"If I saw you in heaven..."
Jan. 27th, 2008 11:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ellenkushnerA friend told me that her elderly mother, who is Christian, is worrying that her late husband, a Jew, won't be able to join her in heaven when she dies, and did I know of any material on this from a Jewish perspective? Since she's probably not the only one out there worrying about this, I share with you the results of my fast research:
The JewFAQ site has a very solid page on "The World to Come," beginning "Traditional Judaism firmly believes that death is not the end of human existence. However, because Judaism is primarily focused on life here and now rather than on the afterlife, Judaism does not have much dogma about the afterlife, and leaves a great deal of room for personal opinion...."
The Jewish Outreach Institute (an organization I like a lot, that promotes inclusiveness in the Jewish community, especially for intermarried families - and which funded my Esther show) has 2 good articles that mention "the gates of heaven" being open to all:
Even though Christianity’s "New Testament" was written more than 1,000 years after the Jewish Bible, nevertheless both have passages that are harsh by modern standards. Both also have language of love and compassion, and there are many important similarities such as the Golden Rule. These similarities are not surprising since Jesus was raised as a Jew as were all of his contemporary disciples.
On the other hand, there are major philosophical differences, the most fundamental being that Jews did not, and do not, believe that Jesus, who lived and died a Jew, was the Son of God. Another central difference was that Christianity asserted that an individual had to "believe in Jesus in order to be saved," therefore denying any life in "heaven" to non-believers. In sharp contrast, the central theme of Judaism was one of universalism with the "gates of heaven" open to all who lead an exemplary life of good actions and deeds, regardless of religious creed.
The unique Jewish perspective of universalism is one of its main differences with other major religions. For instance, Jews have never looked upon Christians or Moslems as "infidels," and do not require one set of beliefs over another in order to be redeemed. Judaism’s central criterion for personal redemption is the deeds and actions that each individual performs. The "gates of heaven" are open to all, regardless of religious affiliation.
Finally, my Sound & Spirit show The Afterlife doesn't address this question directly, but gives those interested a good (and musical) overview of some of humanity's options.
I'm not really equipped to go any deeper than this; but I hope this is helpful to some.
(From St Vier's mother to theology of the afterlife . . . Yeah, it's my world; I live in it, and you can, too!)
The JewFAQ site has a very solid page on "The World to Come," beginning "Traditional Judaism firmly believes that death is not the end of human existence. However, because Judaism is primarily focused on life here and now rather than on the afterlife, Judaism does not have much dogma about the afterlife, and leaves a great deal of room for personal opinion...."
The Jewish Outreach Institute (an organization I like a lot, that promotes inclusiveness in the Jewish community, especially for intermarried families - and which funded my Esther show) has 2 good articles that mention "the gates of heaven" being open to all:
Even though Christianity’s "New Testament" was written more than 1,000 years after the Jewish Bible, nevertheless both have passages that are harsh by modern standards. Both also have language of love and compassion, and there are many important similarities such as the Golden Rule. These similarities are not surprising since Jesus was raised as a Jew as were all of his contemporary disciples.
On the other hand, there are major philosophical differences, the most fundamental being that Jews did not, and do not, believe that Jesus, who lived and died a Jew, was the Son of God. Another central difference was that Christianity asserted that an individual had to "believe in Jesus in order to be saved," therefore denying any life in "heaven" to non-believers. In sharp contrast, the central theme of Judaism was one of universalism with the "gates of heaven" open to all who lead an exemplary life of good actions and deeds, regardless of religious creed.
The unique Jewish perspective of universalism is one of its main differences with other major religions. For instance, Jews have never looked upon Christians or Moslems as "infidels," and do not require one set of beliefs over another in order to be redeemed. Judaism’s central criterion for personal redemption is the deeds and actions that each individual performs. The "gates of heaven" are open to all, regardless of religious affiliation.
Finally, my Sound & Spirit show The Afterlife doesn't address this question directly, but gives those interested a good (and musical) overview of some of humanity's options.
I'm not really equipped to go any deeper than this; but I hope this is helpful to some.
(From St Vier's mother to theology of the afterlife . . . Yeah, it's my world; I live in it, and you can, too!)
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Date: 2008-01-28 06:35 am (UTC)Of course, I haven't a clue.
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