A question for Jewish people: do you believe in an afterlife?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the Old Testament, Saul consulted a medium. To me, that supports there being an afterlife, but we are to leave them alone and let them rest. It is interesting that most responses are no in this thread.

Do you also believe in mediums?

I think I do. I would not consult one. I think they communicate with something we are not to communicate with on this side. I don't think all that call themselves mediums are mediums and I don't think all the spirits they say they see are who they say they are, but I don't know. I think there is a lot unknown in this world. I think there are things we are to leave alone and I have no problem leaving them alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, I can’t stand Trump or the Kushners, but your question is inane and offensive. There is no “word on the street” as to what Jews think of them. Because Jews are, you know, people. With a diverse range of perspectives.

Yes, but that's why in this country we have the Jewish vote, white vote, ....

Just curious. Are you saying most Jews don't identify as white?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, I can’t stand Trump or the Kushners, but your question is inane and offensive. There is no “word on the street” as to what Jews think of them. Because Jews are, you know, people. With a diverse range of perspectives.

Yes, but that's why in this country we have the Jewish vote, white vote, Black vote, Catholic vote, with ads and campaigns designed to each group etc. Of course all people have diverse opinions, I mean you have Black votes for Trump, but in general?

Why can’t we go to the Religion Forum and read a thread that doesn’t insult Trump or his family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, I can’t stand Trump or the Kushners, but your question is inane and offensive. There is no “word on the street” as to what Jews think of them. Because Jews are, you know, people. With a diverse range of perspectives.

Yes, but that's why in this country we have the Jewish vote, white vote, Black vote, Catholic vote, with ads and campaigns designed to each group etc. Of course all people have diverse opinions, I mean you have Black votes for Trump, but in general?

Why can’t we go to the Religion Forum and read a thread that doesn’t insult Trump or his family?

That was an insult to Trump and his family? Hoo boy, I'm not that PP but don't give me permission to let it rip against Trump or his family. They have dragged Christianity through the muck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, I can’t stand Trump or the Kushners, but your question is inane and offensive. There is no “word on the street” as to what Jews think of them. Because Jews are, you know, people. With a diverse range of perspectives.

Yes, but that's why in this country we have the Jewish vote, white vote, Black vote, Catholic vote, with ads and campaigns designed to each group etc. Of course all people have diverse opinions, I mean you have Black votes for Trump, but in general?

Why can’t we go to the Religion Forum and read a thread that doesn’t insult Trump or his family?

Because most of the posters in the religion forum possess at least minimal cognitive abilities, despite their differences of beliefs and opinions on the forum's topic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, I can’t stand Trump or the Kushners, but your question is inane and offensive. There is no “word on the street” as to what Jews think of them. Because Jews are, you know, people. With a diverse range of perspectives.

Yes, but that's why in this country we have the Jewish vote, white vote, Black vote, Catholic vote, with ads and campaigns designed to each group etc. Of course all people have diverse opinions, I mean you have Black votes for Trump, but in general?

Why can’t we go to the Religion Forum and read a thread that doesn’t insult Trump or his family?

Is it against your religion to speak ill of the president?

Is it taboo in your religion to mention any subject besides your religion when discussing a religious topic?

Are you a Trump supporter who opposes hearing anything negative about him?

[Anonymous]

No, don't believe in the afterlife. Also, don't believe in miracles or magic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, I can’t stand Trump or the Kushners, but your question is inane and offensive. There is no “word on the street” as to what Jews think of them. Because Jews are, you know, people. With a diverse range of perspectives.

Yes, but that's why in this country we have the Jewish vote, white vote, ....

Just curious. Are you saying most Jews don't identify as white?

I think most white Jews do (Black, Latino/a and Asian Jews also exist). White Jews recognize that we enjoy White privilege in the US, but we remember that we're not always considered white by everybody. My rabbi in college who was from Germany remembered seeing the boots of the Nazis who came to arrest his dad from where he (rabbi) was hiding under the bed. I've never experienced much anti-Semitism, but I've experienced it a few times totally out of the blue -- like at a big work dinner when a guy senior to me suddenly started loudly ranting about Jews being greedy and clannish, and a bunch of people seemed to agree with him. Or the parent of a high school friend who didn't think it was right that I "dated white women." Of course, this is NOTHING compared to what many POC experience on a daily basis.

[Anonymous]

I used to believe in an afterlife but no longer do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting that so many people said no. What about Olam Haba? https://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/25/Q2/

1. The thing that isn't well understood about Judaism by those who are not Jewish is that within Judaism there is a wide range of opinions. Most Jews don't really think about an afterlife that much. It just isnt' the focus of the faith. We have myths, alegories and stories, but generally it just isn't wehere we put much thought.

2. Ohr Somayach is not a mainstream group. I don't know the group, but they are faaaaar from mainstream.

[Anonymous]

shut up about Kushner, already.

We Jews do not speak with one voice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting that so many people said no. What about Olam Haba? https://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/25/Q2/

1. The thing that isn't well understood about Judaism by those who are not Jewish is that within Judaism there is a wide range of opinions. Most Jews don't really think about an afterlife that much. It just isnt' the focus of the faith. We have myths, alegories and stories, but generally it just isn't wehere we put much thought.

2. Ohr Somayach is not a mainstream group. I don't know the group, but they are faaaaar from mainstream.

Orthodox Judaism believes in an afterlife. It's pretty fundamental to our faith. Ohr Somayach is mainstream Orthodox.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, I can’t stand Trump or the Kushners, but your question is inane and offensive. There is no “word on the street” as to what Jews think of them. Because Jews are, you know, people. With a diverse range of perspectives.

Yes, but that's why in this country we have the Jewish vote, white vote, Black vote, Catholic vote, with ads and campaigns designed to each group etc. Of course all people have diverse opinions, I mean you have Black votes for Trump, but in general?

Why can’t we go to the Religion Forum and read a thread that doesn’t insult Trump or his family?

What's insulting about saying that some Blacks vote for Trump?

[Anonymous]

Orthodox Jews believe in the biblical dogma which includes the returning of the Moshiach..Messiah. Mainstream Jews celebrate the ethnicity and culture, and give nod to the dogma without believing the literal biblical aspects, and there is a large spectrum of practice, or no practice and belief, or no belief.So, your question involves a lot of cultural contextual schema.


An Orthodox woman once explained to me that she was looking forward to the Moshiach coming because she would then have her dream kitchen.

What I learned from this? Heaven and the afterlife is dependent upon one's perception of their actual life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting that so many people said no. What about Olam Haba? https://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/25/Q2/

1. The thing that isn't well understood about Judaism by those who are not Jewish is that within Judaism there is a wide range of opinions. Most Jews don't really think about an afterlife that much. It just isnt' the focus of the faith. We have myths, alegories and stories, but generally it just isn't wehere we put much thought.

2. Ohr Somayach is not a mainstream group. I don't know the group, but they are faaaaar from mainstream.

Orthodox Judaism believes in an afterlife. It's pretty fundamental to our faith. Ohr Somayach is mainstream Orthodox.

The web page certainly seems a bit more messiah-focused to be anything like the Orthodox I know.

But even among the Orthodox, Jews really don't put the emphasis on the afterlife in the way the Christians do.