Mike Ward 9-13-11 The main idea Gellman is arguing for is an overall different way to look at Judaism.

Specifically he is trying to develop a new argument to contradict the stigma that comes along with the inherent nature in Judaism that you are one of the chosen people of God. On a bigger picture I also think the piece is, in a way, a plea to re-examine religious texts within Judaism in response to other religions, like Christianity, re-examining Judaism. Gellman starts the article by laying out what it exactly means to be a chosen person of God. It is this very idea, Gellman says, that causes so much stress to the Jewish people and is the main source of resentment towards Jews from other religions and their followers. Being a chosen person means you have a special bond with God that takes precedence over any other bond that a different religions member has with God. Here is where Gellman begins his argument by stating that people are just misunderstanding this bond, it is something fairly noble that he continually stresses throughout his article that he doesnt want to focus in on any one religion and proclaim it to be superior to the other. Instead, Gellman wants to explicate what it really means to be a chosen person, and in turn help others of different religious beliefs not misconstrue what it really means to be chosen. Gellman introduces this theory centered on Gods necessity to be elusive. God necessarily has to be elusive and removed so people can come to him on the freely and accepted his love on their own terms. He even mentions the Genesis story where God rested on the seventh day as to remove himself from humanity, as to not overwhelm humanity. However as Gellman states, God needed some nation to serve as a symbol, to show other nations the way. So he made an example of the Jewish people. Through the demonstration of the Jewish people, through not giving the Jewish people that freedom to accept his love, it allowed all other nations the ability to accept it freely. However this suffering isnt such a bad thing, in turn through the example of the burning bush, Gellman states, this despair of the Jewish people is instead being in Gods grace constantly. The article is certainly intriguing and I think overall he makes a good argument and at the very least formulates a newer point of view on being a chosen person. I think one of the things that makes the argument work is how Gellman tries to stay away from degrading any other religion. Ultimately he almost has to, because if he did hint at the Jewish religion being superior then the argument against the stigma of being a chosen person wouldnt go away. I also think the notion that when you are born Jewish or you are converted Jewish, you are regarded as Jewish forever no matter what religion you assign yourself to later in life is intriguing with the context of Gellmans argument. It certainly furthers the argument that Gellman is trying to destroy this notion that Jews are superior to any other people. Being a chosen person isnt anything that is actually materialized in the persons body, it is instead a symbol for all of humanity and the love that God has for all human beings, no matter what religion you are. It is simply a symbol that we can look at and all relate to, in a sense it transcends all religions in an earthly sense.