We can use the blog to hold "conversations" about reading in Huston Smith's The World's Religions. We'll certainly talk about some of the readings in class, but this gives you another chance to share your ideas. You may respond to one or more of the questions, and you can also react to comments posted by others. I'll expect a comment of one good paragraph or more. (To me, that means 5-6 sentences at a minimum.) You do not need to worry about perfect grammar, spelling and punctuation, but they should be understandable. Remember that this is a public site, and you are responsible for the content of your postings.
Assume that each comment is worth 5 points. (5 points for solid or better comments, 4 for comments somewhat short of expectations, 3 or fewer for last-minute, little to no effort postings, and no points for those who have not posted.)
All posts should be made to this blog entry NO LATER than the beginning of class time on Monday, November 17th to be considered on time.
1. What did you find most appealing or intriguing about Judaism, based on your reading? What was most difficult to accept or understand?
2. "The Ten Commandments constitute the moral foundation of most of the Western world," says Smith (p. 286). What is your opinion of the Ten Commandments? Are they absolutes? Minimal expectations for social order?
3. Has messianism - the hope for a God-appointed liberator or savior - been a positive or negative force in human affairs?
4. Have the Jews, as a "chosen people," been held to higher standards of conduct than their neighbors in the Middle East? Should they be?
5. "Without attention, the human sense of wonder and the holy will stir occasionally, but to become a steady flame it must be tended" (p. 302). Judaism seeks to hallow life through prayer, ritual, and tradition. How do you personally fan the flame of reverence and wonder in your life?
These questions are excerpted from Understanding the World's Religions: A Study Guide to Huston Smith's The World's Religions by Gary Kowalski.
Question #3
I believe that there are two answers to this question, all depending on an individuals actions. If an individual obsesses over the fact that a super human will come down and cure all of us from our wickedness. I would say that that would have a negative effect in human affairs. On the other hand, Messianism does give its believers something to hold onto and to put faith in. Therefore, it would be a positive factor to its believers, but would not have any real effect in human affairs. So, my blunt answer is that Messianism is either a negative, or neutral factor. But overall, I do not think that the majority of human affairs have been effected by Messianism.
2. "The Ten Commandments constitute the moral foundation of most of the Western world," says Smith (p. 286). What is your opinion of the Ten Commandments? Are they absolutes? Minimal expectations for social order?
It seems to me that the ten commandments were originally set up in the Jewish Torah and Talmud as guidelines to all the other laws and decrees in the Talmud. The ten commandments I refer to in lower class because although they are important, they are not the only commandments given by God to the people of Israel. However, although the commandments are only guidelines, six of the ten are punishable by death, so they are not just minimal expectations; they are also bastions of Jewish law.
In Jewish law the ten commandments are not the foremost laws, but in Christianity the commandments are the best measure of the will of God, and the best way to be a true Christian. The Ten Commandments are not only the foundation of most laws in Christian societies but are also the preeminent rules for being a Christian, unlike Judaism. So, though they are not absolutes in the Jewish faith; for Christians, the are the words and rule of God, and therefore must be followed religiously.
What I found most intriguing about Judaism was the idea that they are the chosen people. I have never quite understood why this was such an well known belief not only within Judaism but in so many other religions as well. Smith himself looks at what makes this Jewish belief special among the all the other religions whose histories claim theirs is the chosen one. Judaism he says is actually different because the Jews and their story has actually been unique since their beginning. This results in an interesting dynamic, because Jew’s recognize how their history has been exceptional and thus conclude that they are God’s chosen people. But with this comes the quandary of how they originally were chosen among all the people of the globe. Smith says some explain this by arguing that God’s blessing was offered to everyone and that the Jews were the only people who took him up on it. Additionally, Smith explains the fundamental humbleness of Judaism. He argues that the Jews do not see themselves as superior and more deserving of being the chosen people. Instead, they take the greater responsibilities given them by God and seek to adhere closest to his word.
2. "The Ten Commandments constitute the moral foundation of most of the Western world," says Smith (p. 286). What is your opinion of the Ten Commandments? Are they absolutes? Minimal expectations for social order?
I think that the Ten Commandments are great rules of social order and morality. I do believe that they set the line between the good and bad, and the do's and don'ts. The interesting thing about the Ten Commandments is it's universality. The rules can apply to all people regardless of skin and religion, which is why I believe the commandments are significantly used as the foundation of morals in the western world. Another thing is that the commandments are not excruciatingly strict and exclusive therefore allows a freedom that can permeate into judaism. "...thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shall not steal, thou shall not bear false witness" are all relatively broad and inconclusive. Yet, these commandments are simple enough to understand that good actions, truth and honesty are essential to good morals.
4. Have the Jews, as a "chosen people," been held to higher standards of conduct than their neighbors in the Middle East? Should they be?
