Question: Can Jews eat in Chinese restaurants with statues of Buddha?
Does Judaism consider Buddhism a legitimate religious system or idol worship? Is it wrong for a Jew to eat at a restaurant that has Buddhist statues in it? Or as long as the Jew does not worship Buddha it is okay? I am nervous everytime I go into a Chinese restaurant that I am sinning.
Answer: Thank you for your question. You ask whether it is acceptable for a Jew to eat in a Chinese restaurant, especially if there are Buddhist statues present. You ask, in particular, about the perspective of Conservative Judaism and Jewish orthodoxy to these questions.
I am a Reform rabbi -- connected neither to Conservative Judaism nor to orthodoxy -- so I'm not the best authority to answer your concerns. I'll give you my thoughts about your questions from several points of view.
Clearly, from an orthodox perspective, the biggest problem with eating in a Chinese restaurant is the question of kashrut. Unless you are talking about a kosher Chinese restaurant (there are a few in New York City and in Israel), orthodoxy would say that you cannot eat in such a restaurant or even be seen in one (for fear of causing other Jews to think that the restaurant is kosher).
Conservative Judaism also takes questions of kashrut seriously and instructs Jews to keep a kosher home. Many Conservative Jews, however, feel that it is acceptable to eat in a non-kosher restaurant as long as one avoids non-kosher foods.
The question of Buddhist statuary is more complex. The Conservative Movement takes a liberal view towards other religions and has little, if any, objection to a Jew eating kosher food in the presence of a statue of the Buddha. (It's worth noting that, from a Buddhist perspective, the Buddha was an enlightened human being, not a god.)
However, there is little agreement among orthodox Jewish authorities about the status of Buddhism. Some presume Buddhists to be idolaters and urge Jews to shun them and their religious icons. Others find that Buddhists do not worship their statues or consider them to be gods in the ways that are forbidden by Jewish tradition.
None of these issues raise much concern for most Reform Jews. Reform Judaism encourages Jews to make Jewish choices in eating -- especially with regard to avoiding biblically prohibited foods like pork and shellfish. However, the Reform Movement is in no way critical of those who choose to eat in non-kosher restaurants. Few Reform Jews, if any, would choose to avoid restaurants with Buddhist statues.
I hope this is helpful.
Rabbi Jeffrey W. Goldwasser
