Jews and Christians: what is the difference between them? Evil comes not from the Jews themselves, but from their satanic religion. Jews do not believe in Christianity, Judaism has a different view of sin, the role of the Messiah, relations with enemies
The earliest such patristic work that has come down to us is “Conversation with Tryphon the Jew” by Saint Justin the Philosopher. The Holy Father claims that the powers of the Holy Spirit ceased to operate among the Jews with the coming of Christ (Trif. 87). He points out that after the coming of Christ they no longer had a single prophet. At the same time, Saint Justin emphasizes the continuation of the Old Testament actions of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament Church: “What has previously existed among your people has come to us (Trif. 82)”; so that “one can see among us both women and men having gifts from the Spirit of God” (Trif. 88).
Tertullian († 220/240) in his work “Against the Jews” substantiates the Divinity of Christ through the prophecies of the Old Testament, the miracles of the New Testament and the life of the Church. The Old Testament is a preparation for the New, in it there are two series of prophecies about Christ: some speak of His coming in the form of a servant to suffer for the human race, the second refer to His future coming in glory. In the person of the Lord Christ, both Testaments are united: prophecies are brought to Him, and He Himself brings to fulfillment what is hoped for.
Saint Hippolytus of Rome, in a short “Treatise against the Jews,” uses quotes from the Old Testament to show the predicted sufferings of the Messiah on the cross and the future calling of the pagans, and denounces the Jews for the fact that, when the light of truth has already been revealed, they continue to wander in the darkness and stumble. Their fall and rejection were also predicted by the prophets.
Hieromartyr Cyprian of Carthage († 258) left “Three Books of Testimonies against the Jews.” This is a thematic selection of quotes from the Old and New Testaments. The first book contains evidence that “the Jews, according to the predictions, apostatized from God and lost the grace that had been bestowed upon them... and that their place was taken by Christians, pleasing the Lord by faith and coming from all nations and from all over the world.” The second part shows how the main Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The third part, based on the Holy Scriptures, briefly outlines the commandments of Christian morality.
Saint John Chrysostom († 407) at the end of the 4th century pronounced “Five words against the Jews,” addressed to those Christians who attended synagogues and turned to Jewish rituals. The saint explains that after Christ Judaism lost its meaning, and therefore the observance of its rituals is contrary to the will of God and the observance of the Old Testament instructions now has no basis.
St. Augustine († 430) wrote Tractatus adversus Judaeos at the beginning of the 5th century, in which he argued that even if the Jews deserved the most severe punishment for sending Jesus to death, they were spared alive by God's Providence to serve, together with their Scriptures, as involuntary witnesses of the truth of Christianity.
The Monk Anastasius of Sinai († c. 700) wrote “The Dispute against the Jews.” Here, too, the end of the Old Testament law is indicated; In addition, attention is paid to the justification of the Divinity of Jesus Christ, as well as the veneration of icons, about which the monk says this: “We Christians, when we worship the cross, we do not worship the tree, but Christ crucified on it.”
In the 7th century, the Western saint Gregentius of Tafra compiled a record of his dispute with the Jew Herban - the dispute took place in the presence of King Omerit. Kherban, despite the saint’s arguments, continued to persist, then, through the prayer of the saint, a miracle happened: among the Jews present at the dispute, Christ appeared in a visible image, after which Rabbi Kherban, along with five and a half thousand Jews, was baptized.
In the same century, Saint Leontius of Naples († c. 650) wrote an apology against the Jews. He says that the Jews, pointing to the veneration of icons, accuse Christians of idolatry, citing the prohibition: “You shall not make for yourself idols or graven images” (Ex. 20: 4–5). In response, Saint Leontius, referring to Ex. 25:18 and Ezek. 41:18, writes: “If the Jews condemn us for the images, then they should condemn God for creating them,” and then continues: “We do not worship a tree, but the One who was crucified on the cross,” and “icons are an open book that reminds us of God.”
The Monk Nikita Stifat (11th century) wrote a short “Word to the Jews”, in which he recalls the end of the Old Testament law and the rejection of Judaism: “God hated and rejected the service of the Jews, and their Sabbaths, and holidays,” which he predicted through the prophets .
In the 14th century, Emperor John Cantacuzene wrote “Dialogue with a Jew.” Here, among other things, he points out to the Jew Xenus that, according to the prophet Isaiah, the New Testament will appear from Jerusalem: “The Law will appear from Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Is. 2: 3). It is impossible to admit that this was said about the Old Law, for it was given by God to Moses at Sinai and in the desert. It does not say “given,” but “will appear” from Zion. John asks Xenus: if Jesus was a deceiver, then how is it that neither God nor the pagan emperors were able to destroy Christianity, which was preached throughout the world. The dialogue ends with Xen's conversion to Orthodoxy.
In the patristic works one can find many harsh words about the Jews, for example the following: “They (the Jews) stumbled across everyone, everywhere they became intruders and traitors to the truth, they turned out to be haters of God, not lovers of God” ( Hippolytus of Rome, saint. Commentary on the book of the prophet Daniel).
But it should be remembered that, firstly, this was fully consistent with the then concepts of polemics, and secondly, Jewish writings of the same time, including religiously authoritative ones, contained no less, and sometimes even more harsh attacks and instructions regarding Christians.
In general, the Talmud instills a sharply negative, contemptuous attitude towards all non-Jews, including Christians. The book of later halakhic rulings “Shulchan Aruch” prescribes, if possible, to destroy the temples of Christians and everything belonging to them (Shulchan Aruch. Yoreh de "a 146); it is also forbidden to save a Christian from death, for example, if he falls into the water and even begins to promise all his state for salvation (Yoreh de'a 158, 1); it is allowed to test on a Christian, the medicine brings health or death; and, finally, a Jew is charged with the obligation to kill a Jew who converted to Christianity (Yoreh de'a 158, 1; Talmud. Aboda zara 26).
The Talmud contains many offensive, blasphemous statements about the Lord Jesus Christ and the Most Holy Theotokos. In the early Middle Ages, the anti-Christian work “Toldot Yeshu” (“Genealogy of Jesus”), filled with extremely blasphemous fabrications about Christ, became widespread among Jews. In addition, there were other anti-Christian treatises in medieval Jewish literature, in particular the Sefer Zerubavel.
Relations between Orthodox and Jews in history
As you know, from the very beginning of Christianity, the Jews became sharp opponents and persecutors of it. Much is said about their persecution of the apostles and early Christians in the New Testament book of the Acts of the Apostles.
