waybread
Well-known member
If you are not currently a member of a Christian denomination with a doctrine you would be required to follow, let alone if you were raised as a Unitarian, I fail to see how and why you identify yourself as such an authority on Christianity.
You are expressing personal opinions, which is cool. But not necessarily
You must be aware that in North American Judaism there are basically 3 major denominations: Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. Some congregations serve members whose beliefs are more at the overlap between two groups (Conservative-Orthodox, or Conservative-Reform.) Then Orthodox Judaism has more divisions within its ranks. My practice (and that of my Jewish ex-husband) was more at the Conservative-Reform part of the spectrum.
Serious study of the Talmud is usually not undertaken by Conservative-Reform Jews (unless they study for the rabbinate or have a particular interest.) It would be more a part of an Orthodox religious education.
To Orthodox Jews, the Talmud has scriptural status. Reform Jews would view it as part of their heritage, but not as binding.
Much of what is in the Avodah Zarah section of the Talmud is not really a concern today, because we don't live in a world where some of the ancient pagan practices it mentions still exist.
Some of it does-- kosher wine has a special place, to distinguish it from wine that might be used in a non-Jewish religious practice. An Orthodox cook might have occasion to learn how to render kitchen utensils kosher.
Technically Judaism would hold Christianity to be a form of idolatry, in worship given to Jesus, and in prayer to religious icons or statues as is practiced in some denominations.
But 99% of Jews today live in the modern real world, where they anticipate cordial relationships with their Christian neighbours.
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