Differences between Christianity and Judaism have been in existence for more than two thousand years, and the disparities are primarily based on dogma. The article “Why aren’t we Christians” by Aryeh Kaplan offers useful insights into the raging debate that has consumed the Christian on the one hand and the Jew on the other. At the core of the argument are fundamental principles that define the fabric of both religions, which when viewed critically reveal divergent opinions on central definitions. The author of the article posits that human beings are prone to sin, which must be restored by acceptance of Jesus Christ as their guide. Further, Kaplan claims that Israelites were God’s chosen people, but fell out of favor with the Almighty on several occasions. The assertion is correct since specific incidences that include slavery in Egypt demonstrate that indeed God had turned his back on the Jews due to their rebellion against him. Further, the author argues that Jesus came to restore the broken relationship between man and God, which is correct since the Lord had used prophets in the past to reclaim his people.

Expectedly, the Jew refuses to acknowledge the ideas mentioned above with good reason. Notably, proponents of Judaism assert that the Torah is consistent, which is right since the nature of God bears stability that cannot be claimed to be replaced by the coming of the Messiah. Equally, the presence of conflict appears to vindicate the Jews since they argue that the arrival of the Messiah is supposed to usher in an era of peace, which is lacking currently. On that score, the author is right to distance Judaism with the arrival of Jesus. Again, the equation of Jesus to God is also not consistent with past Christian teachings since God cannot assume human form.

Apparently, the most significant obstacle to Christian-Jewish relationship is the belief in Jesus with both faiths having different ideas about the Messiah. On the one hand, Christians state that one must accept redemption by Jesus to restore the broken relationship between man and God. In contrast, believers in Judaism find the argument unpalatable, if not meaningless, since their primary motivation is how to serve God by observing the Ten Commandments. Nonetheless, the two theologies converge on the belief that a Messiah will come to reestablish the link with God on a single occasion. In summation, Christianity and Judaism have fundamental differences despite the faith in a single God.