I believe that the Jews, although they may be “The Chosen People,” have not been held to higher standards of conduct than their neighbors in the Middle East. I believe that the Israelis have been every bit as nasty as the Arabs if not more so. The Israeli government systematically undermines Arabs, and gives them no power. I strongly believe, like Carter, that there is an apartheid going on in Israel in which the Arabs are being oppressed; however, I believe that in America we do not see the apartheid because the US government and media are both propaganda machines for Zionists. There are just as many Zionist extremist (some may say terrorist) groups as there are Islamic extremist groups. However, the Zionist groups get no attention because the US is so blindly pro-Israeli, and because they are the group in power, naturally they do not have to take as strong of action as the oppressed Palestinians. I strongly believe that the Jews have not been held to higher standards of conduct that the neighboring Muslims, but I think the US has a skewed perspective and most would disagree with me. I believe that the Jews as well as their neighbors should be held to a higher standard of conduct. I believe that everyone should treat everyone humanely, and I believe that there is a common solution to be found through peaceful negotiations and not war and terrorist acts. I believe that both groups should be held to higher standards of conduct not because of religion or being “The Chosen People,” but because everyone should peaceful and treat others equally, two basic rules, which are being ignored by both Jews and Muslims in the Middle East. However, if any group wants to claim themselves as “The Chosen People,” then they should take moral high ground.
As sort of a mix of questions one and two I found Judaism's approach to the ten commandments one of its more appealing aspects. They are based much more on the social logic how how people interact and are very applicable even to people of other religions. Because they are meant as guidelines to social behavior and because they are just guidelines they have lasted and had great influence on the morals of the West. I had not realized that Judaism was so connected to human nature and in many ways more open than Christianity. In Christianity the ten commandments are like Will said a more end all be all of ruling and Judaism a more base guideline from which to have ruling. Also was new to me was Judaism's interest in history and learning from the historical record rather than one source.
#5.
I have daily reminders of my faith by keeping kosher. Though it is technically about not eating unclean animals/food to me it is about thinking about making holy choices and being aware of my religion at different points throughout the day. On many saturdays or friday nights I will go to temple for services. I take time to appreciate a really pretty sunrise or sunset on the way to school. I love sitting in my study and taking a break from studying to just look out at my backyard (I back-up to a marshland and forest-y area) and appreciate all the beauty of nature. I write G-d instead of the full lettering to be mindful.
2. "The Ten Commandments constitute the moral foundation of most of the Western world," says Smith (p. 286). What is your opinion of the Ten Commandments? Are they absolutes? Minimal expectations for social order?
In my opinion, The Ten Commandments are the ideal guidelines for humans to live by. It's what God sent down through Moses for the people of the earth to know how to live the right way. What's great about them is that they don't just apply to Judaism because they are general rules that everyone can agree on such as "thou shalt not kill" or "thou shalt not steal." If kept, The Ten Commandments could resolve many issues that we face everyday. They should be looked at as tools to live a safe and prosperous life, unfortunately we don't always follow them.
2. "The Ten Commandments constitute the moral foundation of most of the Western world," says Smith (p. 286). What is your opinion of the Ten Commandments? Are they absolutes? Minimal expectations for social order?
I do not see the first 4 of the Ten Commandments as absolutes in society but I the second 6 are simply good rules to live by. The first four Commandments are very religiously based, and those are not important in society, I do not feel that being a monotheist is crucial for one’s moral foundation. But the second set has rules for people to follow about not stealing, murdering, lying, which people should follow absolutely. One of the biggest controversies surrounding the Ten Commandments is whether or not they should be displayed on public grounds. I would not support this, because that supports the Judeo-Christian tradition over other religious groups. Recently in Utah, a city that displays the Ten Commandments in a public park was sued by a very small religoius group called Summum because this group was denied a permit to display the main tenets of their religion. But if the town was willing to display the Ten Commandments, they should also be required to display this other religion’s statue.
1. What did you find most appealing or intriguing about Judaism, based on your reading? What was most difficult to accept or understand?
While reading The World’s Religions, I found the section on the meaning of God to be most appealing to me. I thought the idea of the “Other” as a being was intriguing, and that the early Hebrews thought that they could personify ultimate reality. This is a different concept for me, because I think of the “Other” and an ultimate reality as 2 separate things. I also thought it was interesting how the Torah suggested that there were other Gods besides the One, or Yaweh. I always thought that Judaism was monotheistic, and to consider that Judaism could also hint that there may be other Gods really gives me a new perspective on the older version of Judaism, and its effects on the modern version of Judaism. On the other hand, it was somewhat difficult for me to accept the fact that “no one seriously claims to being self-created…” I think that evolution plays a huge part in our lives, because it is a constant struggle on what to believe, from a religious perspective to a scientific perspective. I actually do believe in a form of self-creation, even though I am Christian, and both concepts play an important role on my spiritual journey.
