|
|
Ethical Monotheism
Ethical Monotheism has changed the world.
 "I will insist
the Hebrews have [contributed] more to civilize men than any other nation. If I was an atheist and
believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to
be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations … They are the most
glorious nation that ever inhabited this Earth. The Romans and their empire were but a bubble
in comparison to the Jews. They have given religion to three-quarters of the globe and have
influenced the affairs of mankind more and more happily than any other nation, ancient or
modern."
John Adams, second president of the U.S., in a letter to F. A. Van der Kemp (1808) Pennsylvania Historical
Society
It's no wonder Jewish ideas have changed the world - it has been their national mission for over three thousand years
– to be "A Light Unto the Nations."
PEACE
MONOTHEISM
FREEDOM
JUSTICE
FAMILY
EDUCATION
CHARITY
CHOSEN = RESPONSIBILITY
Abraham chose to commit himself to the reality of one G-d, prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for it. G-d responded: "I choose you and your descendants after you" - the Jewish people, forging a covenant with this nation. What are the
"Chosen People" chosen for? They are chosen
for RESPONSIBILITY, not for privilege. Chosen for the responsibility to create a moral society that lives with the values that stem from the idea of one G-d, to create a society, that will become a "light unto the nations," a moral beacon to the whole world. The task is
not to force beliefs onto others, nor to convert the rest of the world to Judaism, but
to change the world by setting an example. Abraham's mission of perfecting the world makes the Jewish People different, not better.
For almost 2,000 years the Jews have stood alone with these beliefs. How is it that this little
people, .25 % of the world's population, the most hated people in
human history, succeeded in getting the world to accept their ethical vision?
SPREAD OF MONOTHEISM
 Paul Johnson, in
"A History of the Jews," gives us part of the answer:
"... the result was monotheism and the three great religions which profess it."
The Jews have professed monotheism for almost 4,000 years. It was later adopted by Christians and Moslems.
These religions, during the 3rd to the 8th centuries CE, are largely responsible for
converting hundreds of millions of people from amoral polytheism to monotheism, introducing some of the basic tenets of Judaism to these peoples. Believing Christians and Moslems have accepted monotheism and one absolute standard of morality.
Jewish values have been spread through the growth of
liberal democracy during the last 200 years. The shapers of British democracy and the
"Founding Fathers" of America constantly turned to the Bible as a source of
inspiration and values. Look at the following statement from the "Declaration of
Independence" of the United States:
"We hold these truths to be self- evident, that all men are created equal, that
they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that amongst these are
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
The basis for a democratic government and basic rights and values
is the concept of One G-d. What a dramatic evolution in human history.
Continue WorldPerfect
|
|
|
|
Aish
