A Jewish dilemma
Dear Prof. Dawkins:
I am an atheist and I greatly appreciate your book "The God Delusion." However, I have a somewhat unusual caveat as I am a Jew by ethnic identity. The word "Jew" means two things (at least): one who is a Jew by birth/ethnicity and one who practices the Jewish religion. As a Jewish atheist I certainly don't want to be responsible for destroying the faith of Jews who choose to practise Judaism (not that I could by my puny self).
But, that raises a point about the difference between Judaism on the one hand and Christianity and Islam (its heretical daughter religions) on the other, not touched on in your book. Judaism is more a religion of practice rather than faith or belief, as are Christianity and Islam. I spent one whole summer as a student with a devout Christian trying to convert me, and his repeated line was "all you have to do is believe.." While in Judaism it's more a question of a how you live your life rather than a profession of faith. In fact it is possible to be a practising Orthodox Jews without being a believer (although difficult to understand). Its somewhat like the case of Hinduism, which is the religion/lifestyle of the Indian people, rather than a religion of belief that others can be converted to.
Given the terrible murder of our people during the Holocaust in WWII, it is of the utmost significance to me that our people and our culture survive, as they are doing here in Eretz Yisrael. For me the Holocaust, the absence of God (as it were) while our people (and others) suffered inhuman depredations, was enough to banish any belief in God or practise of the Jewish religion. But, others fortunately have continued to practise this ancient religion, that has brought much good as well as bad to the world. So even though I am an atheist I am glad that other Jews continue our Jewish culture and religion in our ancient homeland.
I think you also fail to address one of the main reasons for religion and belief in God - fear! The Mesoamericans believed that at night men and beasts both entered the spirit world, where creatures intermediate between humans and animals were present. They even modelled these creatures and worshipped them. It was all fear of the dark, that has largely been banished now that we have electric light!
Thank you
Sincerely
Jack Cohen
Professor of Pharmacology
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
See my blog (Isblog): www.commentfromisraelblog.blogspot.com
I am an atheist and I greatly appreciate your book "The God Delusion." However, I have a somewhat unusual caveat as I am a Jew by ethnic identity. The word "Jew" means two things (at least): one who is a Jew by birth/ethnicity and one who practices the Jewish religion. As a Jewish atheist I certainly don't want to be responsible for destroying the faith of Jews who choose to practise Judaism (not that I could by my puny self).
But, that raises a point about the difference between Judaism on the one hand and Christianity and Islam (its heretical daughter religions) on the other, not touched on in your book. Judaism is more a religion of practice rather than faith or belief, as are Christianity and Islam. I spent one whole summer as a student with a devout Christian trying to convert me, and his repeated line was "all you have to do is believe.." While in Judaism it's more a question of a how you live your life rather than a profession of faith. In fact it is possible to be a practising Orthodox Jews without being a believer (although difficult to understand). Its somewhat like the case of Hinduism, which is the religion/lifestyle of the Indian people, rather than a religion of belief that others can be converted to.
Given the terrible murder of our people during the Holocaust in WWII, it is of the utmost significance to me that our people and our culture survive, as they are doing here in Eretz Yisrael. For me the Holocaust, the absence of God (as it were) while our people (and others) suffered inhuman depredations, was enough to banish any belief in God or practise of the Jewish religion. But, others fortunately have continued to practise this ancient religion, that has brought much good as well as bad to the world. So even though I am an atheist I am glad that other Jews continue our Jewish culture and religion in our ancient homeland.
I think you also fail to address one of the main reasons for religion and belief in God - fear! The Mesoamericans believed that at night men and beasts both entered the spirit world, where creatures intermediate between humans and animals were present. They even modelled these creatures and worshipped them. It was all fear of the dark, that has largely been banished now that we have electric light!
Thank you
Sincerely
Jack Cohen
Professor of Pharmacology
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
See my blog (Isblog): www.commentfromisraelblog.blogspot.com
posted by Jack Cohen at 10:50 AM
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