Later, in 132 A.D., a revolt broke out in Palestine under the leadership of Simon Bar Kochba. Jewish religious leader Rabbi Akiva proclaimed him the “messiah.” There is information that, on the recommendation of the same Rabbi Akiva, Bar Kokhba killed Christian Jews.
After the first Christian emperor, Saint Constantine the Great, came to power in the Roman Empire, these tensions found new expressions, although many of the measures of the Christian emperors, which Jewish historians traditionally present as persecution of Judaism, were intended simply to protect Christians from the Jews.
For example, the Jews had the custom of forcing the slaves they acquired, including Christians, to be circumcised. On this occasion, Saint Constantine ordered the release of all slaves whom the Jews would persuade to Judaism and circumcision; Jews were also prohibited from purchasing Christian slaves. Then, the Jews had the custom of stoning those Jews who converted to Christianity. Saint Constantine took a number of measures to deprive them of this opportunity. In addition, from now on Jews did not have the right to serve in the military, or to hold government positions where the fate of Christians would depend on them. A person who converted from Christianity to Judaism lost his property.
Julian the Apostate allowed the Jews to restore the Temple of Jerusalem, and they quickly began to build it, but the storms and earthquakes that occurred, when even fire burst out of the ground, destroying workers and building materials, made this enterprise impossible.
Measures limiting the social status of the Jews were often caused by their actions demonstrating civic unreliability in the eyes of the emperors. For example, under Emperor Constans in 353, the Jews of Diocaesarea killed the garrison of the city and, choosing a certain Patricius as their leader, began to attack neighboring villages, killing both Christians and Samaritans. This uprising was suppressed by troops. Often, Jews living in Byzantine cities turned out to be traitors during wars with external enemies. For example, in 503, during the Persian siege of Constantia, the Jews dug an underground passage outside the city and let in enemy troops. Jews rebelled in 507 and 547. Even later, in 609, in Antioch, rebel Jews killed many rich citizens, burned their houses, and Patriarch Anastasius was dragged through the streets and, after many tortures, thrown into the fire. In 610, the four thousand Jewish population of Tire rebelled.
Speaking about Byzantine laws limiting the rights of Jews, it is worth noting that it is incorrect to interpret them as a manifestation of anti-Semitism, that is, actions directed specifically against Jews as a nationality. The fact is that these laws, as a rule, were directed not only against Jews, but against non-Christian inhabitants of the empire in general, in particular pagan Greeks (Hellenes).
In addition, it must be taken into account that Orthodox emperors also adopted decrees aimed at protecting the Jews.
Thus, Emperor Arcadius (395–408) charged provincial governors with preventing cases of insulting the Jewish patriarch (“nasi”) and attacks on synagogues and indicated that local rulers should not interfere in the communal self-government of Jews. Emperor Theodosius II also issued a decree in 438 in which Jews were guaranteed state protection in the event of a mob attack on their homes and synagogues.
Under Theodosius II, it was discovered that the Jews began the custom of burning a cross on the holiday of Purim, while in the city of Imme the Jews crucified a Christian child on a cross, and in Alexandria in 415 there were several examples of the beating of Christians by Jews. All these cases caused both popular indignation, which sometimes resulted in pogroms, and repression by the authorities.
In 529, the holy Emperor Justinian I adopted new laws, limiting the rights of Jews to property, inheritance rights, and he also forbade reading Talmudic books in synagogues, and instead ordered reading only books of the Old Testament, in Greek or Latin. Justinian's Code prohibited Jews from making any statements against the Christian religion, confirmed the prohibition of mixed marriages, as well as the transition from Orthodoxy to Judaism.
In the Orthodox West, measures similar to Byzantine ones were taken against the Jews. For example, under the Visigothic king Ricardo in 589, the Jews of Spain were prohibited from holding government positions, having Christian slaves, circumcising their slaves, and it was prescribed that children from mixed Jewish-Christian marriages must be baptized.
Crimes did occur against Jews in Christian countries of the early Middle Ages, when, for example, a crowd could destroy a synagogue or beat up Jews, and some decrees of emperors seem discriminatory from the point of view of modern realities. However, it is worth considering that in those cases when the Jews came to power, the Christians subordinate to them faced no better fate, sometimes much worse.
In the 5th century, Jewish missionaries managed to convert Abu Karib, the king of the southern Arab kingdom of Himyar, to Judaism. His successor, Yusuf Dhu-Nuwas, gained fame as a bloody persecutor and tormentor of Christians. There was no such torture that Christians were not subjected to during his reign. The largest massacre of Christians occurred in 523. Dhu-Nuwas treacherously captured the Christian city of Najran, after which the inhabitants began to be led to specially dug ditches filled with burning tar; anyone who refused to accept Judaism was thrown into them alive. Several years earlier, in a similar manner, he exterminated the inhabitants of the city of Zafar. In response to this, Byzantium's allies, the Ethiopians, invaded Himyar and put an end to this kingdom.
Brutal Jewish persecution of Christians also occurred in the 610–620s in Palestine, captured by the Persians with the active support of local Jews. When the Persians besieged Jerusalem, the Jews living in the city, having entered into an agreement with the enemy of Byzantium, opened the gates from the inside, and the Persians burst into the city. A bloody nightmare began. Churches and houses of Christians were set on fire, Christians were massacred on the spot, and in this pogrom the Jews committed even more atrocities than the Persians. According to contemporaries, 60,000 Christians were killed and 35,000 were sold into slavery. The oppression and murder of Christians by Jews occurred then and in other places in Palestine.
Persian soldiers willingly sold the Christians captured into slavery, “the Jews, because of their enmity, bought them at a cheap price and killed them,” reports the Syrian historian. Many thousands of Christians died this way.
It is not surprising that at that time Emperor Heraclius treated the Jewish traitors harshly. These events largely determined the anti-Semitic sentiments of the entire European Middle Ages.
Jews often, speaking about the history of Christian-Jewish relations, emphasize the topic of forced baptisms, presenting them as a widespread and common practice for the Church in the Middle Ages. However, this picture does not correspond to reality.
The tyrant Phokas in 610, after the Antiochian uprising mentioned above, issued a decree that all Jews should be baptized, and sent the prefect George with troops to Jerusalem, who, when the Jews did not agree to be baptized voluntarily, forced them to do so with the help of soldiers. The same thing happened in Alexandria, and then the Jews rebelled, during which they killed Patriarch Theodore Scribo.
