Why do Jewish scholars consider the Christian Trinity to be Idolatry ?

Question

Jewish Ruling concerning Christianity :

"...according to the known Jewish ruling that Christians are idol worshippers." (Likkutei Sichos 37:198)


http://www.noahide.com/infiltration/xmas.htm

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Jewish Ruling concerning Islam :

[36] Maimonides, Responsa, 448

The Muslims [Ishmaelim] are not in any way idolators. [Idolatry] has already been removed from their mouths and their hearts, and they unify G-d in the appropriate manner without any admixture [of idolatrous beliefs].

http://www.chiefrabbi.org/dd/sources/source36.html

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Answer 1

The Christian idea of trinity is an idolatry for Jews to believe in;

however most Jewish scholars would say that, for a non-Jew it's not optimal, but it's an acceptable "mistake," since Christians still acknowledge God's oneness.

Answer 2

The Jewish people had at one time dealt in Idolatry and they stopped that after they returned from Babylonian Exile. Jews have never accepted the Trinity doctrine, and rightly so. The Trinity was created 300 years after The Death of Jesus. How can you Blame the Jewish people for not seeing thru this Nonsense.
Another thing this Questioner is trying to Promote the Islamic Religion, They may not believe in a Trinity, but their Founder is just as Guilty with beheading 700 Jewish men in his early Years.

Answer 3

Yeah, that didn't really look like a question. But I will add that there is some machlokes (disagreement) amongst the poskim (Jewish legal authorities) as to where Christianity stands. All agree that it is not pure monotheism. But where some would classify it as straight polytheistic idolatry, some consider this practice of shituf (lit. "patnership," ascribing a "helper" to G-d) as being erroneous, but still a step up from traditional paganism, and acceptable for gentiles as leading from avodah zarah (idolatrous worship) to true monotheism, but of course forbidden to Jews, who, from our experience at Sinai, should know better. Those who hold by the latter opinion would probably consider Christianity valid vis-a-vis the Noachide Laws. It is more widely agreed that Islam is valid as a Noachide religion. Of course, a true Ben Noach who doesn't compromise on the existence of one and only one G-d, and who keeps the covenant G-d established with Noah, is considered to be in a better spiritual position. I hope this helps further clarify the issue.

Answer 4

1. God is not a man, as it says in several places in the Torah.

2. The trinity puts a man (Jesus) into God as a part of God.

3. God is one, according to the Torah. Not 3 in 1, not 2 in 1, ONE. To divide God up like a pie is idolatry.

4. The Muslims worship the same God as we do, they just call him Allah, which comes from the Arabic for EL, which is an old Hebrew name for God, still used today Elohim, etc. The Muslims do not divide God up into 3, nor do they make God a man, nor man into God, nor do they insert a man into God.

The idea that the Muslims worship a moon god is false. The idea came about decades ago when during an archealogical exploration in the Middle East, a site of an ancient mosque was found, and there were also found altars to a moon god.

The altars to the moon god were actually on a LOWER strata than the mosque - the mosque had been built on TOP of the former pagan temple that was there, as is very common for building of religious temples all over the world to do.

However, it got twisted over the years to be that the mosque actually had the altar to the moon god IN it, and people just started repeating it like it was true, until eventually it was accepted by those who never bothered to research it and find out for themselves.

When both the Jews and the Muslims in the Middle East started hearing about this idea, BOTH were shocked. Both knew that the Muslims don't worship a moon god.

According to both Jewish and Muslim law, a Jew may say his prayers in a mosque in the case that he cannot find a synagogue, (maybe he is travelling or whatever)
because there is no idolatry there.

The same for a Muslim, he may say his prayers in a synagogue if he cannot find a mosque, because there is no idolatry there. However, neither a Jew nor a Muslim may enter a church because of the idolatry of the doctrines of that religion.

And it's not just Jewish scholars that find that Christians are idol worshippers. Jews who know Torah know this to be true, in all sections of the Jewish community.

