![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aniyostsef.com\/kahal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Polish_20210622_005327944-264x300.png?resize=264%2C300\")
This is where “non-religious” Jews – like Paul Golin, Executive Director of Society for Humanistic Judaism (though I don’t understand why they keep him!) – really *fail* their Jewish communities, and so sadly so!<\/p>\nThis is where “non-religious” Jews – like Paul Golin, Executive Director of Society for Humanistic Judaism (though I don’t understand why they keep him!) – really *fail* their Jewish communities, and so sadly so!<\/p>\n
Within this JWeekly opinion piece, he laments the perceived treatment of “non-religious” (aka, “secular”) Jews. In his words, he feels that he’s “strongly Jewishly identified and want[s] to be counted as a Jew” by PEW, even though PEW does recognize “Jews of No Religion.” Further, he presents himself as suffering from this, because he feels that PEW is treating “Jews of No Religion as \u201cless than,\u201d when compared with Jews by Religion.” His reason is the following:<\/p>\n
“Had I checked \u201catheist,\u201d I certainly would have answered affirmatively to the follow-up question, \u201cAside from religion, do you consider yourself Jewish in any way (ethnically, culturally, family background)?\u201d A yes to that would\u2019ve included me among Jews of No Religion.”<\/p>\n
First of all, his words are utterly deceptive! But, we’ll get back to this. Paul continues with the following, “This narrative of \u201cless than\u201d emerges because Pew only measured activities and values cared about by the organized Jewish community and not necessarily by the broader Jewish population.”<\/p>\n
Uh, *hello*, does *not* the Society for Humanistic Judaism bill itself online as the *fifth* branch of Judaism? Is this not an example of “organized” Judaism – albeit “without a God”?! This sounds deeply disingenuous. Seriously, folks! Even an Orthodox Rabbi included the SHJ movement in his analysis of what communities are *actually* Jewish communities. (Look up Shais Rishon, also known by the pen name MaNishtana, who is an Orthodox rabbi, activist, and writer.!)<\/p>\n
Some Jews are just determined to cling to extremes views. Here, we have a Jewish community that insists that we Jews are just a people and nothing more – and, further, take this stand Jewishly devoutly within their atheism! But, if you’ve ever – as a Jew – have lit a candle for Shabbat or for a Yahrtzeit, if you’ve ever celebrated Rosh ha’Shannah, Yom Kippur, or Pesach, if you’ve ever made a Jewish blessing of any kind … then, you are behaving *religiously* Jewish! Religiously so, whether you acknowledge a “God” or *not* within this ethno-religious ritual tradition of “Jewish” ours!!!<\/p>\n
It doesn’t matter if you consider Torah as just Jewish literature or if you take it as the word of “G-d” spoken to the people. If you were really Jewish “of No Religion,” then you would not organize and ritualize your life around chosen aspects of “non”-theistic Jewish religion.<\/p>\n
Those like Paul Golin are so *busy* being *anti-religious*, that they honestly can’t see how religiously devout they are themselves (especially in propagating Jewish divisiveness)! Why can’t we Jews all just work together pluralistically – theists Jews and non-theists Jews alike, for our survival as a people?!<\/p>\n
A Jewish house divided is a house of eternal suffering! Why do this to ourselves as a people, seriously?! Agree to disagree on some key elements, and collectively embrace the rest! Even several of our esteemed Jewish Sages have put the “God” concept to revisionist question and critique. Hello?! How did we Jews get to where we presently are in history?<\/p>\n
A response to: “What it means to be a \u2018Jew of No Religion\u2019 \u2014 it\u2019s not what you think,” by the Executive Director of the Society for Humanistic Judaism. I could have saved myself a few minutes reading, by having not done so.<\/p>\n
#SHJ #SocietyforHumanisticJudaism #jweekly #PaulGolin<\/p>\n
————-<\/p>\n
Update 25 June 2021: Because this Israeli research provides important evidence to all that is said in my post above.<\/p>\n
You can be religious and be an atheist at the same time. As well you can be non-religious and still believe that a “God” of some kind (or of one’s raised religion) actually exists. Secularism is not atheism, as evidenced by the majority of those within this world who live secular\/secularist lives and are theistic believing. Those who are atheistic are a minority population within both the religious and non-religious societal camps.<\/p>\n
“Why do people choose a non-religious path?”
