The uniqueness of the Jewish people as evidence
Throughout history, the Jewish people have exhibited all sorts of unique phenomena not observed in other peoples: the surprising survival of the Jewish people and their observance of the commandments, the preservation of a single identity despite their dispersion among the nations (and the dispersion itself), prosperity and success everywhere, the constant and relatively unfounded hatred of the Jewish people, the immigration to the Land, etc. These details are surprising in themselves, but the fact that they were all predicted in prophecies in the Torah that are relatively unambiguous and difficult to interpret otherwise, increases the likelihood that there is indeed an unnatural phenomenon here. A review of these phenomena appears here , for example:
In your opinion, is this evidence sufficient as evidence for the existence of God, without connection to the deistic evidence (cosmological and physico-theological, etc.)?
I wrote that I think so. But I don’t base the evidence on mysticism and naturalism. Our culture has helped us survive, and that itself helps the argument about its superiority and righteousness.
But there are also negative characteristics in culture. For example, anti-Semitism and our remaining a small nation are negative characteristics, they do not contribute to the statement that our culture is better. On the other hand, because they were predicted in the Torah, they do contribute to the thesis of supernatural intervention (or at least the predictive ability of God). Therefore:
A. Why do you think the fulfillment of these prophecies is not evidence of supernatural intervention, or at least the existence of God (since there is someone with such a supernatural predictive ability)?
B. Why do you think culture is superior if some of these characteristics are negative, as I described?
Does the fact that they hate us prove anything about us? I didn't understand this strange thesis.
A. I explained.
B. I explained.
Leave a Reply
Please login or Register to submit your answer
