Criticism of Judaism
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This article deals with scholarly criticism of Judaism. For bias and/or prejudice against Judaism, see anti-Judaism.
Criticism of Judaism has existed since Judaism's formative stages, as with many other religions, on philosophical, scientific, ethical, political and theological grounds.
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[edit] Former and present members
In many religions ex-members and excommunicates became known for criticism of their former faith. In Judaism a process like excommunication is called Cherem and amongst these are critics of the faith.
The most famous might be Baruch Spinoza who was excommunicated primarily for rejecting the orthodox understanding of the Torah and its view of God. His Theologico-Political Treatise in particular rejected the idea of the Jews as a chosen people and saw the Torah as merely a kind of Jewish constitution. He further felt that Judaism allowed for little in the way of speculation or internal reflection. That the religion was "to them rather a bondage than the true liberty, the gift and grace of Deity."[1] An earlier convert of Jewish ancestry, Uriel da Costa, largely agreed and felt Judaism to be a human invention devoid of spirituality.
Israel Shahak was strongly critical of Judaism in books such as Jewish History, Jewish Religion: The Weight of Three Thousand Years.
Jewish feminism is a movement that seeks to improve the religious, legal, and social status of women within Judaism.
[edit] Criticism from Christianity
Most of the criticism towards Judaism from Christianity deals with the Jewish Messiah. Christians claim that Jesus fulfilled prophecies and requirements for the messiah in the Bible. Jews, most notably the organization Jews for Judaism, claim that Jesus did not fulfill the prophecies and requirements.[2] Examples of Messiah requirements debated are:
- Jewish heritage (Was Jesus a Jew?) Deuteronomy 17:15
- A member of the tribe of Judah (Was Jesus a member?) Genesis 49:10
- A direct male descendant of King David and King Solomon (was Jesus a direct male descendant?) 7:12-13
- He must rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (Did Jesus rebuild the temple?) 37:26-27
[edit] Criticism from Islam
The Qur'an criticizes the handling of scripture by Jews. It claims that some of the Jews and Christians pass over much of what is in their scriptures, claiming that "some of them mistranslate, or misrepresent the Bible".3:78
The Qur'an says that some Jews once thought Ezra is the son of God and hence by doing so they are "deluded away from the Truth". 9:30
Mainstream Judaism does not follow this doctrine. However there is a small Jewish sect based in Southern Yemen that believes Ezra is the Messiah.[citation needed]
[edit] Chosen people
The meaning or significance of Jews as a chosen people has been debated among the Jewish people since at least Spinoza (see above). Most denominations agree that they are in a covenant with God, but the understanding of its nature differs. According to Rabbi Shraga Simmons the idea of "chosenness" does not imply superiority, but added responsibility. [3] [4] Reconstructionist Judaism, however, in its Platform on Reconstructionism stated that chosenness is "morally untenable," because it "implies the superiority of the elect community and the rejection of others." [5] This view has been challenged even within the Reconstructionist movement [6] See also: Chosen people.
[edit] Zionism
In much of the world criticism of Judaism is linked to criticism of Zionism. As there are schools of Jewish thought that reject Zionism, and schools of Christianity that embrace it, this criticism is quite possibly confused. Still there are those who feel that Jews forced Palestinians off their land and then sought justification by claiming to be God's chosen people and/or claiming they were forced off their land by the Romans after the Jewish rebellion.
It should be mentioned that modern Zionism was primarily a secular movement whose justifications largely had nothing to do with the Talmud, Torah, or Jewish faith in general. It was based more as a reaction against European persecution and the rise in independence movements for various nationalities. For example the independence movements of the Irish, the Greeks, etc. However the association Christian Zionism makes between Israel and Judaism has helped enhance the impression that the two are inexorably linked.
[edit] Kosher animal slaughter
Kosher slaughter as a practice has attracted widespread criticism from animal welfare groups who claim that the absence of any form of anesthesia or stunning prior to the severance of the animal’s jugular vein entails prolonged and unnecessary pain. The British Farm Animal Welfare Council, an independent body which advises the British Government in matters of animal welfare, has demanded Jewish ritualistic slaughter no longer be exempted under relevant legislation, demanding that animals be subjected to stunning before slaughter. FAWC Chairwoman, Dr Judy MacArthur (herself a farmer and qualified veterinarian) has defended the organisation’s stance, criticizing her detractors by claiming that: "[Kosher slaughter involves] a major incision into the animal and to say that it doesn't suffer is quite ridiculous." [7] This claim is contrary to those made by supporters of the Jewish method of slaughter, who claim that the extreme blood loss caused in the process results in a rapid loss of consciousness and therefore an absence of pain.[8] Kosher slaughter was further subjected to public debate in the U.S. where Agriprocessors Inc., a Kosher meat producer, was accused by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) of allowing the prolonged death of animals to occur, citing secretly filmed slaughterhouse floor operations that had shown “cows running around and looking alive after the killing [was] presumably completed.”[9] PETA has claimed that this practice was allowed to continue due to the absence of intervention by members of the Orthodox Union, a regulatory body which had allegedly maintained a presence at Agriprocessors' Iowa plant at the time of the practice.