\n\u05dc\u05de\u05d4 \u05d0\u05e0\u05e9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d5\u05d7\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d3\u05e8\u05da \u05dc\u05d0 \u05d3\u05ea\u05d9\u05ea?<\/p>\n
*For those who can’t read Hebrew, I’ve translated – because this research is worth reading!* From the article (English readers scroll down):<\/p>\n
\u05de\u05ea\u05d5\u05da \u05e9\u05dc\u05dc \u05de\u05e0\u05d9\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05dc\u05d5, \u05d4\u05de\u05e0\u05d9\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd *\u05d4\u05d3\u05d5\u05de\u05d9\u05e0\u05e0\u05d8\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d9\u05d5\u05ea\u05e8* \u05d1\u05e7\u05e8\u05d1 *\u05d7\u05d9\u05dc\u05d5\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd* \u05d4\u05dd *\u05d7\u05d5\u05e1\u05e8 \u05d0\u05de\u05d5\u05e0\u05d4 \u05e9\u05e7\u05d9\u05d5\u05dd \u05d4\u05de\u05e6\u05d5\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05e8\u05e6\u05d5\u05df \u05d0\u05dc\u05d5\u05e7\u05d9\u05dd* (72% \u05d3\u05d9\u05d5\u05d5\u05d7\u05d5 \u05e9\u05de\u05e0\u05d9\u05e2 \u05d6\u05d4 \u05de\u05e9\u05e4\u05d9\u05e2 \u05e2\u05dc \u05d1\u05d7\u05d9\u05e8\u05ea \u05d3\u05e8\u05db\u05dd \u05d1\u05de\u05d9\u05d3\u05d4 \u05de\u05e8\u05d5\u05d1\u05d4 \u05d0\u05d5 \u05de\u05db\u05e8\u05e2\u05ea, \u05dc\u05e2\u05d5\u05de\u05ea 11% \u05e9\u05de\u05e0\u05d9\u05e2 \u05d6\u05d4 \u05de\u05e9\u05e4\u05d9\u05e2 \u05d1\u05de\u05d9\u05d3\u05d4 \u05de\u05d5\u05e2\u05d8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05d5 \u05db\u05dc\u05dc \u05dc\u05d0) \u05d5\u05e8\u05e6\u05d5\u05df \u05d1\u05d0\u05d5\u05e8\u05d7 \u05d7\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d8\u05d5\u05d1 \u05d5\u05de\u05d5\u05e2\u05d9\u05dc (70% \u05dc\u05e2\u05d5\u05de\u05ea 8%). \u05d2\u05dd \u05d4\u05de\u05e0\u05d9\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05e0\u05d5\u05d7\u05d5\u05ea \u05d0\u05d9\u05e9\u05d9\u05ea \u05d0\u05d5 \u05d7\u05d1\u05e8\u05ea\u05d9\u05ea (54% \u05dc\u05e2\u05d5\u05de\u05ea 35%) \u05d5\u05d0\u05de\u05d5\u05e0\u05d4 \u05e9\u05d4\u05d7\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05d3\u05ea\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05e2\u05d9\u05e7\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05de\u05e4\u05e8\u05d9\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05d7\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd (49% \u05dc\u05e2\u05d5\u05de\u05ea 21%) \u05d6\u05db\u05d5 \u05dc\u05d3\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05d2 \u05d2\u05d1\u05d5\u05d4 \u05d9\u05d7\u05e1\u05d9\u05ea.<\/p>\n
“Of these motives, *the most dominant* motives among *secularists* are a *lack of belief that observance is the will of God* (72% reported that this motive influences their choice to a great extent or decisively, compared to 11% that this motive affects little or not at all) (70% vs. 8%). The motives for personal or social comfort (54% vs. 35%) and the belief that religious life is oppressive and disruptive to life (49% vs. 21%) were also rated relatively high.”<\/p>\n
\u05d4\u05de\u05e0\u05d9\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05d3\u05d5\u05de\u05d9\u05e0\u05e0\u05d8\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d9\u05d5\u05ea\u05e8 \u05d1\u05e7\u05e8\u05d1 *\u05de\u05e1\u05d5\u05e8\u05ea\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd* \u05d4\u05dd *\u05e0\u05d5\u05d7\u05d5\u05ea \u05d0\u05d9\u05e9\u05d9\u05ea \u05d0\u05d5 \u05d7\u05d1\u05e8\u05ea\u05d9\u05ea* (64% \u05dc\u05e2\u05d5\u05de\u05ea 20%), \u05d0\u05de\u05d5\u05e0\u05d4 \u05e9\u05d4\u05d3\u05e8\u05da \u05d4\u05de\u05e1\u05d5\u05e8\u05ea\u05d9\u05ea \u05d4\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d4\u05d0\u05de\u05d9\u05ea\u05d9\u05ea (53% \u05dc\u05e2\u05d5\u05de\u05ea 13%), \u05e8\u05e6\u05d5\u05df \u05d1\u05d0\u05d5\u05e8\u05d7 \u05d7\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d8\u05d5\u05d1 \u05d5\u05de\u05d5\u05e2\u05d9\u05dc \u05d0\u05e6\u05dc \u05de\u05e1\u05d5\u05e8\u05ea\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05d0 \u05d3\u05ea\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd (50% \u05dc\u05e2\u05d5\u05de\u05ea 19%), \u05d5\u05e8\u05e6\u05d5\u05df \u05dc\u05dc\u05db\u05ea \u05d1\u05d3\u05e8\u05da \u05d4\u05d0\u05d1\u05d5\u05ea \u05d0\u05e6\u05dc \u05de\u05e1\u05d5\u05e8\u05ea\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d3\u05ea\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd (50% \u05dc\u05e2\u05d5\u05de\u05ea 33%).<\/p>\n
