Judaism, esp Reform Judaism is completely different from Christianity & Islam
The latter two are Master/Slave religions - God made in the image of the Master of the past - the King, Dictator
Jesus indeed is certainly different.
What Master do you know that could be so humble to kneel down and washes his servants feet?
Do you know of any dictators who do that?
God Rama did that, but anyway, that is not what this is about
"Heaven only if you are with Jesus" results in a SEGREGATED Heaven for members only
It is not about morals, values - but about belief, religion
The few, the favored are rewarded, the vast majority to suffer in Hell
Well, just like North Korea
.
The Terminology - "Commandments, Submit(Islam means submission), beg, obey, judge, wrath, punish, mercy, forgive, FEAR" - ALL Slave/Servant words - completely absent in Hinduism, Buddhism
The word Lord - short for Lord & Master - again a slave word has crept into other religions - I am trying to get it out of Teacher/Student faiths - Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism
.
What Father asks his son to MURDER his own Son and What Son would hurry to obey?
What Father asks for belief, loyalty, submission to him and him alone & if such demands are not met, tortures his children in hell
for all eternity?
What son gets down on his knees before his father, begs for mercy shaking with Fear?
.
A child, once an adult, leaves the nest - the story of Adam - he must now fend for himself, face the world on his own
The Slave/servant stays with his Master - expects to be taken care of by him - Heaven
"Get down on our knees, beg, submit, obey & sing his praises. Pleased, He will reward
Those that do not kneel to our Master must be hated and punished"
Like living in North Korea
Rams, a Sugar Daddy in North Korea?
How does Sugar Daddy synonymously come in with Dictator again in your argument?
The ideas are not static
Innocent primitive people living under Kings, Dictators used them as a template for God
Hence the terminology that I used above
Later on the religious heads expanded on it - Heaven the easy good life for eternity! yay!
But every time I ask - what does one DO there? What WORK? Why does God need you in Heaven?
Why shouldn't God see you coming and go "Here come another shameless freeloader?"
Tell me, what value you add to Heaven?
Hence a Sugar Daddy for shameless yes-men, sycophants, cronies
.
Judaism shares ideas with Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism - Teacher/Student faiths
A slave may serve only One Master - hence the One God in Christianity & Islam - but in life one has many a Teacher
It goes way way back and there is a link between them. I came across an interesting theist researcher who highlighted the connection a few years ago.
The many prophets or Teachers in Judaism & Sikhism, the many Gods in Hinduism
Buddhism fails in this regard but we do know that the Buddha was a Teacher
The tell is when the Buddha said, "Follow my teachings, not me"
Christianity & Islam are different - it is not the teachings but the person that is important
The bible, OT, acknowledges and mentions there were many gods an deities, world wide including the hindu gods (no suprise to the simularities, thats another interesting conversation).
The teachings and the person are important in Christianity, yes that would be different.
Only ONE GOD! Only One Master
"Good works won't get you into Heaven"
Nothing to do with knowledge, making God - our teacher - Proud
Everything to do with the easy lazy life & we get it if we blindly believe, beg, grovel to the "right" God!
Very simple primitive ideas of God
Belief, loyalty, support is what matters, not actions, works
In Teacher/Student faiths - actions alone matter - the goal is to make God Proud
To reach for the Hand of God
In Christianity & Islam the goal is Heaven - Pleasures of the flesh
Pleasure of the flesh, has always always been emphasised as being the temptation to sin. Its the otherway round Rama. Heaven is for the tired and weary, the victims of hardship, sickness and bloodshed. The 'pleasures of the flesh' is certainly not the top of their list. you couldn't get in if it were.
somehow you forgot the threats of hell to unbelievers who are also tired and weary, the victims of hardship etc
The afterworld would be like being Jews in a Nazi afterworld - entire families, women, children even babies! - set apart based
on belief, religion and callously dumped into gas chambers in hell
amazing how blind you remain to the suffering of others
.
So if Heaven is for the tired and weary, you admit that it is a place of rest - doing nothing
Well sir, again the life of a Dog, Pet - you get your Heaven!
Occam's Razor - no need to create an entire world just for lazy people to sit around shamelessly sponging off God
Just make them Dogs - they get their Heaven!
Win, win!