Subject: Re: God or G-d ???
Date:    Wed, 24 Jun 1998 23:59:38 +0000
To:      "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>

From:          Vlad
To:            heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject:       Re: God or G-d ???

In a message dated 98-06-23 00:46:34 EDT, you write:

<<   G-d is an Orthodox Jewish rabbinical custom done in the 
 spirit of not taking God's name in vain. According to Orthodox Jewish 
 thought, if you use the name of God and say "God" and do so in an 
 inappropriate manner, you are taking God's name in vain and not 
 sanctifying His name. By saying, G-d rather than God, you are not 
 literally using the name of God but using a reference to God where 
 everyone knows that you are talking about God but you say G-d rather 
 than God in remembering to not take God's name in vain and that God's 
 name is Holy. >>

That was not how the  orthodox rabbi explained it  to me..... perhaps this
will  help make  things a little  more clear or at least give  another
plausable explination for  how  it came to be customary...

According to the local Orthodox rabbi it is actually done out  of  obediance
to the mitzvote  to never  erase or  destroy a  name of  G-d and that it  is
derived  from  the 12th  chapter  vs 1-4 as broken  up in the  modern
Bibles....   the setting and context are this.... Yeshua had lead his armies
into  conquer the cities of Eretz Yisrael and G-d commanded them to break down
and destroy and erase all trace of the names  of these gods... vs.  4  states
that you shall not  do this to HaShem  or worship Him after the manner of  the
pagans.... the arguement  is that if  we write G-d's  name  anywhere  where
it  is likely to be erased or desicrated we violate that mitzvote thus  places
like online  where everything is erased it  is proper to shorten His  Name so
that all will understand Whom you speak  of  but His actual name will not be
erased or destroyed...  As  I said this is only the explaination  I was given
but I found it sufficent... a little thin a leap in logic perhaps but a small
thing to do to be certain  one  is  obeying...

Not attempting to contradict  Eddie  who has taught me SOOOOO much just
hopeing  this will help others to gain a better understanding...

Shalom alechim

Vlad

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