“The most dominant motives among *traditionalists* (those who choose the dati\/religious path) are *personal or social comfort* (64% vs. 20%), belief that the traditional way is real (53% vs. 13%), desire for a good and helpful lifestyle among non-religious traditionalists (50% vs. 19%), and desire to go In the way of the fathers in traditional religious (50% vs. 33%).”<\/p>\n
\u05d4\u05ea\u05e8\u05e9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05d1\u05d0 \u05de\u05e6\u05d9\u05d2 \u05de\u05e0\u05d9\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05e9\u05e8 \u05d1\u05d5\u05dc\u05d8\u05d9\u05dd \u05d9\u05d5\u05ea\u05e8 \u05d0\u05e6\u05dc \u05d7\u05d9\u05dc\u05d5\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05e2\u05d5\u05de\u05ea \u05de\u05e1\u05d5\u05e8\u05ea\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd:
\n\u05d1\u05de\u05d1\u05d8 \u05db\u05d5\u05dc\u05dc, \u05de\u05ea\u05e8\u05e9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d6\u05d4 \u05e2\u05d5\u05dc\u05d4 \u05db\u05d9 \u05d7\u05d9\u05dc\u05d5\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d9\u05d7\u05e1 \u05dc\u05de\u05e1\u05d5\u05e8\u05ea\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05d5\u05e9\u05e4\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d9\u05d5\u05ea\u05e8 \u05de\u05de\u05e0\u05d9\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05e7\u05e9\u05d5\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05e8\u05e6\u05d5\u05df \u05d1\u05d0\u05d5\u05e8\u05d7 \u05d7\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d8\u05d5\u05d1 \u05d5\u05de\u05d5\u05e2\u05d9\u05dc \u05de\u05e6\u05d3 \u05d0\u05d7\u05d3, \u05d5\u05dc\u05ea\u05e4\u05d9\u05e1\u05ea \u05d3\u05e8\u05da \u05d4\u05d7\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05d3\u05ea\u05d9\u05ea \u05db\u05dc\u05d0 \u05de\u05d9\u05d9\u05e6\u05d2\u05ea \u05d0\u05ea \u05e8\u05e6\u05d5\u05df \u05d0\u05dc\u05d5\u05e7\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05d5 \u05db\u05de\u05e4\u05e8\u05d9\u05e2\u05d4 \u05dc\u05d7\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05e6\u05d3 \u05e9\u05e0\u05d9. \u05e9\u05e0\u05d9 \u05d4\u05de\u05e0\u05d9\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05d0\u05d7\u05e8\u05d5\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05d4\u05d5\u05d5\u05d9\u05dd \u05db\u05de\u05d5\u05d1\u05df ‘\u05ea\u05de\u05d5\u05e0\u05ea \u05e8\u05d0\u05d9’ \u05e9\u05dc \u05d4\u05de\u05e0\u05d9\u05e2 \u05d4\u05e8\u05d0\u05e9\u05d5\u05df.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aniyostsef.com\/kahal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Polish_20210626_184628754-300x264.png?resize=300%2C264\")
“The following chart shows motives that are more prominent in secular versus traditional ones:<\/p>\n
Overall, this chart shows that secularists in relation to the traditional are more influenced by motives related to the desire for a good and beneficial lifestyle on the one hand, and to the perception of the religious way of life as not representing God\u2019s will or interfering with life on the other. The last two motives are of course a ‘mirror image’ of the first motive.”<\/p>\n
Hence, why many atheists (though a population minority) can be found in masorti\/traditional and dati\/ethno-religious Jewish communities. And doing so non-theistically, by understanding what they say and saying what they understand.<\/p>\n
Neither of these dominant reasons for living a “religous” or a “non-religious life” has to do with whether one *believes* in a “God” or not. At least within Israel, where this population study was conducted. But, I have no reason to believe that it would be different in the USA, for separation of “faith”\/religion and civil life was the Constitutional foundation for the founding of this nation.<\/p>\n
I learned a saying in the USA, which I fully believe applies to this post: “There is no need to throw the baby (ethno-religious way of life) out with the bath water (Rabbinical halachic lifestyle)!”<\/p>\n
This Israel study is an ongoing collaboratory work between
\nDr. Edo Lieberman and Yaakov Cohen.<\/p>\n
Article: \u05dc\u05de\u05d4 \u05d0\u05e0\u05e9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d5\u05d7\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d3\u05e8\u05da \u05dc\u05d0 \u05d3\u05ea\u05d9\u05ea?
