User:MyRedDice/Jewish ethnocentrism

Ethnocentrism refers to the viewpoint that one's own group is the center of everything, against which all other groups are judged. Thus Jewish ethnocentrism and related neologisms (e.g. Judeocentrism) refer to the viewpoint that the Jews are the center of everything, against which all other groups are judged.

There is no debate that ethnocentrism exists to a greater or lesser degree in most cultures, even within Judaism. Although a few people believe that Jews are vastly more ethnocentric than other groups, to the extent of believing in a worldwide Zionist conspiracy, this article will focus on the mainstream view of Jewish ethnocentrism.

The term Judeocentrism is sometimes used to criticise journalism and historical research which is perceived as focussing excessively on Jews, or portraying all other cultures from a narrowly Jewish perspective. For example, some people have used it to attack alleged neglect of non-Jewish suffering during the Holocaust. Those accused of judeocentrism do not accept such criticism, often seeing it as a cover-up for prejudice against Jews or Israelis.

Ethnocentrism and Judaism

Some consider Judaism, and particularly Orthodox Judaism, to be an important source of Jewish ethnocentrism. Jewish views of religious pluralism vary widely, but in general Jews believe that God chose the Jewish people to be in a unique covenant with him. However, this does not imply that God loves only the Jewish people or that only Jews can attain salvation.

According to the Jewish view of marriage, marriage is the ideal state of existence and, because the Jewish concept of marriage is based on kiddushin (sanctification), a Jewish marriage can only occur between two Jews. Jews are therefore encouraged to marry other Jews, rather than people of differing faiths. However, views on intermarriage vary amongst the Jewish community, and currently the intermarriage rate in the United States is around 70%.

External Links

• Google Search on Judeocentrism (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&safe=off&q=%22judeo-centric%22+OR+%22judeocentric%22+OR+%22jewish+ethnocentric%22++OR+%22jewish+ethnocentrism%22+OR+%22judeocentrism%22+OR+%22judeo-centrism%22)