Q&A: Regarding Things Written in the New Testament
Regarding Things Written in the New Testament
Question
Is it possible to think that there are sensible and wise things in the New Testament without undermining Jewish faith?
Answer
Of course. What’s the question? Someone who thinks otherwise is undermining Jewish faith (and intellectual honesty).
There could, admittedly, be a halakhic issue with saying this (“do not show them favor,” “do not grant them grace”), but even that, in my opinion, is not relevant when it comes to words of wisdom (except perhaps regarding the aesthetics of churches and the like). Especially since it is not clear that Christianity is idolatry. That’s why I said this here as well.
Discussion on Answer
Idolatry is worship of a god who is not the Holy One, blessed be He.
And what about attributing qualities to God (the one God), or a body, or any other kind of anthropomorphism? I saw somewhere that Rabbi Kook wrote that it is not all that important how a person pictures God to himself, so long as he believes in Him and keeps His commandments.
What’s the question? Does the Holy One, blessed be He, have a body? In my opinion, no. Can He be described? In my opinion, yes. What you think is what you think, and it really doesn’t matter whether someone tells you that it’s important or not.
Even in kabbalistic literature, which is highly idolatrous, one can sometimes find sensible things, even words of wisdom, and there is no problem at all with that (in my view).
In light of the Rabbi’s comment that it is not clear that Christianity is idolatry, I would be glad to know how the Rabbi defines idolatry.