TABS, TheTorah, Biblical Criticism
By its very foundational nature, Judaism is not in any way humanistic. The sole purpose for this Jewish ethno-religion is to ensure the presence of the Jewish nation of families upon the land, distinctly, throughout time. By historic definition, Judaism is an ethno-national religion – it is about the survival of the Jewish people as a whole and, only within this, is it also about individuals secondarily. But, throughout Jewish history there have been leaders and teachers who have sought to “humanize” our communal-focused Jewish halachot further and further, in which to better serve this secondary purpose. To be Jewish is to engage in our uniquely Jewish way-of-living, whether theistically or non-theistically – meaning those common aspects of Jewishness of our ethno-religious way of living that is represented in every Jewish community around this world (regardless the type of Judaism engaged in).
So, when I say that I am a Jewish humanist, what exactly do I mean by this?
Well, first, we need a correct definition of, “What is a Jew?” We Jews are a family-nation or, perhaps more accurately said, we are a nation of many diverse families and skin colors – originating in the Levant, but now arriving from around this world! A Jew is one who is born into or adopted into a Jewish family and raised with *Jewish* identity. A Jew is one who has married into and/or been adopted as a Jew by a legitimate Jewish community (a community actually started by a Jew) and lives a life learning about *Jewish* identity. A Jew is one who *lives* Judaism, as explained above, within his life as an active member of the Jewish nation of families – contributing to our survival as an ethno-religious people.
Ha’Yehudim Ba’im, “The Jews Are Coming,” an Israeli satirical TV show about ANE and Zionist Jewish histories.
And, now even more important, we need a *correct* understanding of, “What *is* Humanism?” According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, Humanism is the following:
“Humanism, then, may be accurately defined as that Renaissance movement that had as its central focus the ideal of humanitas. The narrower definition of the Italian term umanisti notwithstanding, all the Renaissance writers who cultivated humanitas, and all their direct “descendants,” may be correctly termed humanists.
Early humanists shared in large part a realism that rejected traditional assumptions and aimed instead at the objective analysis of perceived experience. To humanism is owed the rise of modern social science, which emerged not as an academic discipline but rather as a practical instrument of social self-inquiry. Humanists avidly read history, taught it to their young, and, perhaps most important, wrote it themselves. They were confident that proper historical method, by extending across time their grasp of human reality, would enhance their active role in the present.
Humanism did not aim to remake humanity but rather aimed to reform social order through an understanding of what was basically and inalienably human. … Just as action without insight was held to be aimless and barbaric, insight without action was rejected as barren and imperfect. Humanitas called for a fine balance of action and contemplation, a balance born not of compromise [or rejection] but of complementarity [the state of mutually supplying each other’s lack].
Renaissance realism also involved the unblinking examination of human uncertainty, folly, and immorality. … Humanistic realism bespoke a comprehensively critical attitude. Indeed, the productions of early humanism constituted a manifesto of independence, at least in the secular world, from all preconceptions and all inherited programs.
The emphasis on virtuous action as the goal of learning was a founding principle of humanism and … represented in word and deed the humanistic ideal of an armed wisdom, that combination of philosophical understanding and powerful rhetoric that alone could effect virtuous policy and reconcile the rival claims of action and contemplation.”
Despite what many in this modern USA society – those who revel in pop-Humanistic labels and talking points – seem to believe, Humanism is *not* atheism nor strictly secularism nor, even, community dividing reactionary-ism. Humanism is a “proper historical method [of learning and teaching], by extending across time [a correct] grasp of human reality, [which will] enhance [one’s] active role in the present.” For example, you can be a devoutly religious humanist – one who understands theism and non-theism correctly – who is encouraging a humanistic shift in religious doctrine, by educating honestly on the demonstrable facts inherent to the history of one’s religion.
This is the goal of TABS (theTorah-dot-com) with its archaeology-based biblical criticism studies – studies that are engaged in by predominantly Orthodox Jewish rabbis and scholars (who I suspicion are also humanists). Their stated goal is to influence change within the Orthodox Jewish social order, through honest ANE-contextual teaching of Torah and Jewish history as it self-presents itself.
