything and setting them free: not because doing the wrong thing will earn us punishment, or because doing the right thing will earn us reward, but because they ARE the right things. Carrot-and-stick theology is for those without an internal moral compass that impels them to do kindness and act justly.

We believe in no hell. If you hit me, then I can forgive you -- not because you cut yourself and bled to apologize, or because you cut up another living being as an apology, but simply because forgiveness is within my nature, and because if you hurt me, clearly you are in need of both discipline (not punishment, but rather, education) and compassion. Why, we ask as Jews, should we think that Hashem is incapable of forgiveness on that same basis?

As a matter of fact, I could've answered yes, without saying all the rest of this, but then you wouldn't know how powerful the attraction is. I wasn't given a Jewish education as a child at all. In a very strong sense, I did choose Judaism after not being raised with it. It wasn't spoonfed to me in infancy -- I've had to learn as an adult the things that any Jew should have the right to learn in diapers and in grade school. I'm glad I got to experience the thrill of learning just the same as any convert, with the security of knowing that yes, I'm Chosen too.

(And by the way, Judaism teaches that a convert was born with a Jewish soul as well as a non-Jewish soul. Conversion simply 'activates' the Jewish part of one's soul which has been sleeping but dreaming of being awake.)

You're Chosen too, Kingpin. You know how there are twelve tribes of Israel? Well, I've heard a midrash that there are actually thirteen. See, Ya'akov had twelve sons, and one daughter. Remember Dinah? She was either force, or voluntarily lay with (depending on your translation), the prince of Shechem. Her brothers got all mad and went and slaughtered the men of that city. Interestingly, not once in the entire Torah, not even in the story in which she is absolutely central, does Dinah speak. We never hear the words of Dinah. Did she not speak, or did her brothers and father simply not listen to what she said? We don't know. Later we learn that she's left the family, and then we never hear of her again.

That midrash that I heard, says that converts are simply the children of Dinah, coming back home to rejoin the family from where they've been scattered.