So this morning on "Morning Joe" Mika did an interview with a lady author who wrote a book of how she "re-discovered" Jewish traditions. I wish I had caught the lady's name and the book, but I multi task so I was reading on line while listening to the show in the background.
Anyway, so she told a story I'd heard from countless Christians too. Wen't something like, " I was cafeteria Jew, really only went to one or two Jewish holiday events per year, was never really active." And just like many Christians, she suffered some emotional stress in her life and wanted to seek comfort. In her case, it was a bad breakup that made her depressed. So she went to a Synagogue and her words "was blown away", by the "wisdom" of old traditions and "how to live a good life and be a better person."
It isn't that she is a bad person. I think most humans are good. But I was a annoyed by the same argument she made I've heard from other religions too. " It isn't enough to simply say "do what you want as long as you don't hurt other people".
My point is, in our species entire history worldwide, anyone of any religion can point to moral stories and stories of kindness and empathy. I think it is wrong to attach "wisdom" to any one religion as if they are a patent holder. There have always been good people and bad people worldwide in our species history. And even today Israel like every nation, it too also has prisons.
Anne Frank was a good person too. But so was Oscar Schindler and Chinue Sugihara who forged paperwork to save 6,000 Jews.
There are moral stories in Buddhism and Hinduism and even in Islam.
That says to me, that our species ability to do good isn't in religion, although most of the world certainly likes to attribute it to religion, but in our species. Even she said in the interview non Jews can be good and do good too. I agree, so again, I'd suggest if one can accept that, then it is our species, as individuals, and not a religion doing it.
In Muslim parts of the middle east their ambulances have a crescent moon and star on them. In Israel their ambulances have the Star Of David on them. In America we have hospitals named after sects, like Methodist, Or Baptist, or saints. In Buddhist countries they also have hospitals, and their monks advocate for charitable giving too.
Worldwide in antiquity, there is a rich history that should be valued and remembered yes, for history purposes. But no one religion owns a patent on morality. Not to mention our species was around long before any written religion or city state for that matter. The problem has always been for religion, is that for all the good any religion claims to do, it also at the same time causes division and tribalism, and not just between different religions, but even between the different sects under the same umbrella label. And even with Jews, they also have liberal and conservative Jews that do not agree.
And to be fair in all this, I also say the same about atheists. Even we have conservative atheists, liberal atheists, and even we don't always agree on social issues, political issues, or economic issues.
I think humans can if they choose, remember history because it is important to learn from, but the idea that the morality of antiquity still applies today, based on the social norms of antiquity is misleading. Life worldwide in antiquity was far more tribal in an age of kings, and the average lifespan was far shorter, and especially with females, far more patriarchal where females had less rights, if any.
I listen to stories like hers, and having heard them from other religions too, it always reminds me of Sagan's Pale Blue Dot speech. Humans really are merely temporary masters. It frustrates me to see the good in my fellow humans knowing that progress has also come about by questioning social norms. As much as I love liberal Jews, and liberal Christians, and liberal Muslims, or any liberal of any religion, it still frustrates me to know that the people of antiquity worldwide did not have anything close to our modern knowledge of our planet, universe, evolutionary biology, and even human psychology, yet humans still insist on clinging to the past.
No, I am not in any way suggesting the forced end of any religion, as if one could or should. I am saying humans are capable of valuing history to learn from, yet also be willing to adapt to better data. Just like with Christians and Muslims and Hindus and Buddhists, I'd ask, think about all the religions you don't buy into. Think about all the ancient mythology you don't buy into. There are lots of stories of heroism and kindness in those mythologies as well.
The the truth is that our species morality is in us as individuals, not in a religion, not in a holy writing or holy person. Most humans are good, I simply disagree with where most humans think our morality is coming from.
Anyway, so she told a story I'd heard from countless Christians too. Wen't something like, " I was cafeteria Jew, really only went to one or two Jewish holiday events per year, was never really active." And just like many Christians, she suffered some emotional stress in her life and wanted to seek comfort. In her case, it was a bad breakup that made her depressed. So she went to a Synagogue and her words "was blown away", by the "wisdom" of old traditions and "how to live a good life and be a better person."
It isn't that she is a bad person. I think most humans are good. But I was a annoyed by the same argument she made I've heard from other religions too. " It isn't enough to simply say "do what you want as long as you don't hurt other people".
My point is, in our species entire history worldwide, anyone of any religion can point to moral stories and stories of kindness and empathy. I think it is wrong to attach "wisdom" to any one religion as if they are a patent holder. There have always been good people and bad people worldwide in our species history. And even today Israel like every nation, it too also has prisons.
Anne Frank was a good person too. But so was Oscar Schindler and Chinue Sugihara who forged paperwork to save 6,000 Jews.
There are moral stories in Buddhism and Hinduism and even in Islam.
That says to me, that our species ability to do good isn't in religion, although most of the world certainly likes to attribute it to religion, but in our species. Even she said in the interview non Jews can be good and do good too. I agree, so again, I'd suggest if one can accept that, then it is our species, as individuals, and not a religion doing it.
In Muslim parts of the middle east their ambulances have a crescent moon and star on them. In Israel their ambulances have the Star Of David on them. In America we have hospitals named after sects, like Methodist, Or Baptist, or saints. In Buddhist countries they also have hospitals, and their monks advocate for charitable giving too.
Worldwide in antiquity, there is a rich history that should be valued and remembered yes, for history purposes. But no one religion owns a patent on morality. Not to mention our species was around long before any written religion or city state for that matter. The problem has always been for religion, is that for all the good any religion claims to do, it also at the same time causes division and tribalism, and not just between different religions, but even between the different sects under the same umbrella label. And even with Jews, they also have liberal and conservative Jews that do not agree.
And to be fair in all this, I also say the same about atheists. Even we have conservative atheists, liberal atheists, and even we don't always agree on social issues, political issues, or economic issues.
I think humans can if they choose, remember history because it is important to learn from, but the idea that the morality of antiquity still applies today, based on the social norms of antiquity is misleading. Life worldwide in antiquity was far more tribal in an age of kings, and the average lifespan was far shorter, and especially with females, far more patriarchal where females had less rights, if any.
I listen to stories like hers, and having heard them from other religions too, it always reminds me of Sagan's Pale Blue Dot speech. Humans really are merely temporary masters. It frustrates me to see the good in my fellow humans knowing that progress has also come about by questioning social norms. As much as I love liberal Jews, and liberal Christians, and liberal Muslims, or any liberal of any religion, it still frustrates me to know that the people of antiquity worldwide did not have anything close to our modern knowledge of our planet, universe, evolutionary biology, and even human psychology, yet humans still insist on clinging to the past.
No, I am not in any way suggesting the forced end of any religion, as if one could or should. I am saying humans are capable of valuing history to learn from, yet also be willing to adapt to better data. Just like with Christians and Muslims and Hindus and Buddhists, I'd ask, think about all the religions you don't buy into. Think about all the ancient mythology you don't buy into. There are lots of stories of heroism and kindness in those mythologies as well.
The the truth is that our species morality is in us as individuals, not in a religion, not in a holy writing or holy person. Most humans are good, I simply disagree with where most humans think our morality is coming from.
