00 Thread
On the claim that Christianity is "Just a version of Judaism".
Firstly, it is based off a false dichotomy. Namely, that Judaism was a singular entity for which Christianity could come out of. This is a lie.
On the claim that Christianity is "Just a version of Judaism".
Firstly, it is based off a false dichotomy. Namely, that Judaism was a singular entity for which Christianity could come out of. This is a lie.
01 Judaism was never a singular religion until the middle ages, and even then there's significant fracturing and rejoining. When the Romans conquered Palestine, there were actually four sects, not one. Some of these were considered Judaism proper, while others considered rejected
02 You're likely familiar with the Pharisees and Sadducees, which constituted the formal Jewish religion in Jerusalem which the Romans Recognized. From which modern Judaism grew out of. There were, however, others who had little relation to - and some an abject rejection to.
03 Zealots, for instance, were rejected by Jerusalem, but still considered Jewish rebels by Rome. And then there were the Essenes, who had long abandoned Judaism in favor for a desert cult.
04 The Essenes rejected the Temple priests and Rabbi. They rejected Judaism. They were called Jews, but they sought to make their own destiny apart from Judaism. They considered stories like Gilgamesh to be valid histories, and mapped out genealogies of pagan gods as sons of Noah
05 So to Pagans, I would ask. Are they Essenes "Jews" if they rejected Judaism? Are the Babylonians Jews if the Essenes considered them valid histories? Or are you Jews because the Essenes considered your gods real historic men?
06 The Essenes developed a trinity concept independently centuries before Jesus. It's now seriously considered that Christianity proper grew out of Essenes, rather than out of Pharisee Judaism. AKA, Christianity was NEVER part of formal Judaism.
07 But it gets better, because before Judaism even existed, there was God's covenant with Japeth that Noah bestowed upon him. A Noahic covenant which did not require circumcision, did not require no bacon, and did not require submission to Moses' law. Only Noah's.
08 It is said Christianity should be viewed as Noah's religion being perfected thanks to the Essenes. So I ask you, dear pagan. Without circumcision, without dietary laws, and without Moses' cultural laws, are Noahides Jewish? Are Essenes converting Gentiles to Noah's law Jews?
09 You tell me. Because if you want to tell me a religion that lacks circumcision, lacks dietary laws, and lacks Moses' covenant is Jewish then what exactly is Judaism to you? It sounds like Judaism is just anything you don't like, dear Pagan.
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