Jews Have Thought Little about the Spiritual Dignity of Other Faiths
GREENBERG, IRVING
Jews Have Thought Little about the Spiritual Dignity of Other Faiths Rev. Pawlikowski presents my views somewhat simplistically, but that is secondary because his article makes a valid and...
...But, after all is said and done, the void reflects two weaknesses that should concern us all...
...This is particularly distressing in light of our experience in the Shoah, where we learned that negative religious models of Judaism led to moral indifference to our fate...
...They hardly reflect on Judaism as a religion with a universal purpose whose truth and validation are staked on leading the whole world toward the triumph of life and knowledge of God...
...Pawlikowski understands...
...Jews are among the people most open to other cultures and losses of loyalty and credibility for Judaism are highest among Jews who live in settings which are heavily exposed to alternative lifestyles, religions and cultural systems...
...Thank God, more and more freedom of communication and open encounters exist between humans...
...There are many reasons for this omission and Pawlikowski explains them in fair-minded fashion...
...Also, given the history of the two faiths' relationship, Jews owe nothing to Christianity...
...he makes no demands...
...We need to support and nurture Jewish religious thinking in this area...
...Yet Judaism and Jewry's central role in history has been to teach humanity God's concern and plan for a divine-human partnership to perfect the world...
...One: The parameters of most Jews' religious thinking is about Judaism as the religion of the Jewish people...
...Irving Greenberg...
...Pawlikowski presents my views somewhat simplistically, but that is secondary because his article makes a valid and important point: Jews have not thought often—or deeply enough—about Christianity, its religious value and its role in the divine plan for redemption...
...Two: Jews as liberals show great respect for the rights of other religions...
...However, as religious thinkers, Jews have not yet developed adequate models of the independent value and spiritual dignity of other faiths...
...Since Christianity has been a major transmission channel for that message, the omission raises questions...
...In this circumstance, religions that cannot do justice to the value of other faiths will be less and less credible to their own believers...
Vol. 15 • August 1990 • No. 4
