Opinion
Chosen people? Not quite
Dina Avramson
Published: 28.05.12, 10:02
Comment Comment
Print comment Print comment
Back to article
105 Talkbacks for this article
31. #26
Moshe of Rockville ,   Rockville,MD USA   (05.28.12)
Your belief that Jesus was the messiah is wrong.Since the messiah can only be of the male line desended from King David, the "virgin birth" of Jesus would eliminate him for he had no human male father.
32. Chosen does not mean superior
withheld ,   Copenhagen, Denmark   (05.28.12)
It's a special honor to be G-d's chosen nation. It's a great honor to be given the task, of making the world aware of G-d's name. But chosen does not mean, as many people would assume, to be superior. Chosen means just that. with the job comes certain advantages and disadvantages. But maybe most importantly the task comes with a lot of requirements and restrictions... And trouble. The title does not grant racial superiority, immunity to life and vira. I hardly believe many Jews understand it this way, but I do how ever believe, that many non-Jews have such misconceptions. There is another misconception among the nations(besides Israel). That the rebuke made by Jews of some nations, are the same as hatred or even acts of libel. Reminding others of their wrong doings and ignored/forgotten/unknown responsibilities is a dirty job, but the Jewish has been chosen to do this job. So who is misunderstanding who? This article points to a singer who might require a slight moderation of his language, but his message could still be valid.
33. You really pulverized that straw man, Dina!
Serge ,   Montreal, Canada   (05.28.12)
But imagine how much time you would save if you actually looked stuff up first!
34. #28 actually
israel israeli ,   tel aviv   (05.28.12)
A pithy statement, but not actually true. Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Khmer Rouge were all atheists. The British Empire was about greed, and had nothing to do with Christianity.
35. Israel's chosen beats other chosens.
BUTSeriously ,   Sydney   (05.28.12)
Not all chosens' are equal. While the Hebrew scriptures recommends chosen by example only ['Light unto the nations'], it beats enforcing conversion and death to the infidels.
36. #34
Michael ,   Haifa   (05.28.12)
Hitler, Stalin, Mau (but probably not Pol Pot) saw themselves as gods, created ideologies no less shameless than the inbred racism of religion and all the rites and rituals that go with religion. And British colonialism was mild in comparison with other forms of colonialism throughout history
37. Really
michael Pielet ,   israel   (05.28.12)
Based on the uninformed idiot who wrote this article, how can the Jews possibly be the chosen people?
38. Jehova-Elohim is not "God"
JFT (Jew for Truth) ,   3rd. rock from Sun   (05.28.12)
Jehova had a physical , material, human-like appearence.He made man and woman "on His image" talked with Moses "mouth to mouth" not in visions, the 70 elderly in Sinai saw a "platform under His feet (feet, ah?) and so on. On the other side, no present day person can think of God having human-like features. The greek philosophersv could distinguish between religion and philosopy They rendered cult to their Deities (not "Gods), but believed unanimously in the "Logos", lacking any physical appearence, which in our times obviously equals the concept of "God" So the ancient israelites ((not the "Jews", please") were chosen by the Deity named Jehova-Elohim, not by the universal God.
39. To #34: Hitler believed in God
JFT (Jew for Truth) ,   3rd.rock from Sun)   (05.28.12)
In the moment of Nazi Germany geatest glory, after the defeat of France, he wrote in a diary:"As for now, for all we have done, the Creator has put His seal of approval""
40. it all you have
bill ,   canada   (05.28.12)
like all inferiority complexes; jews need to be better than everyone; special; truth is you look and act like the arabs around you; no big deal
41. Jews DID NOT Say they were the Chosen People! G-D did!
Linda Rivera ,   New York, USA   (05.28.12)
Who is this mere woman to disagree with, and challenge Almighty G-D?
42. to 38: slippery slope
erick ,   texas   (05.28.12)
you know, "jew for truth" sounds more like a presbyterian replacement theologist." who's also gonna say that because they can't trace their lineage back to the 12 tribes, that "jews" currently living in israel have no more claim to the land than the arabs, eritreans, or even norwegians.... get a life JFT!
43. good article on not chosen
marcel   (05.28.12)
there is absolute proof that israelis are not the chosen people and I have said it for some time. Look at the some of its leaders: livni, olmert, beilin, ben ami, ramon, barak, peres. Thse are chosen? These guys are drek leaders, disconnected, cowardly, dumb, some criminal. If god truly felt the nation they led is chosen, then god was wrong. israel is no better than anyone else and chosen should be stricken from all its books.