4. Have the Jews, as a "chosen people," been held to higher standards of conduct than their neighbors in the Middle East? Should they be?
I do think Israel has been held to a superficial high standard of conduct, but this is because America has been so closely allied with Israel, not because they are "the chosen people." When I, and most people see a Jew, they don't say "Oh, a chosen one, s/he is better than I am." They think, "hey, a Jew, so what." While there are written codes of conduct for Jews they are not much different from those of Christians and similarly they are often ignored. I have certainly met some Jews who happen to be scumbags and, in my opinion, that is who runs the Israeli government.
The Israeli government is held to a superficial higher state of conduct than an Arab neighbor, but this is because any negative press about Israel reflects poorly on America. In return for America's friendship there is an unwritten rule that Israel should not openly do anything in really bad taste. Although this is an unwritten rule, Israel does many immoral things, mostly different forms of oppressing Arabs. But as Andrew B. has said, the American media gives Israel very favorable press that creates the impression that Israel does not complete immoral acts, which is frankly untrue.
Being the "chosen people" does not necessarily mean a higher standard of conduct, both Judaism and Christianity have the same basic standard of conduct, the ten commandments, but similarly to America, an unofficially Christian state, Israel also has and will complete immoral actions, despite being a "chosen people."
3. Has Messianism - the hope for a God-appointed liberator or savior - been a positive or negative force in human affairs?
I think that Messianism has been a positive force in human affairs. this has been a positive force because this belief has made people live morally. I feel that because people want to be saved by the Messiah, they act as as if they want to please him and live to their best potential. While there is dispute in Judaism about whether the Messiah is/ will be a person, I feel that Messianism helps people to view their life as a path to salvation.
5. "Without attention, the human sense of wonder and the holy will stir occasionally, but to become a steady flame it must be tended" (p. 302). Judaism seeks to hallow life through prayer, ritual, and tradition. How do you personally fan the flame of reverence and wonder in your life?
Because I am not religious at all, I do not pray often or renew my faith in god. I would say in my life, I fan a different flame. I find myself concerned with hard work, family values, and strong morals. I believe in being myself no matter what. I fan my flame by sticking up for my beliefs, voicing my opinions and never taking no for an answer. I hope that instead of being saved or reaching a heavenly state, I will achieve my personal goals for my future by living like this.
1. I think the most intriguing thing I learned about was how on Sabbath, orthodox Jews do not participate in any activity involving technology, or work. Reading the article about the couple who on Sabbath, decided to walk to a friend's wedding helped me see the value and significance of this. Although in my mind, I could not understand how people would able to function following these rules, I realized that this is not how it actually is. From the Jewish perspective I imagine that Sabbath feels less like they have to follow the rules, and more like they are able to take a break from the busy world we live in and rest. And within this time, they are truly able to focus on their religion. To me, this seems as though it would be a very cleansing thing to have as a part of life.
5. Because I am not very religious, I know that I do not fan the flame that Judaism seeks... but I do think I try to fan a different sort of flame. I try to do this through following my own set of values, and also, by surrounding myself with good people. Although I do not incorporate my religious beliefs with this, I do think that the longer I continue to follow my own set of beliefs, the stronger my idea of a "flame" will burn!
1. What did you find most appealing or intriguing about Judaism, based on your reading? What was most difficult to accept or understand?
On page 293 the book starts talking about how the jews were punished, and how they excepted their punishments. I thought this was interesting because it is said (of they believe) that God was using Israel's enemies against her so that she would start listening. however, i thought it was interesting to see that instead of the jews being unhappy in their sufferings, but they instead thrived in their lowliness so proving themselves the chosen people and burning god into their hearts so that they would never forget how the lack of freedom justice felt. In someways they say that god was using them to show the world what it would be like if these rights were taken away.
"The Ten Commandments constitute the moral foundation of most of the Western world," says Smith (p. 286). What is your opinion of the Ten Commandments? Are they absolutes? Minimal expectations for social order?
The Ten Commandments are the fundamentals of Judaism that I feel are ideals that followers of Judaism turn to. I do not feel that consistently following the ten commandments is realistic. I see them as goals that followers aspire too. For example, one may do his or her best to try and follow the ten commandments, but there is always that possibility of making a mistake. However, The Ten Commandments still serve as a structure to the follower's faith. Followers refer to the ten commandments for guidance. That I believe, is the most important role that the commandments play in the follower's life. Being able to refer to morals, such as the ten commandments, provides the individual with reassurance.
