Comments on: Non-observant Jews point the way to a more secular America

By: barriejohn

barriejohn — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:07:45 +0000

This entry again shows up the Evangelicals for the ignoramuses that they are. They just don't understand Judaism one little bit – only their "Christianized" version of it. This is one reason why they have such problems with the Old Testament, trying to marry it with the New Testament and ending in a complete mess! They wouldn't recognize ZenMonkey's Judaism one little bit, and similarly think that because people like George Washington believed in "Providence" or, like the Freemasons, a "Great Architect", that made them Christians!!

By: barriejohn

barriejohn — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:07:07 +0000

This entry again shows up the Evangelicals for the ignoramuses that they are. They just don't understand Judaism one little bit – only their "Christianized" version of it. This is one reason why they have such problems with the Old Testament, trying to marry it with the New Testament and ending in a complete mess! They wouldn't recognize ZenMonkey's Judaism one little bit, and similarly think that because people like George Washington believed in " Providence" or, like the Freemasons, a "Great Architect", that made them Christians!!

By: barriejohn

barriejohn — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:59:02 +0000

Sadly, a lot of "non-observant" Jews get killed on the roads in America every year.

By: ZenMonkey

ZenMonkey — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:33:33 +0000

Very interesting! Like michaelsutton, I too am Jewish and an atheist, and I don't feel there is a contradiction. Judaism is about being a good person here on earth as there is no afterlife. Observant Jews are doing this for God; I just take God out of the equation. And so this makes sense to me why Jews are more likely to be secular as we are already focused on this, our only chance at existence.

I still recite some prayers, like at Hanukkah with my mother, but again I see no conflict. "Adonai" simply means to me "the mysteries of the universe," which for me have nothing to do with a supreme being.

By: Taktix

Taktix — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:09:34 +0000

This is not surprising. When you're dealing with bacon restrictions, it's only a matter of time…

By: michaelsutton

michaelsutton — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:22:32 +0000

"About half of all US Jews – including those who consider themselves religiously observant – claim in the survey that they have a secular worldview and see no contradiction between that outlook and their faith, according to the study’s authors.' If there was a similar UK survey i would expect to find an even higher percentage of UK Jews who identify as Jewish but would consider themselves secular and atheist. Sometimes people cannot understand how I can consider myself Jewish but also an atheist –i always enjoy giving them the example of Woody Alan

By: Elainek123

Elainek123 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:17:28 +0000

Being born in to a non religious jewish home and thinking for myself and not told how to think I am secular
have no religion but believe in everything thats good towards my fellow human beings..
I have many atheist jewish friends and family, plus all denominations.
what is jewishness anyway. Dont we all have minds to think for ourselves.
I still believe that if a referendum was caried out we would find out that there are many more non-believers than we are told to believe.

By: sailor1031

sailor1031 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:01:04 +0000

Since the ultra-orthodox don't do military service this could present one of two possible scenarios; either an imposible manpower shortage for the IDF or ultra-conservative with heavy weapons and bad attitudes drafted to make up the numbers. Either way teh long term doesn't look good.