Fractal Bounce on Nostr: The Myth of Judeo-Christianity The term "Judeo-Christianity" is a modern construct, ...
The Myth of Judeo-Christianity
The term "Judeo-Christianity" is a modern construct, and a highly misleading one at that. It attempts to place the Jewish story at the core of Christianity when the evidence suggests that the two are fundamentally incompatible. Christianity is centered on Christ, who came to expose and remove the gatekeepers of religion—including Judaism, which He described as a system built on human tradition, hypocrisy, and control (Mark 7:6-8). Far from endorsing it, Christ openly condemned its leadership and practices, labeling them as barriers to the truth (Matthew 23:13).
Abraham himself was from Ur of the Chaldeans—he was not Jewish (who did not exist at the time), but rather a product of a broader Mesopotamian culture with shared deities and practices. Judaism’s narrative as a unique and divinely mandated faith collapses under scrutiny when compared with other cultures of the region. The gods of the Hebrews were, in fact, iterations of Canaanite deities, much like the gods of their neighbors, all of whom claimed special covenants with their chosen gods. The idea of being "chosen" by a deity was a common cultural motif, not a divinely exclusive truth.
The synthesis of the Old Testament (OT) with the New Testament (NT) was not mandated by divine command but was an editorial process shaped by the agendas of those in power during the early centuries of Christianity. This is evident in the fact that early Christian communities, including prominent figures like Marcion of Sinope, did not consider the OT part of the Christian canon. Marcion even argued that the god of the OT was incompatible with the teachings of Christ—a claim that resonates with the stark contrast between the vengeful, tribal deity of the OT and the universal, all-loving Father revealed by Jesus.
In reality, you could just as easily synthesize Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, or other spiritual traditions with the NT. In fact, many aspects of Zoroastrianism, such as its dualistic view of good versus evil, its eschatological framework, and its emphasis on a savior figure, align far more closely with the NT than the OT does. Similarly, Buddhism’s teachings on compassion, renunciation, and the transcendence of worldly attachments echo the ethos of Christ's message.
Judaism, by contrast, functions more as a gatekeeper religion, steeped in exclusivity, ritualism, and legalism—all of which Christ sought to dismantle. The insistence on presenting Judaism as the "root" of Christianity is a later theological construct, force-fed into the Christian narrative to align the NT with an older tradition. This effort obscures the fact that Judaism was not unique but part of the cultural-religious milieu of the ancient Near East, sharing much with its contemporaries.
In the first centuries of Christianity, the OT was not universally considered Part 1 of the NT. The early church often operated without the OT entirely, relying solely on the teachings of Christ and the apostles. The idea that the OT is foundational to Christianity was a post hoc imposition, designed to legitimize the continuity of the two texts. But when examined closely, the OT serves more as a contrast to the NT than as its precursor.
In truth, the message of Christ stands on its own—a revolutionary call to transcend religious systems, reject gatekeeping, and embrace a direct, personal connection with God. By tethering Christianity to the OT and Judaism, the radical and universal nature of Christ's teachings is diluted, replaced by a narrative that serves institutional agendas rather than spiritual truth.
The term "Judeo-Christianity" is a modern construct, and a highly misleading one at that. It attempts to place the Jewish story at the core of Christianity when the evidence suggests that the two are fundamentally incompatible. Christianity is centered on Christ, who came to expose and remove the gatekeepers of religion—including Judaism, which He described as a system built on human tradition, hypocrisy, and control (Mark 7:6-8). Far from endorsing it, Christ openly condemned its leadership and practices, labeling them as barriers to the truth (Matthew 23:13).
Abraham himself was from Ur of the Chaldeans—he was not Jewish (who did not exist at the time), but rather a product of a broader Mesopotamian culture with shared deities and practices. Judaism’s narrative as a unique and divinely mandated faith collapses under scrutiny when compared with other cultures of the region. The gods of the Hebrews were, in fact, iterations of Canaanite deities, much like the gods of their neighbors, all of whom claimed special covenants with their chosen gods. The idea of being "chosen" by a deity was a common cultural motif, not a divinely exclusive truth.
The synthesis of the Old Testament (OT) with the New Testament (NT) was not mandated by divine command but was an editorial process shaped by the agendas of those in power during the early centuries of Christianity. This is evident in the fact that early Christian communities, including prominent figures like Marcion of Sinope, did not consider the OT part of the Christian canon. Marcion even argued that the god of the OT was incompatible with the teachings of Christ—a claim that resonates with the stark contrast between the vengeful, tribal deity of the OT and the universal, all-loving Father revealed by Jesus.
In reality, you could just as easily synthesize Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, or other spiritual traditions with the NT. In fact, many aspects of Zoroastrianism, such as its dualistic view of good versus evil, its eschatological framework, and its emphasis on a savior figure, align far more closely with the NT than the OT does. Similarly, Buddhism’s teachings on compassion, renunciation, and the transcendence of worldly attachments echo the ethos of Christ's message.
Judaism, by contrast, functions more as a gatekeeper religion, steeped in exclusivity, ritualism, and legalism—all of which Christ sought to dismantle. The insistence on presenting Judaism as the "root" of Christianity is a later theological construct, force-fed into the Christian narrative to align the NT with an older tradition. This effort obscures the fact that Judaism was not unique but part of the cultural-religious milieu of the ancient Near East, sharing much with its contemporaries.
In the first centuries of Christianity, the OT was not universally considered Part 1 of the NT. The early church often operated without the OT entirely, relying solely on the teachings of Christ and the apostles. The idea that the OT is foundational to Christianity was a post hoc imposition, designed to legitimize the continuity of the two texts. But when examined closely, the OT serves more as a contrast to the NT than as its precursor.
In truth, the message of Christ stands on its own—a revolutionary call to transcend religious systems, reject gatekeeping, and embrace a direct, personal connection with God. By tethering Christianity to the OT and Judaism, the radical and universal nature of Christ's teachings is diluted, replaced by a narrative that serves institutional agendas rather than spiritual truth.