Iran’s fundamentalist leadership is evil. But if a “My god is better than your god” mentality is allowed to prevail, neither the world, nor any of the Abrahamic faiths, will be better off.
It will always be a problem with countries ruled by a metaphysics based on mysticism instead of logic and reason. Period. And now the metaphysical koo-koos hold America´s reins in their gnarled, evil hands. Great essay, great links, thoughts and humor! And lots to think about. Thank you.
More evidence that there is no God, there are no gods. Stop relying on a non-existent god to resolve problems with relationships, either personal or humanity-wide. It is rather difficult to find the root of these problems, except that people have yet to learn to respect other peoples. There is no actual evidence of a deity or of any deities so we must rely on ourselves to resolve our problems. Grow up, people.
I like the optimistic results, but I am a realist. I have family members in the childbearing age who refuse to have children because they believe these are the end times. They believe all Jews in Israel will either convert to Christianity or they will die and Christ will come back and lead the armies to defeat Satanic leaders, and his followers will inherit the Earth and become immortal. This is taught in most Evangelical Churches. Sometimes I wish aliens would arrive and show themselves and then explain that this is all BS to control the uneducated masses!
And Mike Huckabee is the ambassador to Israel, and that is what he believes. Jews for Jesus has been around since we were kids! TV evangelists have been spouting this like Jim Bakker since we were kids. It led to my parents' divorce after my dad started believing this, and my mom did not. I try to talk to my niece and nephews about this, but it falls on deaf ears. It started with born-again Christianity and splintered off into far-right belief in the imminent biblical apocalypse. Large portions of people in America believe these are the end times and Jews will either convert or will all die. I am surprised you have not written about this yet.
It is impossible to calculate how far back in history anyone could actually go to research the dogma of this region of the globe. This area of historical secrecy and brutality toward their enemy's has for ever been in some sort of uprising or blood bath! Some claim their blood lines go back as far as the biblical era. The ethnicity and fundamentals of their DNA spectrum will never be changed nor suppressed! ( Except in the delusional thinking of the one and only Frankenstein and his unimaginable hero's capabilities! )
Thank you for this thoughtful article. If we had a leader in the U.S. who knew how to lead, then I feel some of your outcomes might be possible. But alas…
Thank you for this. You remind me of my rabbi--when I start to go off the reservation he is there to drag me back, and this did too.
As for the points of your dream, I think most of it is realistic. I'd say that the impact on Russia is probably minimal, and the GOP will not be collapsing anytime soon, but other than that you are spot on. If the Abraham Accords get expanded in the aftermath of this, even Syria and Lebanon will probably get on board, but it'll take a while.
I also have to say, we Jews have the smallest percentage of extremists imo. We have them for sure, but they are truly a fringe. I can't honestly say the same about either Islam or American Evangelicalism. At best, their fringes are bigger than ours. Politically speaking only :)
While there is much in this I agree with regarding the nature of fundamentalism and messianism, there is a key difference between Judaism and the other two Abrahamic religions: Judaism is not a universalizing religion, the other two are. This is not to say the Jewish fundamentalists are superior (fundamentalism is bad, wherever it rears its ugly head), but that how it manifests is likely to be somewhat different and noting what those differences are is a worthwhile exercise.
While Judaism, on the whole, does not proselytize, there is emebbeded within certain prayers and passages (like the Alenu prayer) a hidden desire for the Jewish faith - not just monotheism, but the Jewish version of it - to become universal. For better for for worse (for worse because it was due primarily to constant persecution and minority status), Jews have not actively sought converts for many centuries - though that is changing a little because of intermarriage in America today.
Sure, there are specific prayers and sure, Judaism could proselytize (and has way back in the day), but I would argue pretty hard that the twin developments of Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity took the two religions in very different paths virtually taking conversion off the table for Jews. But that isn't the discussion I necessarily want to have--my point is that looking at universalizing versus particular adds a dimension to understanding what is going on.
Regarding intermarriage as a means for conversion: that is very complicated. And I say that as someone who has both lived it personally and in community, as has studied it professionally.
Very different paths, indeed. And conversion is no doubt complicated (which I’ve learned from hundreds of conversion students I’ve worked with). Feel free to share your expertise any time!
I would love to have that conversation--online chats are much harder. Short version of my story--got married in 1980 (and yes, that #45 is coming right up) to a non-Jewish, non-religious man. We discussed conversion then and much later when I was told I could not go through HUC's Jewish educator program (late 90s). Converting would have violated my husband's sense of integrity. Same is true for my sons-in-law. So there are three non-Jewish spouses who are raising or have raised Jewish children in Jewish families.
My experience in synagogue and with my daughters' synagogues is that we are not unusual. Sometimes conversions happen (many of my synagogue's leaders are converts and some are supportive non-Jews).
My academic path started in 1998 with a Masters that looked at the Jews of Hellenistic Egypt around the turn of the BCE/CE period. I ended up with a PhD in sociology looking at the relationship among B'nai Mitzvah, congregation, and participants (Coming of Age in Jewish America, RUP 2016). In that, I interviewed many rabbis in the SF Bay Area. The differences in approach to intermarried families were telling in how congregations approached intermarried families, with some versions of welcome being "you're imperfect, but we love you anyway."
There's been a lot of work done in the past ten or so years and my life changed course with Trump.1, but were I still doing research, I would focus on how to increase "doing Judaism," not on who belongs. (Which, by the way, I would argue is one of the lessons of the Exodus--blood on the lintels is a choice, leaving is a choice, and so on.)
