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I never said that Maimonides was the only authority. I said that he is a foremost authority. Not everyone who has obtained the rabbinical title is an authority, or even has his works read in the community. It’s like how not every priest is an authority. But the Rambam (his affectionate title) is read widely and reverently throughout the whole Orthodox community. I have supplied evidence of this in my comments ITT: that when Maimonides conflicts with everyone else in the discussion of idolatry, the Israeli Orthodox student is likely to side with Maimonides; that Rav Schneerson told everyone to read his work; that the relevant quote is taught on the Chabad website. I will add, that in agreement with Maimonides on the question of whether Christians are Avodah Zarah (inexcusably idolatrous, to the effect that punishments may apply barring greater concerns) are the rulings of Joseph B. Soloveitchik (an authority in modern orthodoxy) and Moshe Feinstein (“called the most famous Orthodox Jewish legal authority of the 20th century […] served as president of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis”). If you want a more Motte-like way of ascertaining the ambient view of this issue among the Orthodox, you can search [ christians Avodah Zarah site:judaism.stackexchange.com ] and read the top threads, where the view of Maimonides will be pit or paired with other views.
It’s important to understand why this comparison doesn’t hold. To the Orthodox (I am not 100% certain what the others do), Maimonides is more like their gospel than their Thomas Aquinas. They often skip or minimize the study of the Tanakh (Old Testament) altogether to focus on the Talmud (which they call the Torah) and their primary entry to the Talmud is Maimonides. See 1 and 2. The Talmud isn’t some reference book laying dusty on the shelf, but actually the mainstay of study (and effectively, worship) for the Orthodox. You should peruse the introduction and the influence section of its Wikipedia entry, where you will read (among other things) that Adam Schiff made his congressional oath on a volume of the work I quoted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishneh_Torah . The Summa is read in full by maybe .1% of Catholics, but the Mishneh Torah is probably read by a good 80% of Orthodox in full, and 100% who attend a yeshiva.
There’s a difference between actively seeking to prevent, and believing it is punished by death from God and discouraging it. Here’s an example of discouragement: https://www.chabad.org/therebbe/letters/default_cdo/aid/5181010/jewish/Non-Jews-and-Torah-Study.htm
Do you think they are the Parsis of India, or Druze or the Alawites? Are they a cult hosting the Eleusinian Mysteries? We’re talking about the most legalistic religion of all time. Their beliefs are neatly codified and redacted. You can just read them. There is literally no possible mechanism by which a former ruling can be abrogated except by a greater ruling, one by a greater expert or a more recent council, which would be put into writing and read in the yeshivas.
I’m just not familiar with what they do. So I’m abstaining from commenting. But reform has a very easy mechanism for disagreeing with Maimonides, which is the belief in conscience and a greater principle of goodwill. So there’s nothing to criticize wrt reform. I doubt they would agree with Rambam.
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