Most times, I take my existence for granted. I rarely reflect on life and its meaning there is any. I am a very busy person, especially during the school year, which gives me very little to no time to even admire the basic aspect of living. This summer, however, I managed to get a few chances to appreciate my existence while I was at a friends cabin. During the nights there I was able to look into a clear night sky. The scene was breathtaking. I felt so insignificant it gave me a chance to think about life on Earth and in other galaxies. To think that human life could only exist on Earth gave me an appreciation for life.
In my opinion and my faith the ten commandments should be followed. i believe that there is one god and most of the other commandments are already enforced by our law. the few commandments that are not enforced by the law is adultery, and do not covet. i believe that we all should follow the commandments because it basically tells us to live an honest life where we do not steal or harm anyone else who is following the commandments. i do not think the commandments should be followed to the extreme because the we live in a 'free' environment. if you enforce all of the commandments we would be prosecuting everyone because just about everyone has coveted and wanted what someone else has had at one point.
2. "The Ten Commandments constitute the moral foundation of most of the Western world," says Smith (p. 286). What is your opinion of the Ten Commandments? Are they absolutes? Minimal expectations for social order?
While I think that the Ten Commandments are great foundation for the morals and ethics of the Western world and Western religions, I do not think that they are necessarily absolutes. While they are a great foundation, as I said, and a good set of "guidelines" for how life should be lived, they should not all need to be applied to everyone. That is, every individual should be allowed to choose which ones they live by, and/or adapt them to their own life and own surroundings. While it would be great if everyone could live by the Ten Commandments, I do not think that they were made to be absolutes that everyone is required to follow. If someone doesn't believe in any religion, especially, they cannot be expected to know all or follow all of the Ten Commandments.
"The Ten Commandments constitute the moral foundation of most of the Western world," says Smith (p. 286). What is your opinion of the Ten Commandments? Are they absolutes? Minimal expectations for social order
Although 'The Ten Commandments' heavily influence the western world and their moral standards, that does not mean that 'The Ten Commandments' are in fact, correct. The first handful are kind of 'fluff' that don't hold any moral value in society or with me personally. I mean this with the utmost respect possible of course. But frankly, the majority doesn't really cares about taking the lord's name in vain, the sabbath, or respecting their parents. Dishonesty and greed are something I do not agree with and have moral confliction against. But, the commandments seem to over-elaborate on these rules and eventually, sounds redundant. The issues of infidelity and 'coveting thy neighbor's wife' are personal issues that you all can work out on your own, although the simple act of coveting and not actually taking action should not be a moral debacle. Finally, 'though shalt not kill', I do not believe in harming anyone, let alone killing. But I have trouble taking this lesson from religion, which, to be honest, is responsible for a lot of death in the history of the world.
5. "Without attention, the human sense of wonder and the holy will stir occasionally, but to become a steady flame it must be tended" (p. 302). Judaism seeks to hallow life through prayer, ritual, and tradition. How do you personally fan the flame of reverence and wonder in your life?
I agree with this quote, and the Jewish way of responding to it. The Jewish way, as mentioned in the question, is to pray, practice rituals, and traditions. Although I may not follow these three practices in the traditional or expected sense, I follow these practices in a way that suits my culture and lifestyle. For example, instead of reading the Torah (to fulfill prayer) I read the newspaper, or novels. These are the sources of knowledge available to me that may help to answer some of my questions. As far as ritual, well my rituals do not usually stop for curiosity. I may not understand world hunger, but I keep brushing my teeth everyday. The third, traditions, is very important. Traditional events usually require a time where everyone comes together. Now I may not follow the tradition of Friday night Shabat dinners, but my family has its own traditions. When people come together it is the best way to cure wonder, because it involves discussion.
Although the "Jewish way" may seem irrelevant initially, I think it cross applies to everyone's life. Everyone has some form of prayer, ritual, and tradition, even if it is not religious.
"The Ten Commandments constitute the moral foundation of most of the Western world," says Smith (p. 286). What is your opinion of the Ten Commandments? Are they absolutes? Minimal expectations for social order?
I believe that the ten commandments are solid guidelines for the way people should live their lives, but i do not believe that they are absolute. The first few ten commandments seem to be much less important than the others in day to day life. For example, taking the lord's name is generally not a major concern for most people. Other commandments such as "thou shalt not kill" seem to be much more important. The first four commandments are much less important than the following six, which are good rules for people to follow.
The aspect I find most interesting about Judaism is fact that the religion has been modified to fit different changes in the world. By this I don’t be the faith overall but how the conservative branch was created to appeal to those who wanted to maintain their Jewish faith but adapt to advancements or creating reform for a similar purpose. I think that messianism is a good force to maintain hope in people that very strongly link themselves to the faith. It forever gives people a light of hope of a messiah coming and fulfilling their lives. In my opinion the ten commandments were entirely created by the church as a feature to control the masses. I think that they are viewed as very absolute, but should be considered as very minimal aspect to the faith.