HaRaAYaH

You are quoting right out of his article which is so filled with falsehoods and distortions to render it meaningless. If you are truly interested in the truth, I suggest you find a copy of The Shulcan Aruch which is the code of Jewish Law accepted by the majority of Orthodox Jews and look up what it says in reference to the laws you are quoting. You will see Jewish Law is not in accordance with author's claim.

gnosis92

What do you mean by Jewish Law?

While I cannot comment on the Talmud, if by Jewish Law you mean the OT and Torah, it is full of commandments to commit genocide and murder. There are plenty of lists of atrocities here at iidb in the OT.

HaRaAYaH

This is a common misunderstanding of Judaism and the OT. Neither the Torah nor the Talmud can be consulted in a matter of Jewish Law. The laws of Judaism were codified and written down in the Shulcan Aruch. You cannot read the OT and say that's what Judaism teaches. You go to the Talmud and it's commentaries for an explanation of the biblical text and the Shulcan Aruch is a compendium of Jewish Law.

ChandraRama

At a quick glance, I see that the text is written in 16th century. All religious texts go under continuous modifications reinterpretations to suit the prevailing environment.

If you read Hartung's article, you would know he has no animosity towards Judaism (neither I am). It is just an academic approach to the evolution of the morality (taking Judaic texts as an example) which starts as ingroup morality and later expanded to universal one.

16th century interpreation proves Hartung. rather than disprove him.

HaRaAYaH

How in God's name does it prove him? Look up Jewish Law and find the answer for yourself. Hint. Jewish Law is in direct opposition to what he says. But if you are interested in the truth, you will seek it. Otherwise you are spreading lies.

ChandraRama

:huh:

gnosis92

So what exactly is the relationship between Torah and Judaism -- I thought Judaism regarded Torah as the words God dictated to Moses on Sinai.

Do you think his criticism of the Torah and OT is valid?

HaRaAYaH

It is, subject to the interpretation of Jewish tradition.

Absolutely, in a Jewish context. In other words, you don't read a verse out of the OT and decide for yourself what it means and what Judaism says about it. You need to look at the way Judaism deals with the text and what it says the text means. Jews not only question the text, they question God.

Pseudo-Deity

Kevin MacDonald is somewhat infamous for his views of Judaism as a "group evolutionary strategy". I'm not particularly adverse to the idea that behavioral traits can be informed to a degree by heredity, however I find the nature of his specific claims about the Jews rather cartoonish and unrealistic. John Derbyshire wrote a review of Kevin MacDonald's latest book on the Jews, "The Culture of Critique" for The American Conservative in which I found agreement with much of his criticsm of MacDonald.

ChandraRama

why dont you send your comments to Hartung and get his replies?