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The Pew Forum survey, along with this week’s On Faith question, uses the word “religion” to mean two different things. On the one hand, “religion” refers to inner feelings of religiosity, or interest in religious life; on the other hand, it refers to an institution.
There is no list of “Deadly Sins” in Jewish theology, nor is there a list of worthy virtues. We do not believe that good and evil are defined by particular qualities. Good is not a matter of a specific way of behavior, but of the right behavior. This means that any quality of speech or action can be right or wrong, depending upon the framework in which it exists. Even “the best” virtues can be ineffective – or even deadly – if applied incorrectly or at inappropriate times.
The simply stated question actually poses deeply complex issues, from defining American Jewish identity to predicting what it will evolve into in the future.
Currently, it makes more sense to speak of American Jewish identities, in the plural, because those who can in one way or another call themselves Jews or who identify as Jews have not been a homogenous group in a very long time. Any definition that attempts to embrace the entire American Jewish community is bound to be either incorrect in major aspects or so overbroad as to be meaningless.
While the alliance between science and religion is fraught with difficulties – in part due to a long history of mutual suspicion – I believe that it is not only possible, but absolutely necessary.
Science and religion draw their facts from different sources and demand different types of evaluations of the world. However, an alliance between the two can be made if each realm is clearly defined in such a way that their proximity does not create constant conflict. It is unlikely that these two systems will offer the same approach to every subject, but there can be areas of overlap without resulting in entanglement. Similarly, not every idea needs to be discussed; some concepts can remain solely in the realm of science, or of religion. Thus, there exists the possibility of an alliance between science and religion, though it is by no means a simple one.
I do believe in life after death, as it is one of the tenets of the Jewish religion. However, my perception of life after death is perhaps almost purely spiritual. It does not contain the folklore of legends or superstitions that is so often associated with this concept. I do not envision the souls of the departed as holding harps or walking in a garden.
I believe that once the soul departs from the body it begins a process of detachment from this world and its inhabitants. The soul begins to forget its body, its life, and its connections to the world. It no longer has a real world – only a dreamlike memory of a world. Many people subscribe to the myth that, after they die, they will meet their departed friends and relatives and re-experience the joy of their shared memories. But, because of the nature of a spirit without a body, those meetings are destined to be very unsatisfying.
Therefore, if I have been visited by the spirit of the dead, I possibly did not recognize it as such. Aside from the obvious influence of dreams and memories – which are very much part of this world – pure souls have a primarily unconscious relationship with us. The perception of visions and visitations by the dead are, oftentimes, the result of the living mind rather than of the departed spirit. Metaphors and legends about departed souls can be helpful and even illuminating, but they too belong to the world of the living.
Collections of the negative attributes of religion are found in the writings of some of the greatest philosophers and scientists, not to mention in society and politics in general.
Mr. Hitchens' definition of religion is a combined attack on the various faults that can be found in every kind of religion. There are clearly many religions that are not only not violent, but strongly oppose violence. Some religions are rational, some are very tolerant, and many do not contain any notions of racism. Most are very open to knowledge and inquiry. Many are surely not contemptuous of women, and some even have women as their heads or founders. Nearly all are very affectionate toward children.
This collection of faults is surely untrue of religion as a whole, even though some of these traits may be true of certain religions, without in any way being concentrated in one religion in particular. What Mr. Hitchens writes could be applied in the same way, and with the same truth, to mankind in general.
As a Jew, I do believe in Heaven and in Hell. Even though the Hebrew Bible rarely speaks about Heaven and Hell – and when it does, mostly enigmatically – the concept is a basic tenet of Judaism that is clearly expressed in post-Biblical times. However, while this belief is an essential part of the Jewish faith, it is surely not stressed or discussed to the same extent as it is in many other religions.
The question of whether being saved or doing good works is more important is a basic theological problem. In fact, different religions - even factions within religions - have different, sometimes opposing answers. So I can answer it only from the perspective of my own faith.
A time of war is - by definition - hectic, dangerous and, in most occasions, tinged with tragedy. These very elements of war that are, almost by definition, distracting, are usually the times when faith becomes more, and not less, apparent. Imminent danger always has the ability to stir within people lost and forsaken belief. Experience shows that, when faced with danger and real fear, almost everybody, in one way or another, prays.
On a personal level, I am not very satisfied with where I am in my life. To some extent, it is my personality never to be satisfied with any situation or achievement; whatever I have achieved in the past, there are always new horizons to conquer. To put it metaphorically: in mountain climbing, the higher up you are, the wider and more distant the horizons become. As such, my achievements simply mean that the horizon is broadening, and therefore the distance to get there grows ever farther.
Apologies are private or public announcements of regret. When one does or says something that he regrets, he must apologize. Apologies may just be forms of polite behavior, as when one bumps into someone in the street, or they may be sincere expressions of repentance.
Scientifically speaking, we do suppose that there will be an end to our world. There are even some estimates about when – somewhere in the order of many millions of years, so it should not be a cause for immediate concern. But from a religious point of view, there is a common belief that the world will not remain forever and that we should consider its existence temporary, even though it may take a very long time.
Teaching religion in public schools is not easy. For one thing, in most countries, children of many different religious backgrounds sit together in the same classroom. For another, teaching the basics about religion would seem to cross the dividing line between church and state in those countries which separate the two spheres.
The term “anti-Semitism” is itself a euphemism for "anti-Jewishness," and it is therefore easy to replace it with other words that may have a similar meaning. In many places, to be “anti-Semitic” has become unacceptable and has thus been replaced with “anti-Zionism” or anti-Israel stances, which are easier to condone.
The problems of ecology and global environmental changes are matters to be addressed by everyone, not any one specific group of people. But people of faith should be more active and more concerned about these problems, for several reasons:
The main point of prayer is, in essence, to express and establish some kind of connection with God. This connection may take on many different forms, but when all the external facets are taken out, it is as if the one who comes before God to pray is saying, “Hello, I’m here.”
The question of how women have fared in the world's religions can be understood in two ways. First, have women fared well or badly in the religious establishment?
War is, in general, a horrible, ugly thing. Still, it may sometimes be necessary, and therefore justified and just.
While atheism is now enjoying a certain vogue in the U.S., it is not a new phenomenon. In Europe it has been popular for over 100 years, perhaps as early as the French Revolution. Until recently, it was not very common in the U.S. because the United States was, and is, an extremely religious country – different, in that sense, from almost all of Europe.
Thanksgiving is not connected with any specific religion; rather, it has to do with human religiosity in general. In fact, this holiday is not celebrated in any specific kind of a house of worship, it requires no priests to officiate, nor is it connected with any fixed, well-defined rituals.
What Islam Really Says About Violence, Rights and Other Religions
Gomaa, Fadlallah, Mubarak, Khan, Siddiqi, Ellison, others | On Faith
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