EDIT 2: Oh yes, and I should add that it is idolatry to put anything or anyone in front of God (before God) to have to go through to get to God. We are to go directly to God, and Judaism believes that every person has that capability. The Messiah in Judaism is not God, and is not to be worshipped as God, and is not a person to have to go through to get to God. That is another reason why Christianity is idolatry for Jews.

EDIT: To those who say we don't understand our own scriptures, or that we are blind, you're about as ignorant as it gets.

Answer 5

Because it's, well, a trinity. As in, it divides God into three parts.

Even if you say that it's just three "aspects", Christianity says that one of those aspects is/was a human being. It also says that God had a son. Judaism says that God is indivisible, incorporeal, and has no relatives. You can see the conflict here.

Answer 6

You don't mention how the two quotes go together (since they're apparently from different sources). The first probably refers to the use by the early Church of statues. Since you don't give enough of the quote, I can't say. The first link has to do with "creating holidays", which has nothing to do with the Trinity.

Answer 7

Because they do not understand the scriptures God gave them. There are examples of the trinity in the Old Testament. But God is true to His word, they will not understand the stumbling stone. They were prophesied not to understand it.

Just to make sure you are reading what I am actually writing I will write it another way:
God told the Jews that as a nation they would not understand AND reject the Messiah. he promised them that.

And they do not as a nation know him.

God promised it to them that they wouldn't, literally.

And neither do the Muslims.

Answer 8

Well, of course the problem with your question is that we can cite Jewish scholars that DID believe in the concept of the triune God (1x1x1+1).

Paul for one - a Jewish scholar who wrote extensively about his beliefs in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (1x1x1=1God)-- much of the New Testament, in fact.

Not to mention the first 12 disciples, all of whom were Jewish "scholars" studying under Jesus Christ himself.

Read the first chapter of the Book of John and see what this Jewish scholar believed about the concept of the Trinity.

In the year 2000, 160 Jewish leaders signed a document listing 8 major points of commonality between Jewish and Christian beliefs. No mention here of the Trinity being idolatry, although the statement offers that there is a "humanly irreconcilable difference" between the two religions (the online article did not cite what this difference was).

"Chief authors of the statement were Tikva Frymer-Kensky, professor of Hebrew Bible at Chicago University Divinity School; Rabbi David Novak, professor of Jewish studies at the University of Toronto; Peter W. Ochs, professor of modern Judaic studies at the University of Virginia; and Rabbi Michael A. Signer, professor of Jewish thought and culture at the University of Notre Dame," and also stating, "We believe it is time for Jews to learn about the efforts of Christians to honor Judaism," it adds. "We believe it is time for Jews to reflect on what Judaism may now say about Christianity." ( 2000 National Catholic Reporter).

Could this mean that Jewish leaders are actually more open to conversation about God than you would like people to believe?

But for all that, I am a Christian, and I believe what the scriptures say about God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They all co-exist in ONE God --not 1+1+1=3, but 1x1x1=1 God.

And with all due respect, nothing written by Maimonides is going to influence me, when Jesus himself said, "I and the Father are ONE," as well as other claims to His deity including John 8:54-58, which says:

54Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. 56Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."
57"You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"
58"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I AM!"

So how was Jesus "I AM" before the time of Abraham? Because Jesus and God are ONE. Here Christ used the same name of God that God told Moses was His name. If you believe Jesus is a prophet, then aren't you supposed to accept what he says?

And what about this prophecy from Isaiah 9:6, written hundreds of years before Christ was born?
"6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, [a] Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

When was God born? When Jesus, God-with-us, was born into the world taking on human flesh.

And before you start saying the scriptures are corrupted, it has already been proven by countless scholars that the scriptures are authentic, valid and reliably translated from the original documents. Saying that they have been "corrupted" does not make it true, no matter how many times you say it.

Peace and grace to you, in the Name (note the singular?) of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 1x1x1=1 !!

Answer 9

Stop trying to make us sound like we hate Christianity and cuddle up to Islam. No one believes you and we don't play favorites.

Answer 10

Jews consider the trinity idolatry because they do not understand it. The trinity is not three gods. It is one God that exists simultaneously in three forms.