Noahides follow seven laws derived from Noah, considered the father of all men. These laws include no worship of false gods, murder, stealing, sexual immorality, blasphemy, consuming live animals, and establishing honest laws. Some interpretations conflict with other religions, but they unite believers in one God. Some Christians see them as a subset of the Ten Commandments. Maimonides argued that Islam fits under Noah’s religion. Violating these laws may exclude one from the future life.
A Noahide, sometimes spelled Noahide, refers to those people who follow the Noahide laws. Many Jews feel that these Noahide Laws must be obeyed by Gentiles in order to be considered partakers of the life to come. There are seven Noahide Laws, which are thought to derive from Noah, who is considered the father of all men. The flood saved Noah and his family, and therefore, according to Genesis, all the people of the world are descended from Noah.
Although some people are not Jews, they can be considered spiritual brothers by strictly adhering to the Noahide Laws. However, strict compliance is often a difficult task and is open to many interpretations. Knowing Noah’s Laws helps illuminate some of these controversies.
Noah’s Laws are as follows:
1) No worship of false gods.
2) Murder is not allowed.
3) Stealing and kidnapping are sins.
4) Sexual immorality is prohibited. This includes adultery and homosexual behavior, as well as incest.
5) Do not blaspheme God.
6) Do not consume meat torn from an animal that is still alive.
7) Establish a system of laws, courts and police that is honest and effective.
Of these laws, some put other religions in quite a tangle. For example, people who believe in the Holy Trinity may be thought to worship more than a single God. Homosexuals, who may be active Christians in some denominations, would not be considered devout under Noah’s laws. A looser interpretation, however, would allow Trinitarians, like Catholics, to share in the future life. Also, some forms of Judaism consider homosexuality to be acceptable, and thus would consider homosexuals who followed the other Noah’s laws to be righteous.
Many Jews and others who follow Christian or Islamic religions believe that the Noah’s Laws are something that unites all believers who believe in one God. In fact, Maimonides, the great medieval Jewish scholar, strongly argued that Islam fits under all conditions of a noah religion and should be treated as such. Therefore, the conflict between these religions is meaningless as they all follow this code of laws and are righteous.
Perhaps the most binding force of the Noahide laws is the belief in one God. Monotheistic principles and the fact that Jews, Muslims and Christians all believe in the same God should be seen as a unifying aspect. However, Muslims and Christians may not welcome being considered gentile gentiles. Conversely, some Christians and Muslims might argue that the Jews are wrong in this regard since the new covenants established by Jesus or Mohammed are more important prescriptions, they argue, than the laws of Noah.
Some Christians see the Noahide Laws as a subset of the Ten Commandments. In recent years, some once-apostolic religions have abandoned the Nicene Creed in violation of the Noahide Laws. Still others affirm the value of faith in the Holy Trinity and appeal to God in three forms, and also to the apostles and saints. In the strictest definition they violate the Noah’s Laws.
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