Chosen people
The concept of "Chosen People" is a religious idea primarily associated with Judaism, but also recognized in Christianity and Islam, referring to individuals or groups believed to be specially selected by God for favor and protection. This notion has its roots in sacred texts, notably the Book of Deuteronomy, where it is stated that the Israelites are God's treasured people. The belief implies a covenant in which the chosen fulfill certain responsibilities in exchange for divine blessings.
While Jewish interpretations often emphasize a role in spreading awareness of a singular God and promoting moral values, this designation has sparked controversy and debate. Some view the claim of being chosen as a source of strength and comfort, particularly during periods of persecution, yet it has also been critiqued as potentially leading to claims of superiority or racism.
Christianity and Islam also assert their own connections to the concept, with Christians believing in a new covenant through Jesus Christ and Muslims tracing their lineage back to Abraham, who is considered a patriarch in all three faiths. Additionally, various interpretations exist within Judaism itself, with some contemporary scholars and movements questioning the implications of being labeled as the chosen ones, especially in light of historical suffering and discrimination against Jewish people.
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Chosen people
Chosen people is a religious concept that refers to people chosen by God for special favor and protection. While it is commonly associated with Judaism, Christians and Muslims have also made claim to being God's chosen people. The concept has its origins in the sacred texts of these three religions, especially the Book of Deuteronomy, which is part of both Jewish and Christian scriptures. There is disagreement about what the concept means, to whom it extends, and its importance, and some people have even dismissed the idea of God having a chosen people as racist.
Background
The idea that those of Jewish faith are God's chosen people comes from several passages in the sacred texts known to Jews as the Torah and to Christians as the Old Testament of the Bible. The text most commonly associated with God designating Jews as the chosen people is the Book of Deuteronomy. This book in the Jewish Torah has a line that says that God has chosen the Israelites to be his treasured people from among all humankind (Deuteronomy 14). This was interpreted to mean that the Jewish people had a special agreement, or covenant, with God; the people would worship only one God and would obey God's commands, and God would bless, protect, and provide for the Israelites.
Other texts in the Torah and Old Testament, however, have provided some room for an alternative interpretation. For example, all three faiths—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—consider Abraham to be a patriarch. Sacred texts for the three faiths trace their history to Abraham, who is credited with being the first person to recognize God as the one and only God at a time when people believed in many gods. The texts say that God told Abraham to take his family and move from where he lived to a new place. In exchange for this trust and obedience, God promised to make Abraham a father of a great nation and to bless all nations through him. Later, the texts say that Abraham had two sons. His son Isaac had descendants who became the nations of Israel, which eventually led to the birth of Jesus and, through him, the establishment of Christianity. The other son of Abraham, Ishmael, was a pivotal figure in the foundation of Islam. As a result, all three faiths claim to be part of God's chosen people.
Overview
In addition to the reference in Deuteronomy to the Israelites being God's chosen people, a verse also references this in the Book of Genesis. In this verse, God tells the Jewish people that there will be a covenant between the people and God for all generations (Genesis 17). Many followers of Judaism see this as not only a promise from God but also a requirement that rests on the chosen people to live up to God's expectations and fulfill the purpose set for them in the covenant. Throughout the ages, rabbis and scholars have debated and discussed the meaning of this, and many other texts have been written that lay out what this means. While there have been a variety of answers, one common view is that since Jews, through Abraham, were the first to recognize God as the one true God, their purpose is to spread this knowledge throughout the world. Based on other commandments issued in the sacred scriptures, Jews are also sometimes said to have the task of encouraging people to love each other, care for the less fortunate, and value life in all forms.
This designation has proven to be both a source of strength and trouble for the Jewish people. In times of persecution and hardship, many have taken comfort from knowing that they have God's favor and that God's blessings will be on them in time. On the other hand, the fact that Jews regard themselves as God's chosen people has been seen as racist and has been used to accuse them of wanting to have more power than others. The claim has also been the basis of some of the anti-Semitic attacks against Jewish people over the centuries.
How those of the Jewish faith were picked by God to be the chosen people is never explained in the Torah or the Old Testament. However, at least one Jewish text that is not part of the Torah claims that God went to every other nation on earth, offering them the opportunity to be the chosen people and was turned down repeatedly by people who found God's requirements to be too difficult. This rabbinic text claims that the Jewish people were the last ones approached by God. This text is thought by some to explain why God did not withdraw favored status from the Israelites even when they were repeatedly disobedient and "stiff-necked" as some biblical texts phrase it.
Although it is a well-known concept, it has become common for Jews to avoid mention of the chosen people status. It is not included among the thirteen articles of rabbi and philosopher Moses Maimonides. Also known as Rambam, Maimonides laid out thirteen concepts that he said all Jews are required to believe or else be considered a heretic, or believer of something in opposition to true faith. Other Jewish scholars followed suit. These included Mordecai Kaplan, the twentieth-century humanist who established Reconstructionist Judaism. Kaplan took issue with the idea that a good and loving God would single out one people for his favor.
Some outside of Judaism might also question the "chosen" status of the Jewish people. They point to centuries of persecution and discrimination, especially the massive loss the Jews as a people experienced in the Holocaust during World War II (1939–1945) and the ongoing hostilities against their homeland, the nation of Israel. Others claim that Christians, who believe that the life and ministry of Jesus Christ established a second covenant between God and the followers of Christ, are also among the chosen people. Muslims, many of whom consider Abraham to be a Muslim instead of a Jew, say they are the chosen people. Other people state that the title can belong to all who worship God and obey his commandments.
Bibliography
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