“83% of Hilonim see being Jewish as a matter of ancestry and culture rather than as a matter of religion.”(2)
There is at least one secular humanistic Jewish community that professes a noble belief: “We say what we mean, and we mean what we say!” Awesome! If, actually true. So, as rational-minded humans, we must put our words to the test. Is it true? What does it really mean to be secular humanistic Jews within this human world?
According to PEW research conducted on the matter, the majority of Israeli Jews “are hiloni [secular, humanistic] and yet they live Jewish lives, so it is not strictly secular….” Okay, what does this mean, their lifestyles are “not strictly secular”? Are we saying that hiloni Jews are ethno-secular folk? As if, in contrast to the three main types of ethno-religious Jews (Dati, Heredi, Masorti)? “…. [Secular Jews] just don’t see God or religion as meaningful, [Nir Braudo, head of the BINA Secular Yeshiva] explains. They don’t live their lives according to Jewish law. God and the Jewish books are not a power of authority over them. Judaism can be part of their culture, it could be inspiration, it could be many things, but its not an authority.”(1) … Yet, despite this, everything in Israel is determinedly Jewish in the attitudes and lifestyles of secular Israeli Jews. Further, the majority of hiloni Jews still retain personal theistic belief in “God,” whatever this is to them.(2)
In the United States we have a plurality – no, a plethora – of groups that all subscribe to the idea of being “secular.” Of living a truly secularist life, free of religion … or, at the very least, free of the influence of “theistic” religion upon our lives. There is the American Humanist Association, American Atheists, Society for Humanistic Judaism, just to name a very well known few. But, using these three as an example, what makes them collectively secular humanists? Atheism and Humanism are not synonyms and, likewise, neither is atheism and secular synonymous words. If we flip the coin, theist and religion are not synonyms, as well – as evidenced by many strains of non-theistic religions that humans have embraced over time. Political religions, religious nationalism, economic religions, even sports is considered by many to be a religion. Such have everything theistic religions have – shared upheld beliefs, idol worship, cherished rituals, laws and specific words to abide by – just non-theistically, without the “God” part.
At no time does secular humanistic lifestyle demand upon an individual that he or she choose between being a theist or atheist (non-theist, Zen-style religious or not). At no time does secular humanistic lifestyle demand an individual to be a non-practitioner of religion, whether theistic or non-theistic. All this is a matter of personal choices and beliefs. And within the secular humanistic communities, there are many members who are theists but don’t want to have anything to do with religious laws and religious constraints on personal lifestyle.
Now, we’ve arrived at the purpose of this writing. Despite what some believe, secular humanistic lifestyle includes those who are theists along with those who are non-theists. Under the umbrella or tent of secular humanism, we’re all in this approach to living life together. The American Humanist Association defines one who is secular humanistic as: an individual that embraces a “progressive philosophy of life that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good…. Humanism can include more than atheists and agnostics.”(3)
So, if you think the word “secular” means living atheistically a humanistic life – a life without “god” – then you will reach a small percentage of secular folk, who share as you do the desire to live a truly secularist life within society. In limiting your community to strictly those who believe the same as you do, your organization is by definition atheistic – anti-theistic, non-theistic – and, by definition, you can drop the secular designator altogether. The reason is because, you can be atheist and still be determinedly religious – thus, not truly secular by definition. Marxism is for some a very serious religion.
Or, you can be theistic or non-theistic in your views and be adamantly secular in your life, in absolutely every way, seeking the same for all others who desire this. (Some call theists who take this path Deist in belief.) The reason for this is because, secular and atheist are not synonyms. Nor, is religion and theism. What makes folk secular is the refusal to engage in and live by religious law – the demands to believe a certain way or the obedience required by *any* religion, theistic or non-theistic! I’ll close this writing with a personal “for an example”:
I am an ethno-religious Jew, who happens to also be an atheist. I do not practice theistic Prayer Judaism (whether Rabbinical Judaism, Karaite Judaism, or what not). I do practice secular humanistic Cultural Judaism. By practice, I mean that I engage with the full body of what it means to be Jewish in thought and behavior, just without the prayer rituals to our Jewish imagined ancestral god(s). As I’m fond of saying, I believe in many gods and goddesses, but believe that every last one of them exists only within the world of individual and collective human imagination. Therefore, for me, there is no need to pray to these gods and goddesses.
Now, a question, if I may: As one who rejects the physical reality of “G-d” or “God,” does this mean that I must also remove from my life any verbal or behavioral references to theistic concepts? I dare say, the answer is “No,” I do not have to. As long as I am openly honest with myself and with others that these theistic aspects I reflect upon are purely human in origin, the most I accomplish is to add depth of human creativity to our secular humanistic way of life.
It is we within the Jewish communities that get to decide what we wish to represent and not represent about our inherited ethno-religious tradition – individually and as a community. As a Jewish community, are we a religious community? If so, are we theistic or non-theistic in teachings? As a Jewish community, are we secular humanists, that include amongst us all who fit within this tent – adding to our fullest diversity? Or, as a Jewish community, are we devoutly atheistic, and don’t want any verbal references that might invoke recognition of theistic belief – aka, atheistic Judaism?
Personally, though an atheist, I prefer the secular humanistic Jewish tent – that embraces Jewish secularism, regardless the personal theistic to non-theistic beliefs of our members. In fact, I encourage that we engage as community members in all our diversity of beliefs and opinions, while supporting each other in the objective of living secular humanistic lives. Only learning and productive evolution can come from this, unless we prevent this from happening with our fears. That is all for this post.
(1) LEARNING TO BE SECULAR JEWS, https://www.haaretz.com/haaretz-labels/power/1.5723795
(2) “Only 18% are absolutely certain in their belief in God, and 40% do not believe in God at all. Hilonim strongly favor the separation of religion from public life in Israel. Hilonim are the only Jewish group in Israel among whom a majority (59%) say their Israeli identity comes before their Jewish identity.”
In Israel, Jews are united by homeland but divided into very different groups, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/03/08/in-israel-jews-are-united-by-homeland-but-divided-into-very-different-groups/?amp=1
(3) “Free of supernaturalism, it recognizes human beings as a part of nature and holds that values-be they religious, ethical, social, or political-have their source in human experience and culture. Humanism thus derives the goals of life from human need and interest rather than from theological or ideological abstractions, and asserts that humanity must take responsibility for its own destiny.”
Definition of Humanism, https://americanhumanist.org/what-is-humanism/definition-of-humanism/
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