44. Racism
Julius Yehuda Kahn ,   Jerusalem-Brooklyn   (05.28.12)
It's not that we were superior but that we are now. We accepted the Torah unconditionally and it changes us- if we let it. The goyim weren't gonna allow it to change them. And they forever stayed the same. (By the way Esav rejected murder, Yishmael thievery. Get your sources right.)
45. This Woman Deceives for Islam!
Linda Rivera ,   New York, USA   (05.28.12)
She declares: "Islam, which hails from the fire element, is required to assume great modesty." Stop your disgraceful propaganda and tell the TRUTH! The Koran commands Muslims to conquer ALL nations and subjugate intensely hated non-Muslims under barbaric Islamic Sharia Law where defenseless non-Muslims have NO human rights and women are treated as inferior beings.
46. maybe choosen, but soo sniffy...
Ze'ev ,   Nbg, germany   (05.28.12)
Her approach seems not to be so wrong, when I read the comments here. They are soo vain and not enlightend, imo. *sighs* we still have a long way to go, seems.
47. I already disposed it long ago
Avi   (05.28.12)
If we were chosen for anything, it would be to get picked on.
48. Jews are the chosen people
Sam ,   Texas   (05.28.12)
Jews are proof of the living G_d, who demonstrates Himself and His power to the rest of us, through His abiding relationship with His chosen people, small in number as they are, lest they attribute their deliverances to themselves......He does it for the sake of His name, and because He keeps His promises
49. Depends
israel israeli ,   tel aviv   (05.28.12)
Despite their delusions, I would still call Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot (thank you for the correction) atheists. British colonialism is mild unless you are, for example, Afrikaans (30000 dead), Sudanese (70000 dead during the Mahdi war), Turkish (the attack on the Ottoman empire in the First World War), Indian (tens of million dead, some say hundreds of million) or Jewish (by preventing the 6 million from fleeing Europe to Israel.
50. Chosen to be Redeemed.
Adam Neira ,   Paris, France   (05.28.12)
The prophecies state that at some point in human history certain secrets of the Tanach will be revealed. The concept of the "chosen" is a problematic one that has been misused throughout history by Jews and non-Jews alike. The Jewish people and all of humankind are to be chosen at a certain point in time to be redeemed, i.e. counter-balanced by a certain male figure descended patrlineally from King David via Solomon. Perhaps this is the real meaning of the word "chosen". Religious triumphalism is rapidly losing its gloss. Should the Holy Land be a place whereby a divinely mandated mission, that will be of benefit to the Jews and all nations, is enunciated and acted on ? Yes !
51. #41 Linda, you said a mouthful on that one
Noodles ,   Coney Island   (05.28.12)
52. #39 Hitler believed in God
Noodles ,   Coney Island   (05.28.12)
There's a number of people who regularly comment on this website that follow the same God, but we will not stoop to denigrating all Catholics.
53. HUMANITY IS THE CHOSEN PEOPLE
me   (05.28.12)
if there is a God,creator of everything,almighty and allpowerful,the whole humanity is the chosen people not only one race because that God would be racist
54. Don't you know the old joke?
Daniel ,   Boston   (05.28.12)
I know we are your chosen people, but couldn't you chose somebody else for a change?
55. As a Christian, we believe that all humans are Gods people!
christianpalestinian ,   las vegas   (05.28.12)
The term "chosen people" is racist and ignorant.
56. great notion in this article!
jose ,   safed   (05.28.12)
finally someone is saying the truth! all people are the same, no matter what any rabbi or organization pushes. time to wake up!
57. Idiot
dave ,   safet-phila   (05.28.12)
its like saying "God shouldn't be called the Creator" because some dame says so. Hey we didn't make the rules. And yes, whether spiritually or physically (the Jewish gene), Jews are different. Look at history. Dumb dame ....
58. @4 way, way, way,
david ,   jerusal   (05.28.12)
too many to create a thinking civilization
59. CHOSEN PEOPLE?
BEAR ,   ZEFAT, ISRAEL   (05.28.12)
Dear author, as usual a little bit of knowledge is dangerous!. Nowhere, except in the minds of a few arrogant people is stated or implied that Jews are better than anybody else! Chosen doesn't mean BETTER"! It means only what it says, chosen to do a specific job, nothing more, namely to be G-d's representatives on earth. Anyone can be a Jew and take on themselves this responsibility, the door is open to all who are sincere!. That's all of it. Next time you want to write an article DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND GET ALL THE FACTS! You are doing exactly what you are condemning everyone else for, setting yourself up as an authority over what's right and what isn't.
60. @ 31 Moshe
RC ,   USA   (05.28.12)
I would also suggest you read 2 Samuel 7:14 and ponder on it.
Previous talkbacks
Next talkbacks
Back to article