The cynic blindly refuses to consider – even to investigate – Judaism although it is something proven by Probability, history, archaeology, mathematics – proof every court would accept.
The Personal Experience Excuse Used Against Judaism
Despite everything, he claims the personal experience syndrome – that he is justified because he has no ‘personal experience’ of the supernatural in tangible terms. That is the only reason.
Even nasty little Bertie Russell wrote that if he personally heard heavenly voices he would re-consider religion. But such a revelation would probably have been caused by his quaffing too much port after dinner in College. (And I very much doubt any heavenly voices would have bothered with such an abysmal human being.)
Doubting Trusted Experiences
Cynics insist that ‘nobody I know and trust has ever had such an experience’. True, but then no one believed there could be life without oxygen or light. All scientists mocked the idea.
Then they discovered the life in the abyss of the Mariana Trench six miles down – tube worms, shrimp, crabs, sea weeds – all living in hot sulfuric acid created by hydrothermal vents. The experts’ blindness was caused by their prejudices and the ‘unbelievability’ syndrome.
Limits of Personal Experience
However the personal experience syndrome that stops you accepting matters which you and no one of whom you are aware personally have never experienced does deal with matters within the framework of your accepted reality.
Thus the Mariana Trench example is merely adjusting and widening the limits of a physical reality we all know of – the living world.
But, no one we know has in any way experienced the ‘miraculous events’ which cemented our religious belief. So we must first decide if the claims are ‘honest’ to the degree that the original claimants genuinely ‘believed’ their own experiences.
Evaluating Ancient Claims
Well, they could not have all been mentally ill or hallucinated or been tricked. We go through all these possibilities elsewhere.
Yet, we have a chain of testimony going back to an entire group who simultaneously experienced the Revelation. This is not an entirely novel claim.
Multitudes often are claimed to have witnessed miracles. However, there is not one such claim which has even the slightest chain of identification to that multitude. The individuals’ identity is lost in time.
Except for your ancestors. Here we are unique. You can trace your family back – or could a few generations ago – for centuries. Jewish DNA of course does just that. There exist lists tracking Jewish families for thousands of years literally.
Genetic Evidence of Lineage
The most prominent example of a “multi-millennial” lineage is the tradition of the Kohanim (the priestly class), who are patrilineal descendants of Aaron, the brother of Moses.
Genetic studies have provided a scientific dimension to these oral traditions, identifying a common genetic marker known as the “Cohen Modal Haplotype,” which suggests a shared ancestry among many men who identify as Kohanim, dating back roughly 3,000 years.
Some black African clans such as the Lemba, who claim to be Jewish, have clear DNA traces proving that at least one Kohen fathered that tribe’s ‘Lemba Kohanim – their ‘Bubas’.
Thus this genetic evidence extends beyond traditional Jewish communities. The Lemba always maintained an oral tradition that they are descendants of ancient Jewish migrants who settled in Africa.
And to the experts’ amazement genetic analysis of the Lemba Buba clan, has revealed a high frequency of the CMH, providing scientific support for their claim that a male of Middle Eastern, specifically Semitic, origin contributed to their ancestral lineage.
This discovery demonstrates how genetic markers can act as a biological record, corroborating long-held oral traditions regarding the migration and dispersal of ancient populations.
Further, it is amusing to note that the Lemba Buba clan have a stronger genetic line going back to the Kohanim than their pure white European Kohanim distant cousins.
Documented Jewish Lineages
The ancient, unbroken lineage of the Jews is illustrated by the numerous families with written records going back literally millennia.
Several prominent rabbinic dynasties, such as the Luria, Katzenellenbogen, and Horowitz families, have maintained meticulous genealogical records that trace their ancestry back to the medieval period and, through traditional scholarship, claim connections to figures in the Talmudic and even Biblical eras.
These are authenticated century after century by local Jewish courts and often non-Jewish records. The particular care taken in inspecting family pedigrees for matrimonial matters has always been a central feature of Jewish marriage. Your lineage had to pass inspection by your future in-laws.
Overcoming Personal Bias
But all this is unimpressive if you have to much lose if the Jewish story is true. However logical, intelligent and honest scrutiny simply cannot be silenced.
