I do not understand why so many christians to not acknowledge their roots. The old testiment, or the torah as I like to call it is where your faith came from. It is what your messiah believed in and what made him what you believe him to be. Christians come from jews and their teachings from the old testiment. I just dont get why in the past there has been so much hatred towards jews when your religion stems from ours.
2006-07-09 20:08:46 · 20 answers · asked by larry j 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I've never met a christian who didn't read and believe the old testament. I also know that the main christian religions all teach the old testament. (too much I think at times, but that's my personal opinion)
I also know that Jews are held in high regard by most christian organizations and many christians feel jews should receive special treatment (or automatic salvation) since Jesus was a Jew.
I think you miss the point though. If all christians looked at was the old testament, they would be Jews, not christians.
It's the new testament that gives us the teachings of Jesus, so that's why christians concentrate on the new testament. It's the same reasons the LDS church reads the book of mormon over the bible too. Their guy is John Brown, so i'd expect them to read his teachings. The jews guy is Moses, so they read his book. The christians have Jesus, so they read his book.
Makes sense to me.
As for the persecution of the jews, that's an entire library of pages to try and explain how that happened!
2006-07-09 20:21:53 · answer #1 · answered by regmanabq 2 · 4⤊ 7⤋
Because the Hebrew Scriptures (as I like to call them) disprove most of Christendom's teachings. A large part of the Christian Greek Scriptures (New Testament) are quotes from the Old Testament. Take this short passage of scripture from Romans 10:11-21 for example:
Romans 10:11 see Isaiah 28:16
Romans 10:13 see Joel 2:32
Romans 10:15 see Isaiah 52:7
Romans 10:16 see Isaiah 53:1
Romans 10:18 see Psalm 19:4
Romans 10:19 see Deuteronomy 32:21
Romans 10:20 see Isaiah 65:1
Romans 10:21 see Isaiah 65:2
It amuses me when professed 'Christians" claim that the "Old Testament" is of no real value. Jesus regularly used the Old Testament, saying "It is written...". 2 Timothy 3:16 states that "all scriptural is...beneficial".
Although I used the terms Old and New Testament in my answer, I believe there is no such thing as the Old and New Testament. Really, it's all One Testament to God. The Bible should not be divided in such a way that one part appears more important than the other. The Hebrew portion of the Bible is just as important as the Greek portion.
The "Old Testament" is full of prophecies concerning the last days.
Isaiah 2:2-4
Joel 2:31, 32
Daniel 12:4
Micah 4:1-4
2006-07-09 20:12:18 · answer #2 · answered by johnusmaximus1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You left out the Koran. Do not forget that all of these books share the same origins. They are all Semitic religions who share some very basic concepts, like the one god idea, common genealogy-every body is descendant of Abraham, so is Muhammad-common law like the 10 commandments-with some variations-They differ not in concepts so much-they all strive to save our souls whether we want to or not-as in details and based their main differences on these details. Did Jesus rise? is Muhammad the last prophet? Is Jesus the Messiah? Now they are rivals and kill each other over important issues as the above. The old testament at best is no better than the epics of Homer. Legends laced here and there with truths, highly inaccurate in their chronology, interpreting just about everything in terms of supernatural will and a violent unforgiving petulant god(s). The Old Testament is a nice story. The story as such is not important but the moral of the story is. If you have the moral of the story there is really no need to keep referring to the original. Like the Odyssey. It took Odysseus 10 years to get home, his one and only desire. But home finally is not important. It is the Journey that counts, the places you've been, the people you met, the adventures and the knowledge you have acquired
2006-07-09 20:34:30 · answer #3 · answered by The Stainless Steel Rat 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know about other christians, but it is important to focus on the entire bible. The reason that there might be more excitment to the new testament is because THAT is the basis of christianity, Jesus giving his life for the sins of the world. It just seems interesting to me that all of the Torah explains the Messiah as someone that ONLY JESUS can fit the description of. My question is how are jews so blind to that?
2006-07-09 20:14:12 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As I understand it, the Jews do not accept the new testament and that Jesus is the messiah. Jesus fulfilled the old testament (OT). The OT is very important. The difference is Jesus set us free from the Mosaic Law and it's rituals and traditions (circumcision). In other words being physically circumcised is not going to get you into heaven. God is concerned about the circumcision of your hear. We are now able to have a personal relationship with God.
2006-07-09 20:16:49 · answer #5 · answered by ByHisGrace 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You do know some redneck out there is going to tell you "the Jews killed Christ and that's why i don't like Jews". Anyway I'm Catholic and in my church we read from both the old and the new testament. We are reminded all the time that Christ was a Jew everytime we look at a crucifix.
2006-07-09 20:27:59 · answer #6 · answered by eric p 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Holy Bible consists of both the Old and the New Testament. I think it is ridiculous of some religions to completely ignore the Old Testament.
Those two go hand and hand. The two are complimentary. Each testament supports the other.
God Bless!
2006-07-09 20:13:06 · answer #7 · answered by mx3baby 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not that they don't pay attention to it, because they do its just that Christians follow the teachings of Christ which takes place in the new testament.Because of Christs birth somethings have changed like an eye for an eye and the giving of a blood sacrifice, That's why.
2006-07-09 20:17:27 · answer #8 · answered by Brandy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is not that we pay little attention to the old testament...if it seems we pay more attention to the new testament, it is probably because that is where we read the words of Christ, the Messiah...as to why there has been hatred towards jews, part of it is plain old-fashioned ignorance...part is because the jews rejected Christ, and their leaders demanded that He be put to death for His teachings and His warnings that they were serving themselves, not God...it is truly tragic, this hatred...it has cost so many millions of lives and suffering through the ages...
2006-07-09 20:52:42 · answer #9 · answered by spike missing debra m 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are so right! Many Christians simply ignore the Old Testament because it is more difficult to understand in ways. Studying it has seriously deepened my faith and made me understand how things in Christianity came to be.
2006-07-09 20:13:09 · answer #10 · answered by darvinwallis 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the Old Testament is far too strict for them to follow, so the church has been lenient and bent the rules and the word of God to suit a modern society.
Although Xians will tell you that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament and it's covenant
2006-07-09 20:12:52 · answer #11 · answered by LadyRebecca 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