The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-16
JEWISH VIEWS OF CHRIST.
Discussion las 20 Whether Jews
shouId Read the New Testament.
FROM the BaItlnore sun

.rqestion of Rev. Dr. X. kohler, IN "A
ne delivered before the Philadelphia
-.,,rei of Jewish Women, on THE New
c..,sn,ent in the Light of judaism" that
40 members of the council read the New
~.stsment. took place at the meeting of
-. baltimore Council yesterday after
y, al Madison Avenue Temple. The
,..,rre was read to the members of the
.,nncn by Mrs. Aaron Adler, and the dis
| cuss. on was opened by Rev. DR.. William
posenau. rabbi of the Eutaw Place Tenn
pie
Refore tracing in detail the distinctly
ndiac elements of the New Testament,
mr. Koher said in his lectures:
ON selecting the New Testament as my
,bsma l propose to offer you some sug
/ ssstiors and aids to find the true histori-
cal setting from the Jewish point of view,
for that great personality which. like no
otber has divided human history in two
halves We cannot help acknowledging
tbis great fact, and ought, therefore, TO
take a clear definite attitude toward the
New Testament and its central figure.
d
tauebt not even to mention the name of
Jesus Christ in order not to transgress the
law Christianity has advanced since to-
ward the light of Jewish monotheism. IL
Is Jesus as a man. as an ideal of human
itv that is now he'd up for alteration and
emulation by Christian theology, in spite
of the Trinitarian dogma.
THE difficulty is how to obtain a correct
view of His life and character, and dis
csrn the real facts amid all the legends
surrounding His career from the cradle to
the grave Neither Renan nor Strauss or
any of the German or English critics sue
caeded in obtaining a true picture of the
Galliean preacher because each allowed
his own Imagination to supply what the
New Testament was wanting in.
so the Frenchman gives us a romance.
The German and English writers who
would not after the example of Strauss,
dissolve the whole life into a myth, take
pains to describe Him as a great re-
former, who fell a victim to the preju-
does of a fanatical sect and nation. And,
as in every tragedy, the hero's fall in
wolves the guilt of his assailants, so does,
in these modern lives of Jesus, the finger
of shame still point to the accursed race
OF the Jews as the condemned.
Now what Is the attitude taken by
treats Him like Strauss, a sort of myth,
while reducing Him to a mere shadow of
Hiilel the liberal-minded Pharisee? Be
sides these, a few popular writers like
old Dr. Phillipson of Madgeburg and DR..
Wise of Cincinnati have endeaVored to
show that the criminal proceedings which
ended in the crucifixion of Jesus cannot
possibly have been carried on before
Jewish court in the manner described in
the gospels, and that consedhently the
Jews are reported in a false light.
"A critical work, doing full justice to
the character of Jesus as a worker among
the Jews, and presenting His sayings and
doings or whatever is attributed to Him,
in the full daylight of history, has not
been attempted as yet. Must we then
give up the idea of enjoying the beauties
of the New Testament sayings because
they are covered up from view by stories
Tepuguant to our taste and religious feel
ing? Or is there a positive way of dis
elimination and fair judgment open also
to the simple reader? To use plain Ian
guage, should we leave the New Tesla
ment unread? or ought we, notwithstand-
ing the deficiencies, learn 10 appreciate
the exquisite sayings and teachings of
the New Testament if only from a liter
airy and humanitarian point of view?
right focus, and all the colors and shades
Of the object in view will lead you in the
direction of the one light"
DR.. Rosenau opened the discussion by
saving that he thought, with DR. Kohler,
That the New Testament should be read,
but not until the Old Testament has been
read and digested But while he recon-
mended the reading of the New Testament,
ne thought that it would be unwise for a
Jew or Jewess to place himself or herself
under the direct influence of an expound-
er Of the Christian religion.
Professionalism" he said, rs an offshoot
Of Catholicism, Christianity of Judaism,
and just as the Catholics consider it I'M
wise for one of their faith to place him
self under the influence of Professionalism
because Of its anti-Catholic tendencies, so
seems to me unwise for Jew to place
himself under Christian influence because
Oh Its anti-Jewish tendencies, especially
the Jew is not sufficiently grounded in
his own religion TO refute any arguments
which might be brought against it.
The New Testament is attractive. Ii
mas the attraction of goodness, and it re-
cures person of great stability of char
seter, combined with thorough knowledge,
10 detect its weakness"
One of the ladies present asked DR. Rose
Old and the New Testaments, and the an
sWer was THE Old Testament stands for
positive goodness. for righteousness, for
character; the New Testament for negative
goodness and beneficence."
Questioned as to the mutual relationship
o. the Old and New Testaments, he said:
me ChEistian idea of the New Tesla
meht is that it is the fulfillment of the
GA and that the Old Testament is incom-
pete without it. The Jewish idea does
uol include the New Testament as a nee
e9saiy sequence of the Old 1t is a seces-
soh document. The only natural Sc
qlence to the Old Testament is found in
.ee writings which continue the thought
VI 'he Old-the Mishnak, the Talmud and
altr rabbinical writings.
II the New Testament were to be re-
eaIded as a secession document, why con-
I'm ourselves with the study of it?' was
usAea' and the answer was: 1T would be
SlJuSl not to read it, Christianity is an
Vu'sioWth of Judaism, and the book con-
ans the literature of phase of our his
"'S' and, as such. should be studied, just
Yves Judy the literature of Karaim, the
sS which originated in the eleventh
hurry among a certain sect who rejected
| IabDinical traditions"
aHo'her point that came up was the diff