When Jews say they are God's chosen people, do they mean they are superior to non Jews?

Question

Lili girl - This question was not meant to be offensive. I am not anti semitic, I am just asking something I did not know. It is called "Yahoo Answers"...Please do not reprimand me...

Answer 1

there are two meanings to the word chosen and BOTH apply to the Jews

the Jews WERE CHOSEN BY G-d to be the people of the Torah and have them follow the Laws

and the Jews HAVE CHOSEN TO BE the people of the Torah and follow G-d's Laws

thus....the Jews are the Chosen people




now....do the Jew's think that we are better than anyone else?

NO

just look at the Noachide laws....they tell you that all of the rightous of the earth will earn a place in the world to come as long as you follow the 7 Laws of Noah

gentiles do NOT have to be Jews to have a place in the world to come

now, let's compare that to the christians who believe that only other christians get that honor

so NOW who thinks who is superior?
hmmm?

methinks it's the christians with the superiority complex, and NOT the Jews

Answer 2

Yes. Obviously!

That's the deal. If one people is chosen, all others are not - or else "chosen" ceases to mean anything.

It's no different than the claims made by any religion, although the Abrahamic faiths are more explicit about it than others. If you believe that your particular religion is essential to your salvation, it stands to reason that all outsiders are damned. At least, very few "religious" people are so liberal as to imagine that all religions are equally valid "ways to the center;" and of course organized religion as an institution is always militantly opposed to such compromise. In exactly the same way, Coke will always insist it's superior to Pepsi!

P.S. I knew I'd get thumbs down for this. And yet I really would like to know how anybody could possibly contradict anything I've said! Are the Jews then NOT the "chosen," according to the faith? Are Christians not "chosen" according to theirs? Explain to me - please! - how I'm incorrect.

P.P.S. - to "RW" - no, Judaism has no official eternal "hell" or "devil." But do I really need to cite all the passages in the Torah that stress the supremacy of IHVH over all other gods, thus the supremacy of His Chosen over all other peoples? The fact that they experienced a few thousand years of bad luck was explained by supposing that they had insulted their God through infidelity to His Commandments - but they never gave up the hypothesis! Sorry, but the Abrahamic religions are all based on this idea of exclusivity. Also note that I'm not talking about whether individual Jews today think they're "superior" as people. I'm talking about the religion from a historical perspective.

Answer 3

as said, no. jewish people do not feel they are superior to non jews.

>>" If you believe that your particular religion is necessary to your salvation, it stands to reason that all outsiders are damned. At least, very few "religious" people are so liberal as to imagine that all religions are equally valid "ways to the center;" and certainly organized religion as an institution is always militantly opposed to such compromise."<<

you win the ignorance award!

the fact is that Judaism does *not* claim to be exclusively correct, does NOT say everyone else is going to some horrible place, or anything like that. in fact most jewish people will tell you that Judaism is *a* path. that its like God is at the peak of a mountain, and that the spiritual path is the trek to get to the top of that mountain. that there are many different paths. some faster, some slower, some intersecting, some sharing segments of path, ect.

remember that Judaism has no eternal hell, and no devil.

Answer 4

No they mean God chose them and God said they are the apple of His eye. Their land is God's land. God used them as an example to all mankind. If you act like they did, you will be punished like they were punished. God tells us not to make their mistakes. Salvation is of the Jews. Without a Jewish Christ we would have no Gentile chance in hades. God tells us that their Jewish eyes are slightly blinded until all the Gentile come in. After He has saved the last Gentile, then God will save a remnant of the Jews also. God has not forsaken His chosen people. He warns that some call themselves Jews and they are not. When God gets ready, all of Israel will be saved.

Answer 5

the Jews were God's chosen people to carry out His plan with the world...the plan of bringing Jesus to the world. He could have use the Babylonians or Assyrians or anyone else. but He made the covenant with Abraham and it just went on from there. The Jews have suffered badly for going agianst God numerous times...just read Judges...so they are not superior to anyone else

Answer 6

They are special to GOD yes but those of us who are not Jews are grafted in,as the Bible calls it, like with the branch of a tree or vine. We, who believe and follow GOD , are Jews inwardly.
GOD has many promises which are only to the Jews and HE has promises that are to all who believe and follow HIM. As for Israel, GOD said that HE gave it to the Jewish ppl forever. HE also said that HE planted Jerusalem with HIS whole heart and that those who blessed her HE would bless and those who cursed her HE would curse.
Yes the Jew does hold a special place with GOD and we Gentiles are responsible to take the Gospel back to them because it `came to us due to the Jews rejection of it in the first place. We owe them.

Answer 7

According to the Bible, and God himself, the Jews are God's chosen people.

Answer 8

I think that they were chosen because they needed help more than the Gentiles.

Answer 9

No they are quoting scripture.

This is not a label they gave themselves this is what God called them.

Read and study the bible. If you need help with bible study feel free to email me.

Answer 10

No.

They mean they were chosen by God to endure, to survive, to struggle, and to earn his favor every day.

I do not believe you would consider yourself to be superior had you been chosen by God as they have been.

Think before you ask such a question.