The heretical emperor Heraclius, who overthrew Phocas and propagated Monothelitism, was, as has already been said, irritated by the betrayal of the Jews during the war with the Persians, declared Judaism outlawed and tried to forcibly baptize the Jews. At the same time, he sent letters to Western Christian rulers, urging them to do the same with the Jews.
The Visigothic king Sisebut, influenced by the letters of Heraclius, also issued a decree that the Jews must either be baptized or leave the country. According to some estimates, up to 90,000 Spanish Jews were baptized at that time, who, among other things, swore in writing not to engage in usury. The Frankish king Dagobert then took similar steps and for the same reason on his lands.
The Orthodox Church reacted negatively to this attempt, both in the East and in the West.
In the East in 632, the Monk Maximus the Confessor condemned the forced baptism of Jews that took place in Carthage, carried out by the local ruler in fulfillment of the will of Heraclius.
In the West, in 633, the IV Council of Toledo took place, at which Saint Isidore of Seville condemned King Sisebut for excessive zeal and opposed the work he had undertaken. Under his influence, the Council condemned all attempts to forcibly baptize Jews as categorically unacceptable, declaring that conversion to Christianity could only be achieved by gentle methods of verbal persuasion. Saint Isidore even asked forgiveness to the Jewish community for the king’s “zeal.” The king himself canceled his anti-Jewish decrees.
As for Byzantium, although a case of forced baptism of Jews was recorded in Carthage, “however, in relation to the majority of Byzantine Jews of that time, the edict of 632 apparently did not have serious consequences... There is no indication that in Greece and even in Constantinople itself it was carried out somewhat consistently... According to the 9th century chronicler Nicephorus, it is known that already in 641, when Heraclius died, the Jews of Constantinople took part in street riots against his widow, and 20 years later - against the patriarch, and at the same time they even stormed the city cathedral - Hagia Sophia."
In Byzantium, another attempt at forced baptism was made in 721 by another heretical emperor, Leo III the Isaurian, who instilled iconoclasm and issued an edict on the baptism of Jews and Montanists, which forced many Jews to move from the cities of Byzantium. The Monk Theophan the Confessor reports about this event with obvious disapproval: “This year the king forced the Jews and Montanists to be baptized, but the Jews, baptized against their will, were cleansed from baptism as from defilement, received Holy Communion after eating and thus mocked the faith” (Chronography. 714).
Jewish historians also point out that the forced baptism of Jews allegedly took place under Emperor Vasily I (867–886), however, Byzantine sources, in particular Theophanes’ Successor, although they mention Vasily’s desire for the Christianization of Jews, testify that he did this through peaceful means - the dispensation polemical disputes and a promise for newly converted ranks and rewards (Biographies of the Kings. V, 95). Jewish sources (chronicle of Ahimaaz) say that Jews who refused to be baptized were enslaved, and that there were even cases of torture, albeit isolated ones. Be that as it may, there is information that even under Vasily the Orthodox Church reacted negatively to his initiative.
Thus, four important circumstances in this matter are visible.
Firstly, attempts at forced Christianization of Jews took place later than the attempts at forced Judaization of Christians known in history.
Secondly, these attempts were the exception and not the rule in the policies of Christian rulers of the early Middle Ages.
Third, The Church negatively assessed these attempts and unequivocally condemned such an idea itself.
Fourthly, in many cases these attempts were made not by Orthodox emperors, but by heretics, who also persecuted the Orthodox at that time.
Jewish authors, reluctant to talk about historically known facts of conversion from Judaism to Orthodoxy, probably try to call almost every one of them “forced” or “forced due to anti-Semitic discrimination” because they cannot imagine that a person belonging to Judaism, capable of independently, voluntarily and wisely making a choice in favor of Orthodoxy. However, this is confirmed by many facts, for example, such as examples of conversion to Orthodoxy of Jews living in Catholic countries, examples of their loyalty to Christianity even to death in a communist state, examples of conversion to Orthodoxy in fascist and communist concentration camps, etc.
In general, despite the above laws, the Jews in Byzantium lived prosperously; it is known that Jews in other countries were amazed at their wealth and moved to the Orthodox empire; for example, it is known that Jews persecuted in Fatimid Egypt fled to Byzantium.
The fact that the Byzantines were not prejudiced against the Jewish nationality itself is evidenced by the fact that in the 14th century the Orthodox Jew Philotheus even became the Patriarch of Constantinople, and according to some historians, Emperor Michael II had Jewish roots.
Another popular theme in the history of Orthodox-Jewish relations is pogroms. They, indeed, took place, but the desire of Jewish historians to see behind each such case an indispensable conscious inspiration on the part of the Church is, to say the least, tendentious. On the contrary, the Orthodox Church, in the person of its most authoritative saints, has repeatedly condemned the actions of the pogromists. In particular, Righteous John of Kronstadt sharply denounced the Kishinev pogrom, saying: “What are you doing? Why did you become barbarians - thugs and robbers of people living in the same fatherland as you? (My thoughts on the violence of Christians against Jews in Chisinau). Also, His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon wrote: “We are hearing news of Jewish pogroms... Orthodox Rus'! May this shame pass you by. May this curse not befall you. May your hand not be stained with blood crying to Heaven... Remember: pogroms are a dishonor for you” (Message dated July 8, 1919).
During the Jewish pogroms in Ukraine during the civil war, as well as in the lands occupied by German troops during the Second World War, many Orthodox priests and ordinary believers sheltered Jews, saving them. In addition, the Russian Orthodox Church blessed the soldiers of the Red Army for their feat of arms, who in 1944–1945 liberated prisoners of such camps as Auschwitz, Majdanek, Stalag, Sachsenhausen, Ozarichi, and saved hundreds of thousands of Jews from the Budapest ghetto, Terezin, Baltic and many others . Also, clergy and laity of the Greek, Serbian and Bulgarian Churches took active measures during the war to save many Jews.
In general, we can say that in the history of relations between Jews and Orthodox Christians there were indeed many dark pages, but the facts do not provide grounds for presenting one of the parties to these relations as an innocent sufferer and victim, and the other as an unreasonable persecutor and tormentor.
(The ending follows.)
Very often, Christians mistakenly regard Jews who belong to Judaism as brothers in faith, not knowing that these religions, although related, have significant differences. After all, the Old Testament is common, Jesus came specifically to Israel, the Jews are universally called God’s people. What are the differences and how should an Orthodox Christian approach Judaism?
