[barb]

We believe
1) there is one God, and this God cannot be made of parts, even if they are mysteriously united.
2) Jesus was just a human not the literal son of God, except the metaphorical sense in which all humans are children of God, he cannot save souls only God can, and he did not rise from the dead.
3) we dont accept the notion of original sin, humans are born naturally good or naturally bad, the both have the inclination of bad and good in them, but they have free will or moral if you will to choose the difference.
4) when it comes to death, heaven and hell, traditional jews believed in 'Gehenna' the place where souls were punished but generally its believed that individual ethical behaviour is most important.

[ndigila]

Barb, according to modern-day Judaism, what is the Messiah's objective? What will he (she?) come to achieve?

[ndigila]

Originally Posted by barb

We believe
1) there is one God, and this God cannot be made of parts, even if they are mysteriously united.

Also, how does Judaism interpret this Bible verse
"Let us make man in our image and in our likeness" (The keyword being "us")?

[barb]

Originally Posted by ndigila

Barb, according to modern-day Judaism, what is the Messiah's objective? What will he (she?) come to achieve?

The messiah is a human being who will usher in an era of peace

[barb]

Originally Posted by ndigila

Also, how does Judaism interpret this Bible verse
"Let us make man in our image and in our likeness" (The keyword being "us")?

The view that God is made up of 3 parts or as commonly referred to as monotheistic coz the 3 parts are , by divine mystery, only one God, is incompatible with the jewish view that such a division is impossible. The revolutionary idea is that God is one, this idea allows for God's unity and uniqueness as a creative force, although there is a considerable and approved debate within Judaisms abt God, the main thing is that all mainstream jews groups reject the idea of God's having 3 parts, infact many of us see an attempt to divide God as a partial throwback, or compromise with the pagan conception of many gods. I dont mean to offend any body's beliefs, this is an open sensitive discussion, i however am not trying to change pple's faith.

[grip_daddy]

Originally Posted by barb

I dont mean to offend any body's beliefs, this is an open sensitive discussion, i however am not trying to change pple's faith.

That was an unnecessary statement.

Some of the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah call Him God. What do Jewish generally attribute such wordings to imply?

[barb]

the messiah is a man who will be chosen by God to put an end to all evil in the world, to usher in the world to come, to avoid confusion its advisable to use the term "moshiach" when speaking of the jewish messiah, the term means the annointed one but not the savior, the jewish concept of the messiah is very diffrent from the christians messiah, i have no knowledge of the messiah being referred to as God.

[Muhammad_4]

Originally Posted by barb;

the jewish concept of the messiah is very diffrent from the christians messiah, i have no knowledge of the messiah being referred to as God.

Talmud:Balaam [Jesus] is raised from the dead and being punished in boiling hot semen. Those who mock the words of the Jewish sages and sin against Israel are boiled in hot excrement. (57a Gittin)
Because Christian scholars periodically obtained copies of the Talmud, Talmudic scribes hoped to deceive them by using the name Balaam to denote Jesus. In The Jewish Encyclopedia, under the heading "Balaam," it says, "…the pseudonym 'Balaam' given to Jesus in Sanhedrin 106b and Gittin 57a."
Christians are sometimes referred to by the code word "Min" or "Minim." The footnotes of the Soncino edition of the Talmud as well as passages in the Jewish Encyclopedia blatantly mention this deception. In other passages in the Talmud it has been discovered a possible reason why some of the Talmud's writers had forbidden Gentiles to read it. The Talmud's words are vitriolic:
Only Jews are human. [Gentiles] are animals. (Baba Mezia 114a-114b.)
For murder, whether of a Cuthean [Gentile] by a Cuthean, or of an Israelite by a Cuthean, punishment is incurred; but of a Cuthean by an Israelite, there is no death penalty. (Sanhedrin 57a)
Jews may use lies ('subterfuges') to circumvent a [Gentile]. (Baba Kamma 113a.)
[Gentiles] are outside the protection of the law and God has 'exposed their money to Israel.' (Baba Kamma 37b.)

[grip_daddy]

Originally Posted by barb

i have no knowledge of the messiah being referred to as God.

What is the importance accorded Isaiah's prophecies? Then you may explain to us who was referred to in Isaiah 9:1-6.

[ndigila]

Originally Posted by barb

The view that God is made up of 3 parts or as commonly referred to as monotheistic coz the 3 parts are , by divine mystery, only one God, is incompatible with the jewish view that such a division is impossible. The revolutionary idea is that God is one, this idea allows for God's unity and uniqueness as a creative force, although there is a considerable and approved debate within Judaisms abt God, the main thing is that all mainstream jews groups reject the idea of God's having 3 parts, infact many of us see an attempt to divide God as a partial throwback, or compromise with the pagan conception of many gods. I dont mean to offend any body's beliefs, this is an open sensitive discussion, i however am not trying to change pple's faith.

You didn't answer the question.

When God said in Genesis "Let us make man in our image and in our likeness" who was the "us" referring to?

And don't be afraid to offend anyone here. Just refrain from personal attacks.