Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-17
JEW AND CHRISTIAN,
Rabbi Stern Defines the DiAsrsnoss IN Thsi
Beliefb.

| Belief.
IsRAELTrE-BorH HOLD IN COMMON Many d.
VINE rRUTHs-rHK JKwIsH PEOPLE FORBIDDEN
TO MAKE PRosELrTIs-THE JEWISH VIEW or THE
NEW TRsrAMENT.
At last evenings service of the Warrington
Hcbrow congregation the rabbi, Rev. L. Stern,
| delivered an address ON Judaism and Christi
| anity, which was heard With interest by large
congregation. Having devoted my introduc-
tory lecture, last Friday evening, to the consid-
| Grafton Of the condition OF Judaism today" said
the rabbi, II deem it consistent, a. well ~
profitable, TO devote this evening discourse to
! a brief discussion of Judaism and Christianity
| in their mutual relations to each other. shall
do so camly and dispassionately. Wherever
| and whenever, in the course Of my remarks,
| shall touch upon differences-for differ on GER
tain points We must-I shall not be unmindful
for a moment Of the fact that am treading on
ground sacred to many millions Of my fellow
beings. honor them for their faith, respect
| them for their religious devotion and do not
| intend in any wise to disturb them in either.
My only aim 10 to impart information that may
lead to dispel existing prejudices correct err
roneous notions or impressions and thus bring
us nearer to one another.
'what are the claims of Christianity and
their attitude to Judaism?" asked the speaker.
SIN common with US, Christianity accepts as
| sacred our own Bible, yet regarding with the
same reverence an addition thereto of much
later origin, designated the New Testa-
ment. Herein are embodied the dogmas and
teachings Characteristic Of Christianity; the
belief in the mystery Of the Trinity; the doc
trine Of the original sin, that il the belief that
ever since the fall Of Adam sin was Unborn in
| every human being: the doctrine Of vicarious
atOnement-that is the belief that Jesus died to
redeem mankind from that inherited sinfulness.
These beliefs-so the church teaches--are
| essential to eternal salvation, which nom
believers can never attain. Jews, rejecting the
divinity of Christ are classed among non-believ-
ers. They may be good citizens, moral men and
women, and Of pure and upright heart; but,
failing to believe, salvation Is denied them.
Christianity today outside Of Russia does no
longer apply forcibie means to convert the Jew.
No longer is he burnt at the stake for the glory
of God and the holy church. The devout
Christian today regards the followers Of Juda-
ism with feeling akin to pity. He prays for
the conversion of the Jew and perhaps con-
tributes his share toward the maintenance of
missions and missionary work among the In
dams in our own country, the HottentOts in
Africa and the Jews everywhere.
HOW JUDAISM REGARDS CHRISTIANITY.
"And now let us, as concisely as possible,
discuss the question: How does Judaism re-
gard Christianity. its teachers and teachings2"
Judaism beholds in Jesus q man, Jew, true,
faithful and iberal-minded; a man who kind
and gentle like the great Hillet followed in the
latters footsteps, setting forth broad and hu-
name ideas and evincing mild and tolerant
spirit in the Interpretation Of the law. A Phari-
see himself, he regarded with disfavor the ten
dency of some Of that sect of doing violence to
the spirit for tho sake of letter and earnestly
rebuked them because Of their religious hypoc-
risy. But never did he dream Of creating
new religion or even freeing himself from the
various obligations Of the Jewish ceremonial
law He makes mention Mark Xii. 29) Of the
Hear, D 1srae1," as ''the first OF all command
ments" Nor would he ever have thought Of
procisiming himself a god, knowing how deeply
rooted in the minds and hearts Of his people
was the idea OF the unity Of God, and how the
law OF Moses again and again warned against
any corporeal conception Of the Most High.
Neither did he intend to abolish the laws of
Moses. Does he not distinctly declare MAT
thew v, II and 1S): think not that came to
destroy the law or the prophets, l came not to
destroy, but to fulfill. Till heaven and earth
pass away from the law tin all thing, De full
filled" What he aimed after was simply pur-
ihcation OF the religious life of his people. He
even respects the authority Of the scribes, and
repeatedly makes use Of their beautiful sayings
In his parable, which nearly all may be traced
to Talmudical sources But he is bitter against
hypocricy and DESTINATIONS piety. thus simply
echoing the voice Of prophets and seers, who at
all times censured the people because Of their
inconsistencies. What caused the masses Of
the people to oppose him was his claim to be
the Messiah of the prophets. As such the Jews
rejected HIM The predictions of the prophets
referred unmistakably to period of political
freedom and undisturbed peace and in1epend-
ence- And now where the yoke Of the Romans
bore 80 heavily upon them how could they have
recognized the Messiah in one who could not
grant them relief from that oppression? After
Jesus had been rejected by his co-religionis:s,
both as q Messiah and what might be called
reformer, his name and teaching would. per-
haps, never have become known had his
apostles adhered to his advice to preach only
to the closed carr Of the Hebrews.
PAUL THE FOUNDER OF CHRISTIANITY.
"This was recognized especially by that re-
markable man Paul, who must be looked upon
as the real founder of Christianity. In oppo-
sition to the word of Jesus, i was not sent but
unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel
Paul saw clearly that the new teachings would
be excellently suited to the requirements of
the heather world. But for this purpose they
had to be modified. The burden Of the Jewish
ceremonial law would have proved a serious
hindranca. Therefore, while Jesus had re-
garded the law with reverence, it was now
wholly discountensnced and looked upon with
disdair. Jesus did not claim to be God: nov
he was proclaimed such. The heather WORTH,
with its dualsm and its gross conception #
trinity OF supernatural forces-ike the
Dfdutud Nleuuu anu Slfh OI Tue -
well as similar godheads of the Egyptians.
Persians and others-was not prepared for the
Jewish conception OF the absolute unity of God.
The Christian dogma OF the trinity-in its form
| at least-was to them q concession, and there
fore could be easily grasped and read
lily accepted. As another concession to
the heather world must we regard the promi-
hence accorded by Christianity to the idea Of
sacrifice. Judaism shows u continued decline
In its estimate thereof. The prophets and
psalmists Of Israel, In numerous instances,
refer to the inferior value Of sacrifice in the
worship Of the Most High. The same view i,
taken by the Talmud, and Maimonides con-
siders sacrifcial worship o concession to the
primitive religious conceptions Of ancien.
Israel, proof Of which was its being tolerated
in but one place, the temple, while houses Of
prayer sprang up everywhere. While Judaism
in its historical development thus shows an
unmstakable decadence of sacrfcial worship
and its importance and prominence. Christianity
claiming to be the highest development the
complement Of Judaism takes n long step back
ward in basing its chief doctrine ON the idea of
sacrifice. As the time when the syna-
gogue, following the natural course
of development, worships God in
spirit only and in truth Christianity pro-
claims, the elimination the highest develop
ment of sacrifice. the sacrifice of the Son of
God for sinful humanity. The Jew would
not, could not, accept such n doctrine. He
could not understand it. 1t was entirely for
eign to his accepted notions Of sacrifice Of the
unity and spirituality Of God and Of the idea
of atonement. Judaism teaches that the
sinner dies for his sin, but that he may re-