Judaism - what kind of religion is it
Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion, whose followers were born Jewish or converted to this faith during their lives. Despite its ancient age (more than 3000 years), there are not many followers of this movement - only about 14 million people. Moreover, it was from Judaism that such movements as Christianity and Islam emerged, which today have the largest number of followers. What do the Jews profess?
Judaism is the faith (religion) of the Jewish people
The main idea of religion is faith in the One God, Yahweh (one of the names of God) and observance of His commandments, which are set out in the Torah. In addition to the Torah, the Jews also have the Tanakh - another sacred text, the belief in the holiness of which has become one of the fundamental differences from Christianity.
Based on these two documents, Jews hold the following views:
- Monotheism - believe in One God the Father, who created the earth and man in His Image and Likeness.
- God is Perfect and Almighty and is also presented as the source of Grace and Love for all. He is not only God for man, but also a loving Father who has mercy and helps to be saved from sin.
- Dialogues can take place between man and God, i.e. prayers. To do this, you do not need to make sacrifices or any other manipulations. God wants to approach man directly and does this according to His desire. All a person has to do is strive for dialogue and the holiness of God.
- The value of a person who is created in God's Image is enormous. He has his own purpose from the Lord, which consists in endless and comprehensive spiritual improvement.
- In the history of mankind there are great people and prophets, about whose lives the Old Testament writes. Among them are Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah and other sages who are fundamental figures in Judaism and role models.
- The main moral principles of religion are love for the Almighty and for one’s neighbor;
- The basis of religion is the Ten Commandments, which must be strictly observed by a Jew.
- The doctrine of openness of religion, i.e. opportunity for anyone to apply to it.
- The teaching about the coming of the Messiah - a prophet and king who will save humanity.
These are not all the theses of Judaism, but they are fundamental and allow us to form an opinion about this religion. In fact, it is the closest to Christianity in its beliefs, but still has significant differences.
Read about religion:
Difference from Orthodoxy
Despite the same belief in an Almighty and Loving God, Christianity differs significantly from Judaism in a number of theological issues. And it was these differences that became irreconcilable for their followers.
Jews pray in the synagogue
Differences include:
- Recognition of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah and Lord, as part of the Holy Trinity - Jews reject this fundamental basis of Christianity and refuse to believe in the divinity of Christ. They also reject Christ as the Messiah because they do not understand the importance and value of His death on the cross. They wanted to see a Messiah-Warrior who would save them from the oppression of other peoples, and a simple man came who saved humanity from sin - the main enemy. Misunderstanding and denial of this is the main and fundamental difference between these religions.
- For a Christian, the salvation of the soul is only in faith in Jesus Christ, but for a Jew this does not matter. In their opinion, people of all faiths, even radically different ones, can be saved, provided they follow the basic commandments (10 Commandments + 7 Commandments of the sons of Noah).
- For a Christian, the fundamental commandments are not only the 10 laws of the Old Testament, but also the 2 commandments that Christ gave. Jews recognize only the Old Testament and its laws.
- Belief in chosenness: For followers of Christ, it is clear that anyone who confesses Christ can be saved and become part of God’s people. For Jews, the belief in their chosenness is fundamental and indisputable, despite their actions and lifestyle.
- Missionary - Jews do not seek to enlighten other nations and convert them to their faith, but for Christians this is one of the commandments of Christ “Go and teach.”
- Tolerance: Christians try to be tolerant towards representatives of other faiths and to be meek during oppression; on the contrary, ideas are extremely aggressive towards other religions and always militantly defend their beliefs and rights.
The attitude of the Orthodox Church to Judaism
Throughout ecclesiastical Christian history (as well as the history of Judaism), there have been bellicose skirmishes over disagreements over dogmatic issues.
The synagogue is a place of public worship and the center of life of the Jewish community
At the beginning of the emergence of Christianity (the first centuries AD), the Jews were extremely militant towards its representatives, starting with the crucifixion of Christ himself and the persecution of His first disciples. Later, with the widespread spread of Christianity, its followers began to treat Jews cruelly and infringe upon them in every possible way.
According to historical documents, forced baptism of Jews took place in 867–886. and later. Also, many people know about the persecution of Jews as a people already in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially in the USSR and during the Second World War, when millions of Jews suffered.
The Church today responds to this as follows:
- a violent attitude towards the Jews took place, but much later than the Christians suffered;
- it was an exception and not a widespread practice;
- The Church has a negative attitude towards such manifestations of violence and condemns the actions and the very idea of forced conversion.
Alexander Men once very clearly expressed his attitude towards Judaism, and it completely coincides with the opinion of the entire Orthodox Church and its attitude. According to him, the Old Testament became the basis for the three main monistic religions that arose in the womb of the culture of Ancient Israel. Both Judaism and Christianity, despite their unambiguous identical recognition of the Old Testament, have their own teachings and canons, which have their own theological differences.
Despite this, by the independent definition of the Russian Orthodox Church, it is multinational and does not want and will begin to expel Jewish elements from its bosom, since it has many of them within itself.
Important! Christianity is a brotherly religion and accepts anyone and everyone who shares its values. At the same time, it does not deny different cultures and nationalities, but strives to spread faith in Christ among all peoples and cultures.
The Orthodox Church accepts all nations, including Jews, but is not ready to recognize the beliefs of Judaism, since it finds them incorrect. If a Jew wishes to attend religious services, no one will hinder him or treat him with disdain. But an Orthodox Christian cannot accept his beliefs, since he professes Christ, whom the Jews reject as Lord.
From this it follows that every Orthodox Christian should accept other cultures and religions politely and tolerantly, but without renouncing his national origin and faith in Jesus Christ.
The fundamental difference between Christianity and Judaism
Jews and Christians... What is the difference between them? They are followers of related faiths belonging to the Abrahamic religions. But many differences in their understanding of the world often led them to hostility and persecution from both sides. Tensions between Jews and Christians have existed since ancient times. But in the modern world, both religions are moving towards reconciliation. Let's look at why the Jews persecuted the first Christians. What was the reason for centuries-old hostility and wars?
Relations between Jews and Christians in the early period
According to some researchers, Jesus and his disciples professed a doctrine close to the sectarian movements of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Christianity initially recognized the Jewish Tanakh as sacred scripture, which is why at the beginning of the 1st century it was considered an ordinary Jewish sect. And only later, when Christianity began to spread throughout the world, it was recognized as a separate religion - the successor of Judaism.