It will always be a problem with countries ruled by a metaphysics based on mysticism instead of logic and reason. Period. And now the metaphysical koo-koos hold America´s reins in their gnarled, evil hands. Great essay, great links, thoughts and humor! And lots to think about. Thank you.
More evidence that there is no God, there are no gods. Stop relying on a non-existent god to resolve problems with relationships, either personal or humanity-wide. It is rather difficult to find the root of these problems, except that people have yet to learn to respect other peoples. There is no actual evidence of a deity or of any deities so we must rely on ourselves to resolve our problems. Grow up, people.
I like the optimistic results, but I am a realist. I have family members in the childbearing age who refuse to have children because they believe these are the end times. They believe all Jews in Israel will either convert to Christianity or they will die and Christ will come back and lead the armies to defeat Satanic leaders, and his followers will inherit the Earth and become immortal. This is taught in most Evangelical Churches. Sometimes I wish aliens would arrive and show themselves and then explain that this is all BS to control the uneducated masses!
Whoa! What a shame - to let those who have such dark visions dictate such crucial life choices.
And Mike Huckabee is the ambassador to Israel, and that is what he believes. Jews for Jesus has been around since we were kids! TV evangelists have been spouting this like Jim Bakker since we were kids. It led to my parents' divorce after my dad started believing this, and my mom did not. I try to talk to my niece and nephews about this, but it falls on deaf ears. It started with born-again Christianity and splintered off into far-right belief in the imminent biblical apocalypse. Large portions of people in America believe these are the end times and Jews will either convert or will all die. I am surprised you have not written about this yet.
It is impossible to calculate how far back in history anyone could actually go to research the dogma of this region of the globe. This area of historical secrecy and brutality toward their enemy's has for ever been in some sort of uprising or blood bath! Some claim their blood lines go back as far as the biblical era. The ethnicity and fundamentals of their DNA spectrum will never be changed nor suppressed! ( Except in the delusional thinking of the one and only Frankenstein and his unimaginable hero's capabilities! )
Thank you for this thoughtful article. If we had a leader in the U.S. who knew how to lead, then I feel some of your outcomes might be possible. But alas…
Thank you for this. You remind me of my rabbi--when I start to go off the reservation he is there to drag me back, and this did too.
As for the points of your dream, I think most of it is realistic. I'd say that the impact on Russia is probably minimal, and the GOP will not be collapsing anytime soon, but other than that you are spot on. If the Abraham Accords get expanded in the aftermath of this, even Syria and Lebanon will probably get on board, but it'll take a while.
I also have to say, we Jews have the smallest percentage of extremists imo. We have them for sure, but they are truly a fringe. I can't honestly say the same about either Islam or American Evangelicalism. At best, their fringes are bigger than ours. Politically speaking only :)
I hear you about the percentage of extemists. But we have only one Jewish state and they control it. That’s 100 percent!
And I’m happy to be the designated dragger for anyone who needs it!
Touche
While there is much in this I agree with regarding the nature of fundamentalism and messianism, there is a key difference between Judaism and the other two Abrahamic religions: Judaism is not a universalizing religion, the other two are. This is not to say the Jewish fundamentalists are superior (fundamentalism is bad, wherever it rears its ugly head), but that how it manifests is likely to be somewhat different and noting what those differences are is a worthwhile exercise.
While Judaism, on the whole, does not proselytize, there is emebbeded within certain prayers and passages (like the Alenu prayer) a hidden desire for the Jewish faith - not just monotheism, but the Jewish version of it - to become universal. For better for for worse (for worse because it was due primarily to constant persecution and minority status), Jews have not actively sought converts for many centuries - though that is changing a little because of intermarriage in America today.
Sure, there are specific prayers and sure, Judaism could proselytize (and has way back in the day), but I would argue pretty hard that the twin developments of Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity took the two religions in very different paths virtually taking conversion off the table for Jews. But that isn't the discussion I necessarily want to have--my point is that looking at universalizing versus particular adds a dimension to understanding what is going on.
Regarding intermarriage as a means for conversion: that is very complicated. And I say that as someone who has both lived it personally and in community, as has studied it professionally.
Very different paths, indeed. And conversion is no doubt complicated (which I’ve learned from hundreds of conversion students I’ve worked with). Feel free to share your expertise any time!
I would love to have that conversation--online chats are much harder. Short version of my story--got married in 1980 (and yes, that #45 is coming right up) to a non-Jewish, non-religious man. We discussed conversion then and much later when I was told I could not go through HUC's Jewish educator program (late 90s). Converting would have violated my husband's sense of integrity. Same is true for my sons-in-law. So there are three non-Jewish spouses who are raising or have raised Jewish children in Jewish families.
My experience in synagogue and with my daughters' synagogues is that we are not unusual. Sometimes conversions happen (many of my synagogue's leaders are converts and some are supportive non-Jews).
My academic path started in 1998 with a Masters that looked at the Jews of Hellenistic Egypt around the turn of the BCE/CE period. I ended up with a PhD in sociology looking at the relationship among B'nai Mitzvah, congregation, and participants (Coming of Age in Jewish America, RUP 2016). In that, I interviewed many rabbis in the SF Bay Area. The differences in approach to intermarried families were telling in how congregations approached intermarried families, with some versions of welcome being "you're imperfect, but we love you anyway."
There's been a lot of work done in the past ten or so years and my life changed course with Trump.1, but were I still doing research, I would focus on how to increase "doing Judaism," not on who belongs. (Which, by the way, I would argue is one of the lessons of the Exodus--blood on the lintels is a choice, leaving is a choice, and so on.)
That's my back story!