\nhttps:\/\/www.inn.co.il\/news\/496945
\n\u05d4\u05de\u05d7\u05e7\u05e8 \u05e9\u05dc \u05e2\u05e8\u05d5\u05e5 7 \u05d5\u05de\u05db\u05d5\u05df \u05e8\u05d1\u05d3\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d5\u05d7\u05df \u05de\u05d4 \u05d4\u05dd \u05d4\u05de\u05e0\u05d9\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05d3\u05d5\u05de\u05d9\u05e0\u05e0\u05d8\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d9\u05d5\u05ea\u05e8 \u05d0\u05e6\u05dc \u05d1\u05d5\u05d2\u05e8\u05d9 \u05d4\u05d7\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05da \u05d4\u05d3\u05ea\u05d9 \u05e9\u05d1\u05d7\u05e8\u05d5 \u05d1\u05d3\u05e8\u05da \u05dc\u05d0 \u05d3\u05ea\u05d9\u05ea. \u05e4\u05e8\u05e7 \u05e8\u05d0\u05e9\u05d5\u05df \u05d1\u05e1\u05d3\u05e8\u05d4.<\/p>\n
————<\/p>\n
Monotheistic religions propose a “priori” that “God” exists. A priori is a “theoretical deduction that is not based in sensory observation or demonstrable experience.” Atheists reject the “God”-figure priori of all theistic religions, for exactly the reason that there is no observable evidence for a formless “God” and all formed “God”s are human idols.<\/p>\n
Some atheists, confused by secularist philosophies, reject all religious behaviors and beliefs, too, as a result (and this is just sad!). I propose that atheists who are anti-religion – even though only *some* religions have a “God”-figure (not all!) – are just as immature about “God,” whatever you define this to be, as most religious folk that believe in their (or their religion’s) imagined “God.” In other words:<\/p>\n
In order to be an atheist, one must have in mind some imagined perception of “God” (whichever one you believe in, for humans believe in many different “God”s!), and it is *this* that an atheist refuses to believe in. For, without this image, others believing in a “God” (of some sort) and worshipping such just simply doesn’t matter to a mature atheist (there is no harm in simply believing in imaginary beings!).<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aniyostsef.com\/kahal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Polish_20210628_174743442-226x300.png?resize=226%2C300\")
This is why I appreciate Judaism (Judah-ism!). Our ethno-religion is about continuity of Jewish tradition for the sake of Jewish survival into the future. One does not have to believe in the actual existence of our ancestral YHWH god, in order to appreciate the art of talking in ancestral mythology. You can be kefira and devoutly religious, at the same time!<\/p>\n
If there is indeed a “divine” creator Source to this reality that we all participate in, then modern Jews have it right that this “God” is undescribable and unknowable for humans. So, it is very mature of atheists who remain religious (non-theistically) to challenge the very theistic images of “God” within religions that have a “God”-image.<\/p>\n
Correctly understood, kefira (a form of religious heresy) is a refusal to embrace a personal perception of “God” (whatever this is!). By doing so, we are combating the many immature notions of “God” (whatever this is!), and a denial of such “God” images is only a refusal to engage in idolatry in one’s life. Don’t take my word for it, study the teachings of Rav Kook!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This is where “non-religious” Jews – like Paul Golin, Executive Director of Society for Humanistic Judaism (though I don’t understand why they keep him!) – really *fail* their Jewish communities, and so sadly so! Within this JWeekly opinion piece, he laments the perceived treatment of “non-religious” (aka, “secular”) Jews. In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[58,59,10,9],"class_list":["post-1336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-jweekly","tag-paul-golin","tag-shj","tag-society-for-humanistic-judaism"],"yoast_head":"\n