Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Other Religions
Nobody can claim to objectively evaluate the truth or falsehood of a religion without studying the religion extensively and with an open eye. Can we claim that other religions are false if we have never attempted such objective and honest study of them? If not, should we conduct an objective and honest study of them?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
well, isn't there an issur to study other religions, doesn't this halachah imply that we should claim that other religions are false even w/o studying them, and we certainly should not study them?
ReplyDeleteand perhaps the halacha refutes your premise as well, and believes that one could reach the knowledge of truth by encoutering the truth alone even w/o studying other options.
p.s. thanx for finally posting again
Perhaps the reason it is assur to study other religions is because of the danger of possibly being convinced by their ideas. This does not mean that you are qualified to render objective judgment on the other religions; it just means that you have correctly followed the Halacha that proscribes their study. The goal of Halacha may not be to qualify you to objectively evaluate other religions, but rather to follow the dictates of JEWISH religion.
ReplyDeleteYou cannot prove the superiority of A over B based on A's claim that it is superior to B, without having even glanced at B.
However there is a chiyuv "וידעת היום והשבות אל לבבך כי ה' הוא האלהים בשמים ממעל ועל הארץ מתחת אין עוד"
ReplyDeleteif the only way to KNOW is by studying other religions or the posibility of polytheism, which is assur, how can there be the requirement of the aforementioned passuk?
If you know a truth without knowing why it MUST be true, that may still be considered "knowing" the truth, and a fulfillment of the passuk.
ReplyDelete