Why would God choose only one people?

Question

it makes more sense to me that the Divine expression would manifest in as many ways as there are people on the earth~ and infinitely throughout the universe.

Answer 1

I think the answer lies in historical context. As I understand it, a group of people came to believe that rather than many gods there might just be one. So those people who recognized one God banded together, and became known as Israelites, and all this got written into a book called the Old Testament. These people intermarried and become a people called the Jews. And then Jesus arrived and spread the idea that God loves every individual, that anyone who chooses to accept God is in the special fold. Some people felt that Jesus' message was so perfect that he was the long-hoped-for Messiah. Certain Jews went with this and become Christians, and others did not and remained Jews. And still other people were none of these things are retained indigenous religious values -- Hinduism, for example, seems to me to be largely a collection of varying spritual practices.

I suspect my answer won't work for people who think that the holy books were handed down fully-formed and perfect. But the key to understanding and peace, I think, is trying to understand where others come from.

I always find that the difficult part about understanding religion is clinging to the beauty of its ideals without being sidetracked by the human need for rules and absolutes. I think you are quite right that "Divine expression would manifest in as many ways as there are people on the earth and infinitely throughout the universe."

Answer 2

The concept of being 'chosen' that I most like is the one that says that Jews were chosen by G-d to follow a particular path. Other religions and other people have their own paths, which are just as valid and important.

I also subscribe to the idea that there are many ways of being Jewish, so even describing it as a path (singular) is too limiting.

Judaism teaches that each person is like a universe, which works well with the diversity of Divine expression you suggest. Makes sense to me too -- these two ideas are not necessarily incompatible.

Chosenness as such is about a reciprocal relationship between G-d and person/people. (Community is so vitally important to Judaism that the plural is a better fit.) It's about the responsibility to community and society that one takes on as a Jew.

Answer 3

Think about it; all the ancient religions taught that the universe had no beginning,... but one. Some taught that gods came out of sort of a watery substance and that the earth was made through great upheavals and violence between the gods.

The Jews were part of 12 tribes. But they were chosen because of their faith in God. There is a long history for this issue. My suggestion is to read the Old Testament and get to know what it says. That way you will have a better understanding of this issue.

Answer 4

GOD choose all people Israel(is-ra-el) is a hebrew word for people following GOD not a singular race mans hatred for man has created a need to be right and all others to be wrong funny thing doing a little research shows that JEWS MUSLIMS andCHRISTIANS have the same GOD the monolistic GOD of Abraham(Abram) the difference is that MUSLIMS believe Abraham took Ishmael to the alter at least that's were the differences started then different Messiahs or in the case of JEWS the lack of one

Answer 5

God had a "chosen people" in Bible Times because they were the ones that were the most important/reverent towards him. The Isrealites were his chosen people, the Jews. But then Jesus came to Earth, and died on the cross, and God showed Peter in a dream that he did not have to follow the Jewish law, that he was saved by faith. Now there is no officially chosen people of God, all are welcome to accept him. Anyone can choose to belive that Jesus is God's son, that he died for our sins, and confess and repent from the sins they have committed, and be free of sin, part of God's family and promised an eternal home in Heaven.

Answer 6

The Jews were YHWH's chosen people, because he was the national god of Israel. In those days, every state was a theocracy with its own national god.

The reason Judaism became popular was because they wrote it down, whereas most others didn't. Then when Christianity came along and became the official religion of the Roman empire, the Old Testament got a free ride.

Answer 7

Because we are supposed to all be one of the same - Notice that most religions have ONE GOD - it doesnt matter what his name is - we know it is HIM. Just because we speak different languages does not mean we are not into the same GOD... there might be a few variations as far as how the whole Adam and Eve saga went and the stories of the bible... but the principle is pretty much the same. It is the fanatics that cause the rest of the world so much pain and suffering.

Answer 8

You are absolutely correct .. one thing that must happen if the world is to ever find peace is that the entire "god's chosen" thing has to go away. The Jews are my favorite example of it .. they have been persecuted for being Jews for 6,000 years and seem confused about it. They just cannot figure out that people get sort of really offended by all that "god's chosen" stuff.

Answer 9

People are different all around the world because of evolution. God didn't make people. They evolved to fit the natural elements of the area's where they originated from. It just so happens that we now live in a world where people are able to travel and move as they please and those characteristics aren't as important. Maybe in a couple hundred year's people won't all be so different.

Answer 10

God will accept anyone who believe in one God .Please understand that there may be many religions but the basic message is the same i-e "God is One"....In every age God has sent his messengers to spread his message ...... and if those people followed that messenger would be saved..... now as a Muslim i believe in Moses , Jesus ,Ibraham (peace upon them all) .....but Quran says that prophethood has ended now with the last messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him)... and Quran also tells us that all the messengers were Muslims ....and only religion acceptable to God is Islam ......
Islam does not mean that believeing in one God and Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a messenger .....it does not end here ...Muslims have to believe more less 124000 prophets that were sent to earth (by name only 25 are mentioned in Quran) .....including Jesus and Moses ...
So ..the point is ....all the messengers and the holy books spread the same message ...but got corrupted by the time ....but not Quran ...so we should now follow Islam and Quran ...