But even in the first stages of the formation of an independent church, the attitude of Jews towards Christians was not very friendly. Often Jews provoked the Roman authorities to persecute believers. Later, in the books of the New Testament, Jews were attributed full responsibility for the torment of Jesus and their persecution of Christians was recorded. This became the reason for the negative attitude of the followers of the new religion towards the Jews. And later used by many Christian fundamentalists to justify anti-Semitic actions in many countries. Since the 2nd century AD. e. Negative sentiments towards Jews in Christian communities only increased.
Christianity and Judaism in modern times
For many centuries, strained relations existed between the two religions, which often resulted in mass persecution. Such incidents include the Crusades and the preceding persecution of Jews in Europe, as well as the Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazis during World War II.
Relations between the two religious movements began to improve in the 60s of the twentieth century. Then the Catholic Church officially changed its attitude towards the Jewish people, eliminating anti-Semitic elements from many prayers. In 1965, the Vatican adopted a declaration “On the attitude of the Church towards non-Christian religions” (Nostra Aetate). In it, the thousand-year-old accusation against the Jews for the death of Jesus was lifted and all anti-Semitic views were condemned.
Pope Paul VI asked forgiveness from non-Christian peoples (including Jews) for centuries of persecution by the church. The Jews themselves are loyal to Christians and consider them a related Abrahamic religion. And although some religious customs and teachings are incomprehensible to them, they still favor the spread of the basic elements of Judaism among all peoples of the world.
Is there one God for Jews and Christians?
Christianity as an independent religion is based on the dogmas and beliefs of the Jewish people. Jesus himself and most of his apostles were Jews and were raised in Jewish traditions. As you know, the Christian Bible consists of two parts: the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament is the basis of the Jewish religion (Tanakh is the sacred scripture of the Jews), and the New Testament is the teachings of Jesus and his followers. Therefore, for both Christians and Jews, the basis of their religions is the same, and they worship the same God, only they observe different rituals. The very name of God both in the Bible and in the Tanakh is Yahweh, which is translated into Russian as “Existent.”
How are Jews different from Christians? First of all, let's look at the main differences between their worldviews. For Christians there are three main dogmas:
- The original sin of all people.
- Second coming of Jesus.
- Atonement for human sins by the death of Jesus.
These dogmas are designed to solve the main problems of humanity from the Christian point of view. The Jews do not recognize them in principle, and for them these difficulties do not exist.
Different attitudes towards sins
First of all, the difference between Jews and Christians is in the perception of sin. Christians believe that every person is born with original sin and only throughout life can he atone for it. Jews, on the contrary, believe that every person is born innocent, and only he himself makes the choice - to sin or not to sin.
Ways to atone for sins
Due to the difference in worldview, the next difference appears - atonement for sins. Christians believe that Jesus atoned for all the sins of people through his sacrifice. And for those actions that the believer himself has committed, he bears personal responsibility before the Almighty. He can atone for them only by repenting to the clergyman, since only representatives of the Church in the name of God are endowed with the power to forgive sins.
The Jews believe that only by their deeds and actions can a person achieve forgiveness. They divide sins into two types:
- committed against the orders of God;
- crimes against another person.
The first are forgiven if the Jew sincerely regrets and repents of them to the Most High. But in this matter there are no intermediaries in the person of priests, like Christians. Other sins are crimes that a Jew committed against another person. In this case, the Almighty limits his power and cannot grant forgiveness. A Jew must beg for it exclusively from the person he has offended. Thus, Judaism speaks of separate responsibility: for offenses against another person and for sins and disrespect for God.
Because of such differences in views, the following contradiction arises: Jesus' forgiveness of all sins. For Christians, he is endowed with the power to forgive the sins of all who repent. But even if a Jew can equate Jesus with God, such behavior still fundamentally violates the laws. After all, as mentioned above, a Jew cannot ask God for forgiveness for sins committed against another person. He himself must make amends to him.
Attitude to other world religious movements
Almost all religions in the world adhere to the same doctrine - only those people who believe in the true God can go to Heaven. And those who believe in another Lord are essentially deprived of this right. To some extent, Christianity also adheres to this doctrine. Jews have a more loyal attitude towards other religions. From the point of view of Judaism, anyone who follows the 7 basic commandments that Moses received from God can go to Heaven. Since they are universal, a person does not have to believe in the Torah. These seven commandments include:
- The belief that the world was created by one God.
- Don't blaspheme.
- Obey the laws.
- Don't worship idols.
- Don't steal.
- Don't commit adultery.
- Do not eat from living things.
Compliance with these basic laws allows a representative of another religion to enter Paradise without being a Jew. In general terms, Judaism is loyal to monotheistic religions such as Islam and Christianity, but does not accept paganism due to polytheism and idolatry.
On what principles is a person’s connection with God based?
Jews and Christians also look differently at ways of communicating with the Almighty. What is the difference? In Christianity, priests appear as intermediaries between man and God. The clergy is endowed with special privileges and exalted in holiness. Thus, in Christianity there are many rituals that an ordinary person does not have the right to perform on his own. Fulfilling them is the exclusive role of the priest, which is a fundamental difference from Judaism.
Jews do not have one that is performed exclusively by a rabbi. At weddings, funerals or other events, the presence of a clergyman is not required. Any Jew can perform the necessary rituals. Even the very concept of “rabbi” is translated as teacher. That is, simply a person with extensive experience who knows the rules of Jewish law well.
The same applies to the Christian belief in Jesus as the only savior. After all, the Son of God himself claimed that only he could lead people to the Lord. And, accordingly, Christianity is based on the fact that only through faith in Jesus can one come to God. Judaism looks at this problem differently. And as stated earlier, anyone, even a non-Judaizer, can approach God directly.
Difference in the perception of good and evil
Jews and Christians have completely different perceptions of good and evil. What is the difference? In Christianity, the concept of Satan, the Devil, plays a big role. This huge, powerful force is the source of evil and all earthly troubles. In Christianity, Satan is presented as a force opposite to God.
This is the next difference, since the main belief of Judaism is the belief in one omnipotent God. From the Jewish point of view, there cannot be any higher power other than God. Accordingly, a Jew will not separate good into God’s will, and evil into the machinations of evil spirits. He perceives God as a fair judge, rewarding good deeds and punishing sins.
Attitude towards original sin
In Christianity there is such a thing as original sin. The ancestors of mankind disobeyed God's will in the Garden of Eden, for which they were expelled from paradise. Because of this, all newborns are initially considered sinful. In Judaism, it is believed that a child is born innocent and can safely receive blessings in this world. And only the person himself determines whether he will sin or live righteously.
