(July 15, 2017 at 5:13 pm)Lutrinae Wrote:(July 15, 2017 at 1:29 pm)Aliza Wrote: Judaism's driving purpose is for Jews to live a good life. I was raised secular Jewish and gained an orthodox education as an adult (I'm no longer a strictly practicing Orthodox). When I consider my life prior to applying Jewish principles, I found it to be less appealing then when I did start applying Jewish principles. I simply find that the quality of my life has improved.
It seems to me you're using Judaism as a crutch, because you feel better as a person while adhering to the religion.
It is no different than drug addicts who feel better when they are on drugs as opposed to being sober.
I'm awfully sorry that you feel that my religion is a crutch for me, but I'm not sure what that has to do with my ability to use critical thinking skills. I suspect that because you don’t know me or what my actual beliefs are, or what Judaism even is (again, playing the numbers game here), that you’re not really in a position to state that my religion is a crutch to me, much in the same sense that drugs are to a drug addict.
I don’t have a strong sense of “religious feels,” but there are some. Really, though, we’re discussing whether or not I can apply critical thinking to my religious beliefs. The skill of critical thinking does not necessary result in the “right” answer, or even the popular answer. It only demonstrates the ability to evaluate something objectively to form a judgment.
But to get back to the point you raised, yes, I do feel better as a person while adhering to my religion. I find that the quality of my life is improved. –And let me take a step back and remind you that I said in my earlier post that Jews believe that Judaism is for Jews. Clearly, Jews are not the only people on Earth, and many other people live happy, full, and meaningful lives utilizing a different (or similar) code of ethics. Just because Judaism is for Jews doesn’t mean that it’s for anyone else, and the quality that we believe that it provides to us doesn’t detract from the quality that other people gain from living other lifestyles.
Let’s start with a simple example. I give 10% of my income to charity. It’s true that doing this does make me feel good, but the factor that motivates me to continue giving money is actually the impact that I see in my community, and not just because my book tells me to do it.
I even used my critical thinking skills to justify my initial donation to charity. At that point in time, my religion had already developed a good track record of providing good advice, so based on that trend of good advice, I concluded that a trial donation was in order. After trying it, I observed that my funds were having a positive impact for those in need, so I felt justified in continuing the practice. Adding to that, I also made some good contacts in the non-profit sector which continues to provide me with avenues for socialization, cause-based activities and events to engage in, and a feeling of purpose and satisfaction knowing that I’m helping improve my community.
If I saw that my money was going into a black hole and no impact was being had on the community, and I still gave money only because my religion tells me, then you’d have a solid argument against my critical thinking skills. (Incidentally, when I see that a non-profit is not utilizing my money appropriately, I stop giving to them.)
