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soc.culture.jewish FAQ: Jewish Thought (6/12)
Section - Question 12.29: Why does the Torah talk about Other Gods?

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                                  Answer:
   
   We've all seen the lines in the Ten Commandments:
   
     Thou shalt not have no other gods before me
     
     Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of
     likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the
     earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
     
   These sentences are among the more problematic ones. Why is there a
   reference to "other Gods"? The problem is that for those who don't
   understand that this is a short-hand of an idea, they may think that
   the God is recognizing the existence of other gods (which was
   extremely common in Greek times). This is not the case. Rather, this
   is a commentary on the nature of man, who at times sets up other
   things/beings as gods, whether it is idol worship in India, the
   worship of the Greek gods, the duality of the Zoroastrans, or
   (nowadays) the workshop of money or the priority of our workplace.

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Top Document: soc.culture.jewish FAQ: Jewish Thought (6/12)
Previous Document: Question 12.28: What does the Torah mean by Abomination?
Next Document: Question 12.30: What is the purpose of life? Why did G-d create man?

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