Tell them your religion is Judaism

Still thinking about that video from Rod Bryant on the YouTube channel, “NetivOnline.” I’ve made a few comments about it on a few previous articles, normally in a negative light. But then again, I view much (not all) of what he says in a negative light, not because I dislike the guy – I don’t know him personally and have never interacted with him – but whenever I stumble on one of his teachings, not often, he normally says stuff I disagree with. It’s just life, I guess.

Anyway, the video is below is case you wanna enjoy it.

You may enjoy it more than I and get positivity from it. It’s all good. Just because we accept the seven laws, that doesn’t mean we’re now on the same side and we all agree.

Anyway, just after the five-minute mark, about 5:12, he says:

Misconception number three: Noahide is a Gentile religion, right? For the non-Jew. No. Noahides’ religion is what? Judaism and Torah . Now we say, ‘wait, you, you’re not Jewish; that means you’re claiming to be a Jew!‘ No, I’m not claiming to be a Jew. What I’m saying is, my faith is Judaism, as it is subscribed (sic) to the non-Jew. So we live our lives according to Jewish law and traditions that are prescribed to us from the Torah. That’s pretty simple, cut and dry … but sometimes it’s easier to say, ‘my religion is Jewish, but I’m not Jewish.’

You know, the bit I agree with in this portion is what the person’s response would be when told the “the Noahide’s religion is Judaism.” As I’ve said before, if the adherent of christianity be a christian and the adherent of buddhism be a buddhist, then it’s reasonable to conclude that a person claiming to be an adherent of Judaism is a Jew. Even if a person were to see the longer derivative, “Judah,” that would still have nothing to do with a Gentile, a non-Jew, a “non-Judahite.”

But Bryant says no, that Judaism is a “faith” you can subscribe to. He says that some group of people he is part of, some “we,” – most likely imposing his conclusions upon all “noahides” – live their lives according to Jewish law and tradition.

What is a noahide, according to Bryant in this video? He talks later in the video, around the 14-minute mark, about not wanting to use the word “noahide” too much, not liking it, and he has a personal distaste for the word “Gentile” due to incorrect reasoning concerning the English language and what “Gentile” means and what he projects onto the word. He prefers “righteous non-Jew” for himself. So maybe “noahide” is “righteous non-Jew.” That would seem to fit his belief that the religion of a “noahide” or “righteous non-Jew” is Judaism.

Makes sense, right?

So he would then be claiming that righteous non-Jews live their lives by “Jewish law and traditions.”

So what’s my issue with this? Why am I writing about?

Well, partly because I want to keep my mind busy with issues surrounding the seven laws, something positive. Another reason is that I think he’s wrong enough for me to comment and share my ideas.

I think his position is not easy, simple, cut-and-dry. The fact that someone can mistake him for a Jew by what he says is a sign of that. I think inaccurate language is a source of confusion and his presentation has a good amount of such inaccurate language.

Let me lay out my reasoning.

The seven laws are not “Jewish law.” I believe “Jewish law” is typically understood in a similar way to “English law” or “American law.” English law is the law imposed on English people. American law is the law imposed on American people. Jewish law is the law for Jews!

The seven laws aren’t even Judaism’s laws for Gentiles, as if the Jewish religion is the source of the seven laws, created by the rabbis.

The seven laws are laws that God commanded for non-Jews that were recounted in Jewish tradition. So, to be accurate, the seven laws are Gentile laws and obligations recounted in Jewish tradition.

So a Gentile is not walking a Jewish path. It’s not a Jewish path. *chuckle* I have to laugh at the fact that that link I just supplied, the one under the words “it’s not a Jewish path,” points to another article of mine that was influenced by another of Bryant’s appearances.

Anyway, …

“Judaism” is not the religion of the Bible, the Tanach. The Israelites of Moses’ day were not adherents of some religion. In fact, there’s not even a biblically Hebrew word for “religion.” “Religion” is a Gentile concept. The biblical history of Torah and the Jews is much more grounded and nationalistic than the airy-fairy “religion,” a belief-clique of which you can be part if you just have the right mental convictions. A Moabite continually living in Moab but rejected the idols of his land and avoided the divinely forbidden acts did not automatically become part of the nation of Israel, even if he claimed to believe in Israel’s god.

“Judaism” is the way the history and tradition of the Jews could be communicated to and grasped by Gentile minds, in the erroneous form of a belief-based clique. It’s far from a perfect fit but it does a rough job. If one is faithful to the derivation from religion-name to religion-adherent, you can still get the idea that this “belief-clique” is actually nationalistic, confined to the nation of Jews.

So, to go back to Bryant’s words, what is the religion of a “righteous non-Jew?” As a person striving to be a good person, not being a Jew, and speaking for myself, is my religion “Judaism and Torah?” Am I trying to live by Jewish law and tradition as they, the Jewish law and tradition, applies to Gentiles? Of course not! Why? Because I’m not a Jew and therefore, logically, not an adherent to the Jewish religion. Not being a Jew, it would be silly of me to try to live by by Jewish law.

Can it even be said that I have a religion? Not sure. Judaism isn’t my religion. And on forms I have to fill in that ask about religion, nothing there relates to my acknowledgement of God, and I’m not supposed to make up a new religion.

Bryant’s suggestion that I declare that my religion is Judaism and Torah I must reject. “Torah” isn’t a religion but rather a body of laws, teaching and history. I’m not a Jew so my religion isn’t Judaism. Alan Cecil would say to me that the role of a Gentile is not to create or maintain a religion but to help create a just society. I agree with Cecil.

So, David the contrarian, if someone were to ask you what your religion is, what would you say?

Well, because I’m pedantic, I’d be more wordy than Bryant, possible more wordy than most. Plus it depends who I’m talking to. A generic answer would be like this:

“Well, I don’t think I have a religion. But when people ask me that, they’re normally asking if I believe in God. I don’t use the word “belief” myself; I know that God exists. But I get the main part of my moral principles from the parts of the Jewish traditions that speaks about how Gentiles, how non-Jews, should live.”

I think I’m happier with that. But you? Do what you like. To each his own. I just want to be accurate with my words.

Hmmm … I remember talking about this sort of thing to someone. I’m sure I can say all that in a more concise way that encourages the sort of questions that can start a little conversation with strangers. Try this.

“I’m a classical theist; I get my foundational morality from the parts of Jewish tradition that talks about how Gentiles, non-Jews, should live.”

That’s a bit shorter and I’m likely to be asked what a classical theist is which can produce a bit more of a conversation. Thankfully, I’m less likely to be asked if I’m a Jew.

So no, it’s not true that my “religion” is Jewish while I’m not a Jew.