Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site agrigene.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!unc!mcnc!decvax!genrad!grkermi!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!uwvax!astroatc!nicmad!agrigene!buchbind From: buchbind@agrigene.UUCP Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: Re: Re Rights Message-ID: <124@agrigene.UUCP> Date: Mon, 10-Jun-85 14:12:24 EDT Article-I.D.: agrigene.124 Posted: Mon Jun 10 14:12:24 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 12-Jun-85 20:19:49 EDT References: <593@sfmag.UUCP> Organization: Agrigenetics Madison,Wi. Lines: 37 > As an aside, Christianity attempts, on the one hand to subscribe > to the Torah, and on the other hand to advocate tolerance towards > some practices which the Torah views harshly. The liberal > tendencies of modern humanism stem in part from such biases which > are tracable to Christianity. Again, the issue of capital > punishment is a case in point. Christianity may "advocate tolerance towards some practices which the Torah views harshly" but it is not tolerant per se. Remember, Judaism introduced the world to the idea of a universal God but it was Christianity that introduced the idea of universal religion. Modern humanism is a secular movement even if it origionated in Christian surroundings. (For example, the Catholic Church and many Protestant denominations disaprove of the practice of homosexually.) I would argue that humanism in this century has been greatly influenced by Jews who were trying to cultivate in society a sense of tolerance that would make the types of oppression we (and others) experiened over the centuries less acceptable in Western societies. I'm not sure what the point on capital punishment is. If you are implying that the Torah approves the death penalty while liberal Americans do not, I seem to remember some Talmudic citation that referred to a court that would apply the death penalty (more than once in 70 yrs.) in very disapproving terms. As for Christianity's disaprovaly of executions, you will recall burning at the stake and other nasty forms of death were used by the Catholic Church and some Protestant denominations at various times. Barry Buchbinder 5649 E. Buckeye Rd. Madison, WI 53716 (608)221-5000 {seismo,ihnp4,harpo}!uwvax!astroatc!nicmad!agrigene!buchbind -- Barry Buchbinder 5649 E. Buckeye Rd. Madison, WI 53716 (608)221-5000 {seismo,ihnp4,harpo}!uwvax!astroatc!nicmad!agrigene!buchbind