An honest and much needed question for you here: If you reject and disparge co-religionists for being: 1) historically precise for the purpose of shifting society to a greater individual human dignity and sanctity, and/or 2) just because they have different religious views or behaviors than you *as a humanist* – say he or she is theistic oriented, and you’re atheistic oriented, for example – can you honestly call yourself a humanist?! You very well do understand, don’t you, that the non-theistic humanist religion can be *simultaneously* practiced with *any* other religion on this planet, yes?
I am literally, by Encyclopaedia Britannica definition, a *Jewish* “Humanist.” Jewish in ethno-religious lifestyle, while “evangelizing” the Humanitas philosophy. And, this is why I am concerned about what Torah says and am interested in all forms of Jewish rituals/expressions, even though I reject any divine or human authority to enforce Jewish laws and beliefs upon any of us Jews.
All Jews are my brothers and sisters, not just like-minded Jews, and to reach all Jews *Jewishly* means engaging in the ethno-religious ways of living and of speaking of our ethno-religious people. Regardless how they present themselves! (This cannot be done by standing staunchly *against* certain Jewish communities and certain aspects of our Jewish ethno-religion!) And, this includes, whether *they* are also humanists, as well. For if they’re not, so what?! This only means that *most definitely* we need to be having the polite but hard discussions with our fellow Jew(s) that bring another(s) onto the future side of our spiral of history.
I guess what I’m trying to get at here is the following: Secular humanistic Judaism is fundamentally, first and foremost, Judaism. Why else would secular humanistic Jews perform uniquely Jewish rituals, if they were simply and entirely secular and/or humanistic? In fact, the Jewish rituals engaged in by SHJ makes them inherently religious Judaism in nature, just without the theistic part included (thus, no need for prayer). Likewise, science and biblical criticism -embracing religious Judaism, both the theistic and non-theistic Jewish forms, is a form of Humanistic expression – this goal of “complementary” change from within, by “mutually supplying what each other lacks,” *is* Humanitas philosophy, full stop!
Judaism is not Humanism, but Judaism and Humanism are fully compatible philosophies – when we are not using Humanism as a cover for atheistic antagonism towards other Jews who behave and express religiously Jewish, and when we are not using theism as a cover for theistic antagonism towards other Jews who are not appearing to behave religiously enough. In either extreme, “Humanism [does] not aim to remake humanity, but rather [aims] to reform social order through *an understanding of what [is] basically and inalienably human*.”
Society for Humanistic Judaism members bullying a minority non-theistic religious Jew online for his raising awareness that white SHJ Jews only want to focus on Jews of color online – when, during Black History Month, we should be focused fully on black people and white racism! Jew-centricism is at times unrecognized racism, and this is not Humanistic! Unfortunately, instead of addressing the racism, one of the head rabbis of SHJ shamed me online for having drawn them directly into this on-going online minority bashing and, then in true A C style, whitesplained the movement to me, again.
If your first reaction to non-conforming or different looking/behaving/speaking non-theistic Jews is to be indifferent to them, to assume their story for them (forcing the appearance of sameness), or to bully them into silence or into leaving the movement – these Jews who are just *being* Jewish in *your* presence – seriously, how can you possibly call yourself a Jew?! If you, in all your educatedness, deprive your members of non-academic real-living on-the-spot education into Jewish history and how we are true representatives within humanity of our present divisive Jewish and USA history – all of us unwitting biased complicit participants (not observers, no one lives and behaves in a historical vacuum!) – then how do you dare call yourself a “teacher”?!
I ask these questions of Jews on *both* the left-hand liberal secular Jewish extreme and the right-hand conservative fundamentalist Jewish extreme – for each truly is a ‘flipside of the coin’ reflection of each other (so I’ve learned from modern USA Judaisms through firsthand experience!). We need to be better than this as Jews! No more sectarian divisions by “denominational” camps, no more excluding Jews of color from key leadership positions within European-originating Jewish movements, and no more neglecting honest teaching and encouraged reflection on Jewish and world history (meaning no white/Jew fragility attempts to shut down conversations, and no white-washing/splaining anyone’s history in the movement or at any time, period!). It’s time to start really *listening*, folks, and this starts with the Jewish movement leaders – *rabbis, directors, etc* – of every Jewish community. Humanism demands this behavior of all of us!
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