Attitude to worldly life and worldly comforts
Also, Jews and Christians have completely different attitudes towards worldly life and consolations. What is the difference? In Christianity, the very purpose of human existence is considered to be life for the sake of the next world. Of course, Jews believe in the world to come, but the main task of human life is to improve the existing one.
These concepts are clearly visible in the attitude of both religions to worldly desires, the desires of the body. In Christianity they are equated with ungodly temptations and sin. People believe that only a pure soul, not subject to temptation, can enter the next world. This means that a person must nourish the spiritual as much as possible, thereby neglecting worldly desires. Therefore, the Pope and priests take a vow of celibacy, renouncing worldly pleasures in order to achieve greater holiness.
The Jews also recognize that the soul is more important, but do not consider it right to completely renounce the desires of the body. Instead, they turn their performance into a holy act. Therefore, the Christian vow of celibacy seems to Jews to be a strong departure from religious canons. After all, creating a family and procreation is a holy act for a Jew.
The two religions have the same different attitudes towards material wealth and wealth. For Christianity, taking a vow of poverty is an ideal of holiness. Whereas for Judas, accumulation of wealth is a positive quality.
In conclusion, I would like to say that Jews and Christians, the differences between whom we have examined, should not be pitted against each other. In the modern world, each person can understand the holy scriptures in his own way. And he has every right to do so.
The Bible has a special attitude towards Jews. The Holy Scriptures call them the people of God. And the text of the Book of Books itself was written in the bosom of this culture. Prophets, patriarchs, great kings, apostles, even Jesus Christ himself - all belong to the Jewish race.
The most important shrines are located in Israel. And that is why it is surprising that Christianity, which has swept the whole world, is so unpopular in its homeland.
Why don't Jews believe in Christianity? Are there any exceptions among them? How do Jewish Christians who recognize the New Testament live today?
The Old Testament speaks of God's chosen Jews
The question of why Jews are not Christians is not without foundation. God the Father in the Old Testament often emphasizes the special status of this people. We can first notice this in the story of Abraham, the ancestor of the Jews. He was a righteous and God-obedient man. One day the Lord told him directly about his intention to give the descendants of Abraham a special status:
“And the Lord said to Abraham, Get thee out of thy land,
from your kindred and from your father's house to the land,
which I will show you, and I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you and magnify your name,
and you will be a blessing;
I will bless those who bless you,
and I will curse those who curse you;
and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
(Gen. 12:1–3)
Another similar episode can be found in the story of Abraham’s grandson, Jacob. One day he fought with God (most often an angel is depicted instead of the Almighty himself). Jacob managed to win the battle, and then the Lord promised him special strength:
“And he said [to him], “From now on your name will not be Jacob, but Israel, for you have fought with God, and you will overcome men.”
This episode is often interpreted in the sense that it will not be Jacob himself who will “overcome men,” but his descendants, who will receive the name Israel, in honor of their ancestor.
But all this is just a promise. Indeed, the chosenness of the Jews, as an accomplished fact, is said at the moment when Moses receives the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.
“Moses went up to God (on the mountain), and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying: Thus speak to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel: you have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you (as if) on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Himself; Therefore, if you will obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you will be My possession above all nations, for all the earth is Mine, and you will be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation; These are the words that you will speak to the children of Israel.”
(Isa. 19:3–6)
Jews do not believe in Christianity, Judaism has a different view of sin, the role of the Messiah, relations with enemies
Since then, the chosenness of the Jews by God has been one of the cross-cutting thoughts in the Holy Scriptures. The entire Old Testament, and the New Testament as well, is about events in the life of the people of Israel. Great kings, prophets, apostles, and the Messiah himself are descendants of Abraham and Jacob.
For many years, the Jews remained the guardians of the Word of God, they were opposed to the pagan peoples and waited for the fulfillment of the great prophecy - the coming of the Messiah.
But it is difficult to clearly determine what the mission of God’s chosen people is. This is especially difficult to do when applied to today's Jews. They do not recognize the Bible, which means, from a Christian’s point of view, they can only have a nominal chosenness of God.
Are the old dogmas still relevant today, or has the status of the Jews become obsolete when Christianity became a universal religion? There is debate about this, but more often than not, biblical interpreters deny modern Jews their special role.
Christianity and Judaism have a common foundation - the Old Testament (Tanakh among the Jews).
The scriptures in the two traditions are different: there are differences in the texts and in the structure of the book, but in general the basis of the religions is the same.
The main contradiction between Christianity and Judaism rests on the New Testament. Jews don't recognize him. How did this happen?
The central prophecy of the Old Testament is the coming of the Messiah. In Russian, Messiah means “anointed one.” The Jews' attitude towards him is appropriate: this is a king, a leader, some grandiose person who will come with the first important mission - to save the Jews.
He will free them from the oppression of other backgammon. And secondly, the coming of the Messiah will give impetus to great favorable changes in the world:
“And all the nations will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and they will no longer learn to fight.”
But it is not only the attitude towards the Messiah that is the cause of disagreement between Christians and Jews. There are others:
- human sinfulness from birth. Christianity believes that man, being the heir of Adam, is already born in sin. To redeem him, he must be baptized. But the Jews believe that only a person himself can decide whether to sin or not. What happened to his ancestors before him is their business and cannot influence his descendants. From birth everyone is innocent;
Jews, unlike Christians, believe that man is sinless from birth.
- salvation is only through accepting Christ. Christianity claims that only the Savior can provide redemption for man. The Jews believe that each person is capable of being saved by his own actions if he leads a righteous life;
- forgiveness of all sins. Christianity involves forgiveness of any sin. Judaism believes that God has the right to forgive only those sins that offend Him personally. As for bad deeds that are directed against other living beings, it is not within His authority to give forgiveness for this. To get rid of a sin that is directed against another, it is necessary to do good to him and achieve forgiveness;
- divinity of Jesus Christ. For the Jews, Christ is not only not the Messiah, but also not God, and not the son of God. And his teaching itself is a fallacy. It is close to traditional Judaism, but still different;
- dealing with bad people. Christianity calls for patience and not to fight, not to do evil. Judaism looks at this differently and allows, in order to protect its interests, for example, life or health, not to endure bullying, but to respond with an appropriate countermeasure. Enemies must be treated fairly - according to their deeds.
