Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Question & Answer With "Believing Gentile" - Torah & The Internet

(Map courtesy of refugees.org)

A Simple Jew asks:

It is obvious that the internet is a tremendously powerful medium to spread Torah to the four corners of the earth. How has the dissemination of Torah teachings via the internet helped you as a Bas Noach who accesses these teachings via a computer in South East Asia?

"Believing Gentile" responds:

Before the Internet came, I had never heard of the words, "Noahide" or "seven laws". Without the Internet I would not have "unlearned" idolatry and learned about G-d.

I was brought up as a Christian and had my basic education in a convent school. The system was good, discipline stringent, school uniforms below the knee, and other such things. But there were statues everywhere, and we got into the habit of kissing them, touching the holy water, and praying so earnestly to the statues, that now, after studying the Noahide laws, I am totally aghast at my ignorance of the past. I was scared of the devil spearing me when I did a sin, I thought all was hopeless, I thought of the original sin we are born with and so much more.

My Torah tutor had a wonderful way of starting my studies. He told me to go out and ask all the questions that I had about Christianity. I did an online correspondence course on the New Testament with the World Wide Church of God in Pasadena and studied with the Seventh Day Adventist church. I hopped from denomination to denomination seeking the truth.

My Torah tutor on the Internet then disproved every Christian teaching with loads of back up. We spent almost a year unlearning my Christian scriptures. He emptied me of my years of idolatry, and started teaching me from the basics. He made me into a vacuum and started teaching me the holy Tanach.

Every question I asked, he answered - from King David and Bathsheba to Judah and Tamar. And, from these accounts to the reason King Jepthah had to sacrifice his daughter, knowing G-d does not allow human sacrifices. I never stopped asking questions. I remember that we went over King David and Bathsheba for over a year until I was satisfied.

Today my two sons and I might be the only Noahides around here. My husband continues to be an observant Hindu.

When I pray I know G-d hears, that he is not in Heaven looking down from a far off place, but is everywhere. The holy Baal Shem Tov wrote that we can *see* G-d, in His creations, the birds, nature, everywhere. When we fall, He is there to help us up again no matter how many times we fall. There is never a time barrier to teshuvah.

Today, because of the Internet the light of the Torah is reaching to many, even in the darkest corners of the world , and for the first time, I know of the Light to all nations.

If I did not have the Internet there is no way I could have studied what I have studied or known what I do now. G-d has blessed me with many teachers and friends, and given me an understanding at my level, to strengthen my faith enough , prayerfully, not to slip back to my idolatrous past. I am very attached to the Chassidic teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, Chabad, Breslov, and other. I respect and honor all the holy sages. One of my favorite prayers which I try to say often and strengthen myself is that of Reb Nosson of Breslov: Protect me from all extraneous fears, so that I will not be afraid of anything or anyone in the world..... Let me only fear You at all times.

9 Comments:

At October 10, 2007 at 12:57:00 PM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Believing Gentile" has been corresponding by email with me for several years, and I couldn't be more impressed with her sincerity and strength of character. How she gained the knowledge of Judaism she possessses is equally amazing.

May Hashem bless her and her loved ones with health, happiness, and continued success in their devotion to G-d and the Noachide laws; and may we as Jews live up to our divine mandate to be a "light to the nations" by aspiring to everything that the Torah wants us to exemplify!

 
At October 10, 2007 at 1:20:00 PM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Is it true, that brahmins themselves don't believe that in worshiping statues, but common Hindus often really do so?

There are some sources that connect brahmins with Avraham.

 
At October 10, 2007 at 2:20:00 PM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you for the posting!

I hope we will see more "believing Gentile" postings in the future! May she have good health and success and merit to see the geula sheleima speedily in our days.

 
At October 10, 2007 at 3:27:00 PM EDT, Blogger Alice said...

Lovely!

 
At October 10, 2007 at 3:28:00 PM EDT, Blogger Alice said...

Feel free to email me if you ever want to chat with another Bat Noach. We are a bit hard to find.

 
At October 10, 2007 at 4:56:00 PM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I expect a wave of conversions within the next few years. Judaism has never competed with other religions on an even ground but on the internet it does. Therei is, of course, a lag time to leaning, and the internet phenomenon is not that old, but soon we will be hearing about more and more people who came to Yiddishkeit or being B'nei Noach through it.

 
At October 10, 2007 at 5:19:00 PM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

B"H
Here's a second to Rav Dovid Sears. Blessings to our BG from Eretz Yisrael, LB

 
At October 11, 2007 at 12:51:00 AM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

My wife and I both accept the שבע מצוות בני נח and we are moving forward in learning and implementing more all the time about Judaism that is appropriate for us. For example, we keep a totally kosher kitchen and separate meat and milk, eat only kosher meat (this is very important so as to avoid eating blood) and milk. Certainly we don't have anything to do with non-Torah religions. I actively encourage the not-yet-observant Jews I meet to get even a little bit closer to their Judaism.

And all of this wouldn't have been possible without the Torah that is available on the internet. The redemption won't be televised--it's being webcast as we type.

Here are some more encouraging stories: http://www.ou.org/news/article/ous_magazine_spotlights_remarkable_stories_of_converts

 
At October 11, 2007 at 3:56:00 AM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

shalom to all, my name is Carlos Rojas and im a Bnei Noach too!, im from Honduras - Latin America, and i love the Rebbe of Lubavitch, Baal Shem Tov, the Breslov Rebbe , im so happy, that i found the TRUE! toda raba to HaShem!!

 

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