Simply because you did not know your great-great- … grandparents who passed down their personal experience as described, you cannot ignore everything we discuss.
Consider our chain of transmission of your DNA and that your ancestors did have a personal experience. This is central. The nature of the transmission of that experience is vital to the logical evidential strength of that claim.
Merely not knowing of a modern parallel is no reason to reject a fact in logic.
The Cynic’s Faith
The cynic is relying on faith.
And I am the narrow-minded one?
Remember most people believe in the faiths which sustain them – even the most ridiculous – politics, coke, cannabis, pigeon racing, secularism.
If 8 billion believe in such unproven material, why should one not believe in an irrebuttable truth merely because you subconsciously reject it as ‘unbelievable’?
Gut Reactions and Comfort
Yes, of course a gut reaction is that I am comfortable where I are, I don’t care, I’ll do what everyone does and say, ‘So we survived impossibly. It jus’ happened! We Jews got lucky. Our myth stuck.’
The cynic emotionally must believe that this Probability argument – and the Sinai argument – may be very clever, but they cannot be true.
How can he sacrifice his life to his ancestors’ mythology because of all the stuff in this book and probability? He cannot accept it.
Programmed Resistance
I agree. That is I agree that he is unable to accept. But only because it goes against everything with which he has been programmed.
Yet on what odds would you admit – must you admit – that Judaism cannot be a myth and is evidenced beyond any doubt? 50000 to 1? No. We just tried that. 100,000 to 1? No. 1,000,000 to 1? No. 1,000,000,000 to 1. Of course not.
You are not to be swayed. You are a person of absolute integrity.
Understanding Blind Faith
You have just proved to yourself that Judaism is true and would be declared so in court, but you feel you must hold on to your blind faith. Now you can understand idol worship.
And, seriously, what are most people doing with their lives? Even if they are the world champion long distance egg and spoon racer, celebrat billionaire, sarrusophonist – what are they doing with their lives? You are certainly able to see through these successes’ ‘success’.
Pragmatic Odds
So why not forget your feelings. Let us be pragmatic, you have a massive, crushing 50000 to 1 chance of being wrong; the Jew who accepts Real Judaism has a glorious, certain 50000 to 1 chance of being right.
On what odds would you throw your life away and break a 3000 year old proud noble chain? There is only a 1 in 50000 chance that today’s insane, unhappy secular world, that we blindly follow, is right, and 90% of us are following them. Seems slightly odd.
And, again, I am the lunatic?!
Impact on Future Generations
On what odds should a Jew throw away his children’s opportunity of living a pure and valuable, contented and balance life? There is only a 1 in 50000 chance that atheism and other faiths are right.
For that, he is to give any offspring a 75% certainty of divorce and unhappiness – and of course the ‘freedom to choose’(!)?
And my lot are the lunatics?!
Fulfilling Destiny
On what chance should he throw away his one single opportunity of fulfilling his destiny in his single life?? A miniscule 1 in 50000? Yes, millions of us throw ourselves into doing good or earning money or both – but they leave a bitter taste because they are not a destiny.
Remember, you would not bet a million, a thousand, fifty, ten pounds/dollars, a measly 5 cents – on a 50000 chance of losing.
Yet, 90% have given over their entire lives on those odds. A strange decision.
Basis of Choices
What is its basis – being like everyone else? I am not accusing you of, naughty, naughty, a cheering hot bacon breakfast on Saturday morning – even as a euphemism. Nor chasing ‘Fun’ – ‘enjoying’ life. Chilling out? Career? Obsession?
If you have chosen to read this book then you are not so shallow. I am certainly not accusing you of debauchery, drugs and drink – nor even the hope thereof.
It is the tranquil acceptance of the goddess Inertia that puzzles me.
And people mock Hamlet!
The Logical Conclusion
Sorry, unemotionally, there is no choice. The only honest, logical, transparent conclusion – yes, beyond any reasonable doubt – is that Real Judaism simply is true – the whole thing is supernatural.
Judaism’s survival is supernatural. The Torah said that it, and the Jews, would survive and has been proved correct. It started on that basis and survives because of this, and will continue on those terms.
Think about it.
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