One of the misconceptions is that a believer in Judaism must necessarily be a Jew.
one of the most ancient religions in the world
This is not true at all. Judaism is the same religion where the main thing is a person’s relationship with God and others, and not his nationality.
However, the above contradictions do not allow us to put an equal sign between Christianity and Judaism.
Jews believe in the chosenness of their people; their teaching is based on the Tanakh and Talmud
So what do most Jews believe? Their religion, Judaism, is one of the most ancient in the world. It is older than Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, but younger than, for example, Hinduism.
Judaism is one of the first monotheistic religions. This means that its adherents revered the One God. At the time of the emergence of Judaism, the most common form was polytheism. In the Judeo-Christian tradition it is usually called paganism.
Judaism is not just a set of covenants about man's relationship with God. This is a collection of rules for all occasions. It contains recommendations about government, family life, political relations, food culture and a lot of other advice, rules and morals.
There are two main written sources in Judaism:
- Tanakh is the Old Testament, which is slightly different from the Christian one in its set of scriptures and individual passages.
- The Talmud is a multi-volume commentary on the Tanakh, which deeply studies the rules of life of a righteous Jew.
An important distinctive feature of Judaism is the idea that the Jewish people are chosen by God. This is such an ancient and established teaching that apostolic activity could not shake it.
However, this is not surprising, because the apostles and Jesus Christ respected the Jewish tradition.
In the Middle Ages, Europeans forced Jews to convert to Christianity.
But not all Jews are Jews. There are those who profess Christianity. There are few of them, since the Torah forbids Jews to follow other people's customs, and this prohibition is firmly rooted in Jewish culture.
However, since the Middle Ages, Jews have adopted Christianity en masse. This was not a voluntary initiative. They took this step under pressure. For example, in 1492 in Spain, the authorities created an edict on the expulsion of Jews. This is how the Marranos appeared.
The Marranos were Jews who, under duress and threat of expulsion from Spain and Portugal, were forced to be baptized and profess Christianity. But this cannot be called a sincere act.
The Marranos often remained loyal to the Jewish tradition and practiced it secretly.
In fact, even sincere acceptance of Christianity did not save the Marranos from persecution by the Inquisition. They remained in an oppressed position for a long time.
At the beginning of the 20th century, many Jews converted to Christianity in order to get rid of the restrictions that were applied to the Jews
But not all Jews converted to Christianity against their own will. If we recall history, then back in the 1st century many Jews consciously took such a step in order to follow Jesus Christ. The Apostles are the first Jews to accept Christianity.
If we talk about modernity, then it is appropriate to recall such a concept as crosses.
Crosses (re-baptized, newly-baptized) are representatives of other religions who converted to Christianity. Most often the term refers specifically to Jews, although this is not necessary.
Crosses are the name given to people of other faiths who have been baptized into Christianity, more often Jews.
This phenomenon became most widespread at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. At this time, the concepts of nationality and religious affiliation began to be separated more clearly than ever before. And abandoning the Jewish faith had many advantages.
Orthodox Jews in the Russian Empire, for example, were freed from educational restrictions imposed on Jews.
History reports that under Nicholas II, a thousand people were voluntarily baptized into Christianity every year.
And yet, converts did not receive equal status to Christians:
- they could not be ordained;
- they were not taken into the navy;
- a cross was not entitled to the rank of officer;
- even descendants of crosses faced such restrictions.
There were exceptions, but the beginning of the 20th century primarily created many problems for converts, and even more for Orthodox Jews.
Therefore, most often there were fictitious Lutheran Jews who in fact remained Jews.
Today, Jews in Russia often follow Orthodox traditions, but do not forget their Jewish roots
Today in Russia there are also Jews who have converted to Christianity. Mainly Orthodoxy. Since there are now no legal restrictions for Jewish Jews, we can conclude that this is a voluntary adoption of Orthodoxy.
Sociologists study this issue in great detail. Researchers Ts. Gitelman, V. Shapiro, V. Chervyakov note that the interest of Russian Jews in Judaism is gradually declining. But by 2000, the number of people who sympathized with Christianity remained stable at around 13.7%.
Russian Jews surveyed in 2007 participated in the life of Orthodoxy
Approximately 60% of Jews surveyed in 2007 reported attending Orthodox churches and participating in rituals. There are many more of them than those who, living in Russia, participate in Jewish rituals.
According to some assumptions, there are as many Orthodox Jews in Russia as there are Orthodox Jews in Israel. However, there are no studies on this topic.
Elena Nosenko-Stein, in an article for the Ethnographic Review, cites the position of some Russian Jews in relation to Orthodoxy and Judaism:
“I was baptized because I needed it internally - I mean to have a religious experience. And the fact that I became Orthodox was a pure coincidence; we simply didn’t know any other way then. I don’t rule out that if I knew a good, smart rabbi, I would convert to Judaism.”
Semyon Z, 58 years old, psychologist, (Moscow)
“I have been baptized since I was nine years old, I often go to church, I pray both in church and at home, I observe holidays and fasts - if possible. I have a goddaughter - Russian, we are very friends. But I don’t go to the synagogue, because I think it’s incompatible to go to two churches. But I don’t want people here at Hillel to know that I’m Orthodox. …I’ve never been to a synagogue. I feel kind of inferior.”
Elena K., 20 years old, music teacher (St. Petersburg)
“I am a believer and so is my mother, she baptized us all, all three of us. Dad was not against it because there was no synagogue. ... I came to the synagogue recently, when I came to Hesed, I learned about the synagogue. I really liked the way they sang, I had never heard anything like this before. But they don’t have Christ, like in the Russian church. I go to church sometimes.”
Nina E., 61 years old, pensioner (St. Petersburg)
“Yes, I have been baptized since childhood. That is, of course, I grew up when it was almost forbidden, but even then I felt that there was something above us, there was some kind of higher power. I read a lot on the history of religion, about the Russian Church, about the schism. I feel good in church, I baptized both of my daughters, and they baptized their children.”
When asked if a Jew could be a Christian, she said: “Why not? A Jew, like any person, can choose which religion to follow. My husband, he is a purebred Jew, he is not a very religious person, but he sometimes comes to church with me. Why not?
Anna P., 57 years old, psychologist (Moscow)
It can be concluded that Jews today are greatly influenced by the external environment. They participate in Orthodox rites and baptize children. But at the same time, this is more often a tribute to the environment than a spiritual impulse. For Jews, Jewish culture remains an important part of life, which they combine with the Orthodox tradition.
