Criticism of Judaism

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Judaism has been criticized on various points by a number of groups. The first criticism came from pagans who felt Jewish monotheism was a dismissal of their pantheon of gods. Others have criticized male circumcision as cruel or mutilation.

The notion of Jews as a "chosen people" has caused consternation among Gentiles and debate of its meaning within Judaism. Also, Judaism has been criticized for its association with political movements such as Communism, the originators of which were of Jewish background (Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Moses Hess, Leon Trotsky.)

Christian criticism

An important component of Christian history is that of polemics against Judaism. This is not simply charge that the "Jews killed Jesus" but also includes the idea that Jesus showed Judaism to be an incomplete and obsolete religion. The idea of Judaism as "per fidelis," only halfway faithful to God, is common in both Catholic and Protestant doctrinal history. In Eastern Orthodoxy "Judaizing" was also strongly condemned. This has strong implications for Christian-Jewish relations.

Role of Jews in the death of Jesus

The Jewish people for centuries faced the accusation of Deicide for their alleged actions in the death of Christ. As the death of Christ is a necessity in Christianity this might seem perplexing, but the notion was that the Jewish people as a whole killed him out of hatred rather than out of a desire to help him fulfill his role. The New Testament itself indicates at several points that most Jewish people did not support the crucifixion and in Matthew 26:4 indicates efforts to kill him had to be done secretly or the people would riot as they liked him. Added to this the party that was involved was collaborationist to the Romans. This is supported by the fact that the punishment for blasphemy was stoning, only Romans were allowed to do crucifixions.

Condemnation of Judaizing and Jewish custom

In Eastern Orthodoxy and Catholicism Jewish practices were discouraged among Christians. Those Christians who celebrated Jewish festivals or holidays was deemed Judaizers. An early Christian work condeming "Judaizing" is the Epistle of Barnabas. Although not accepted in the canon its notion that Jewish practices are false and Christians are the only people ever to have a true covenant influenced Christian criticism of Judaism. John Chrysostom in particular took a harsh line against Judaizing in his Homilies against the Judaizers.

Judaism in the religous debate of works vs grace

Muslim criticism

Defamation of Muhammad

There are Muslims who feel that Judaism belittled and continues to belittle Muhammad. In the Middle Ages some Jews deemed Muhammad to be ha-meshuggah or "the madman." During the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy Muslims in several nations believed that followers of Judaism were somehow involved or supportive of the view of Muhammad.

Materialism

Sayyid Qutb and others have deemed Judaism as advocating a philosophical Materialism that rejects the afterlife among other events. Because of this Judaism is accused serving atheism or apostasy either directly or indirectly.

Criticism of beliefs

Monotheism

This criticism occurred more in ancient times and is relatively rare in the Christian era.

"Chosen people"

The meaning or significance of Jews as a chosen people is debated among several different streams within Judaism. Put most simply most forms of Judaism agree that they are in a covenant with God, but the nature of this covenant has some differences depending on interpretation. It is not meant to imply that Jews are superior in any sense.

Still the idea has raised controversy within and without Judaism for centuries. For example Reconstructionist Judaism in its Platform on Reconstructionism stated that chosenness is "morally untenable", because anyone who has such beliefs "implies the superiority of the elect community and the rejection of others." Although many Reconstructionist reject "chosenness" only when it implies Jews are somehow better than others which it is not meant to imply.

Outside Judaism there have been many who felt it did imply that Judaism does deem itself elect and others inferior in the eyes of God. Sayyid Qutb and other Radical Muslims have stated "the Jews" are arrogant perhaps because of the notion of being a chosen people. Others have attempted to find or fabricate racism in the practices of Judaism.

Male Circumcision

Bioethics of neonatal circumcision deals with several issues concerning this. Although Christians, Muslims, and Jews accept circumcision, there has been occasional hostility to the practice. The Hellenstic Greeks are said to have ridiculed Jews at their gymnasia for their circumcized penes. This led to efforts to hide or mask the condition for some. In more modern times, some have made analogies to female circumcision and said both practices should be eliminated.

Anti-Zionism

Main article: Anti-Zionism

References

Jewish Encyclopedia (1905), p. 418; The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia (1943), entries for "Hess, Moses" and "Soviet Russia."
Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Criticism_of_Judaism" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Judaism, used under the GNU Free Documentation License