1). 99% of Orthodox Christians do not even suspect that Christians, Jews and Muslims believe in the same God. His name is Elohim (Allah).
Although this god has a name, he does not have a proper name. That is, the word Elohim (Allah) simply means “god”.
2). Some Orthodox Christians do not even realize that Christians include all people who believe that Jesus existed. And Catholics, and Protestants, and Orthodox.
But today there is not a single reliable confirmation of the existence of Jesus, but Mohammed was a historical figure.
3). The mythical Jesus was Jewish by faith and Jewish by nationality. Smart Jews, who were haunted by the fact that the Jewish flock was ruled only by the clans of Kohans and Levites, decided to split off and create their own office, which was later called “Christianity.”
4). Any religion has only two purposes for its existence. They should be remembered, no matter who tells you any lies.
The first is enrichment.
The second is routine
The clergy of one or another cult are enriched. People are becoming ordinary. Any state supports the main religion because the church helps turn people into a herd.
In Christianity, that’s what they say – a flock, that is, a flock. A flock tended by a shepherd or shepherd. The shepherd shears the lamb's wool and exhorts him before making it into lula kebab.
5). As soon as a person is driven into the herd with the help of religion, he develops herd feelings and herd thoughts. He stops thinking logically and stops using his senses. Everything he sees, hears and says is a set of stamps used in the herd.
6). In 1054, the Christian Church was divided into the Roman Catholic Church in the West, centered in Rome, and the Orthodox Church in the East, centered in Constantinople.
All the theories and justifications for why this happened are not worth a damn (we will return to this later), the main problem was primacy. Who should rule - the Pope or the Patriarch.
As a result, everyone began to consider themselves in charge.
The guys reasoned like this: friendship is friendship, but tobacco is apart. They love money.
7). In 988, the Kiev prince Vladimir decided to be baptized by the Church of Constantinople. For many centuries, the church has been burning out dissent and polytheism in Rus' with fire and sword.
All documents dating back to the pre-Christian period were almost completely destroyed.
An entire class of people, called sorcerers, sorcerers, witches, and sorcerers in Rus', was almost completely destroyed.
That is, a layer of ancient knowledge and skills, the primordial language in which people communicated with nature and the gods, all the experience that people had accumulated over the centuries, was erased from human memory.
8). It is believed that witches (from the Sanskrit word “to know”, “to know”) were a kind of conscience of the tribe, its moral and spiritual guide: “co-” + “-news”, i.e. "shared message", "shared knowledge". Conscience is a person’s way of communicating with God by comparing his moral standards with the standards of the people around him and with the experience of his ancestors.
A people with a conscience did not need such instruments as the state, religion, propaganda, or the death penalty.
There is an opinion that, due to the vast territory of the Eurasian continent, the remnants of conscience have been preserved somewhere in the outback of Russia.
Therefore, the genetic memory of Russians sacredly preserves the belief in the existence of justice (the root of the Vedas, by the way), conscience and truth.
For their evil disposition, greed and black robes, the priesthood in Rus' was nicknamed “the crow.”
9). The destruction of “conscience” by Christianity in the West occurred much later, it was more total and technological.
Death camps began precisely with the European Inquisition, when sorcerers and witches throughout Europe were identified, recorded, sentenced and burned. Everything, without a trace.
Truth and conscience in the West have been replaced by “law.” Western man does not believe in any hypothetical justice, but he believes in the laws, and even adheres to them.
10). The first crusade began in 1096, and the last ended in 1444. For 350 years, peaceful Christianity, in the name of Jesus, destroyed countries, cities and entire nations. And this, as you probably understand, was not only done by Catholicism or some Teutonic order. Dozens of tribes that existed on the territory of Muscovy were also forcibly converted to Orthodoxy or wiped off the face of the earth.
eleven). In foreign sources, the “Orthodox” church is written as “orthodox”. We are orthodox, guys.
12). In the 1650s - 1660s, the so-called “schism” took place in Muscovy. Let’s not go into too much detail, let’s just say that the reason for the church reforms carried out by Patriarch Nikon was only two things - the sharp difference in church orders in Muscovy and in the Greek church.
In essence, the Moscow church turned into an arbitrary religious organization that amazed visiting Greek priests with its savagery. This became especially clear due to the annexation of Little Russia. Little Russia separated from Poland, recognized Alexei Mikhailovich as its tsar and became part of the Moscow state as its indivisible part, but the church and ritual practice of the South Russians converged with that of the time in Greece and differed from that of Moscow.
There was an urgent need to unify all this.
And second. The main political aspect of the reform was the “Byzantine charm,” that is, the conquest of Constantinople and the revival of the Byzantine Empire with the help and expense of Russia. In this regard, Tsar Alexei wanted to eventually inherit the throne of the Byzantine emperors, and Patriarch Nikon wanted to become the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Like this. Thirst for power. Thirst for championship.
Thanks to this, the Orthodox flock (remember what flock means, #necro_tv?), led by pastors, hunted schismatics who did not want to rebuild for another three hundred years.
So, perestroika is not only the subversive activities of Herr Peter and Mikhail Gorbachev.
13). If anyone doesn't know, I'll let you know. The only thing that distinguishes the Catholic Church from the Orthodox Church is called the “filioque” (Latin filioque - “and the Son”), an addition to the Latin translation of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, adopted by the Western (Roman) Church in the 11th century in the dogma of the Trinity: the procession The Holy Spirit is not only from God the Father, but “from the Father and the Son.”
That is, the Jewish Elohim in Orthodoxy is the only source of the holy spirit. But Catholics believe that the holy spirit also comes from the Jew Jesus of Nazareth.
These are, of course, formalities; everything always comes down to money and power.
14). But here's the problem.
In 1438-1445, the XVII Ecumenical Council, called the Ferrara-Florentine Cathedral, took place. Such councils are called ecumenical because representatives of all Christian churches are present at them.
The decisions of the ecumenical councils are binding on everyone (like the decisions of the Hague Court), both Catholics and Orthodox.
At this council, differences between the Western and Eastern churches were discussed for a long time, and in the end a decision was made to unify. The council ended with the signing of the union.
Guess who, a few years later, disowned the council’s decision?
That's right, Muscovy.
15). What's the point of giving away the championship? So we tend our own flock, we are our own bosses, and here the Pope will rule.
To the two main goals of any religion - the enrichment of the clergy, the trivialization (duping) of the masses, we add a third, empirically identified - the thirst for power.
In Christianity, the most important of the deadly sins is “pride.”
The thirst for power is pride.
