Thoughts on various topics from the perspective of a Jewish non-theist,taking the position that there is no evidence for the existence of a supreme being that directs our lives or the course of the universe.
In my July 9 post, "Cognitive Dissonance: My Stressed-Out Sympathies for Israel" I discussed at length my conflicting emotions of sympathy and anger towards the State of Israel" and the difficulties that I was having n trying to come to terms with this conflict. However, thanks to some sound advice from my wife Lydia and input from my close friend Greg, I believe that I've overcome this dilemma.
As I mentioned in "Cognitive Dissonance", Israel's non-Orthodox / secular Jewish majority allows the Orthodox minority to dominate that country political system. Recently the latter have attempted to intensify this grip by seeking to impose a tighter interpretation in determining "who is a Jew?" as it applies to immigrants under Israel's "Law of Return" especially those from Russia, who comprise the largest demographic of this group. As a result their rights and civil status in such life passages as marriage are in jeopardy. A strong international protest from non-Orthodox Jews against this plan apparently caught the Israeli Orthodox Jewish establishment off guard, and the Israeli Parliament has put this proposed legislation in abeyance for six months as of this past July. But the matter could (and will likely come up again) after that time.
Throughout this ideological tug of war, even though they have the greatest stake in the outcome, the Russian immigrants, have remained largely silent due mainly to indifference. One reason is that many members of this group consider themselves as Jews anyway, whether or not the Orthodox rabbis agree. But whatever the cause for this apathy, the immigrants on the whole just do not find the issue worth fighting for.
So as Lydia sagely pointed out, if the Russians don't feel like joining the struggle that others are fighting in their behalf and if the non-Orthodox majority of Israeli Jews can't get their own act together and take back political control from the religious minority, why should non-Orthodox Jews in the diaspora, myself included, get worked up about this state of affairs? We may as well just stay neutral about Israel's internal and international dealings and —importantly —stop feeling personal embarrassment or responsibility when Israel makes mistakes resulting from reckless domestic and external policy decisions.
Carrying this idea further Greg (who is a Filipino and an ardent Reform Jew) recommends—and I'm becoming more inclined to agree—that Jews throughout the world should just tend to their own knitting and focus on building and strengthening their respective communities, especially here in Asia, where according to "Jewish Times Asia", a magazine which features articles about life in such these enclaves located in this part of the world, there are at present 34 such societies spread throughout Southeast Asia, China and Japan.
To quote Greg: "Jewish communities in the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, etc. are all small but can be nurtured into bigger and happier communities. Imagine visiting SE Jews in Burma one day! And being accepted without reservations as friends.The goal is to view each other as friends instead of family members. All this Orthodox hardheadedness in Israel, if made to occupy so much space in our consciousness, will just ruin the chances of these Jewish communities prospering. Imagine visiting a Vietnamese synagogue and being asked, "Are you sure you're Jewish? Can you prove it?"
This "hands off" approach does not mean that we renounce Israel. It just means that Israel and Zionism would no longer have a primacy in the diaspora Jewish mindset. Besides, Israel has a strong economic presence in this part of the world, as various articles in the July / August, 2010 "Jewish Times Asia" issue aptly demonstrate. Further, many members of the Jewish communities in Asia are native Israelis who are visiting or working here and who travel and transfer back and forth between the two locales. So in light of these ties, I'm certainly not suggesting abandonment. It's just that political, moral (and not to mention financial) support for Israel by religiously liberal diaspora Jews for Israel has been pretty much a one way street for way too long, Isn't it pointless for us to continue our role as enablers to the religious right and receive nothing but their contempt and ingratitude in return?
There is a slim chance that once the Orthodox establishment realizes that it can no longer take this advocacy for granted, it will be more inclined to recognize or at least respect its erstwhile benefactors, but ultimately, why should it matter? By refocusing our attention on strengthening and improving our own communities and the ties between them, and by extension the larger societies of which we are members as well, progressive diaspora Jews can look forward to a vibrant future.
The Aug. 3, 2010 edition of one of my favorite blog sites, "Atheist Revolution" included "CNN Features Battle Of The Idiots", a post which highlighted a debate in which a Christian fundamentalist minister from Florida voiced his church's intention to conduct a burning of copies of the Quran on the anniversary of 9-11 as a statement against Islam. His views were opposed by the CNN interviewer on the basis that such an act against their "sacred" book is insulting to Muslims, just as Muslims' burning the Bible would offend Christians. "Atheist Revolution's" position on this issue is that there is no such thing as a "sacred" book and its owner has the right to burn it if (s)he so chooses.
I agree that arguments about religion are pointless when they are framed in terms of whose holy book, doctrine, or deity is more sacred or deserving of reverence than that of another faith. It's like children arguing "My father can lick your father". Further, I don't deny that the owner of property including books has a right to privately dispose of them as (s)he sees fit. But from my perspective as a secular humanist and a bibliophile, an organized public burning or other such destruction of books based on hatred, along with an encouragement by the perpetrator for others to do likewise is a whole different matter.
I remember a saying that I heard many years ago: "Books are our ancestors speaking to us through the ages." My sentiments exactly. Books, especially those that are antiquarian, often reveal— intentionally or otherwise—a great deal about past cultures and serve as insights into the way that people thought in a given era. For example, they are excellent sources for comparison and determination of progress—if any—that later or contemporary societies have made since the era in question. Beyond that purpose they are no less valuable than other artifacts and abstractions that have been produced by the human imagination through the centuries such as art and music.
Who knows, for example, how much knowledge was lost in the fire that destroyed the Library at Alexandria in 48 BCE and subsequent destruction of temples in that city that housed the great works as well as ordinary documents of their eras. There is a dispute as to whether that repository was deliberately burned or was just collateral damage in a larger conflagration that burnt the city. But the outcome was the same: irretrievable loss of important records of past civilizations and human history.
However, there is little doubt that the fire that burned the Los Angeles Central Library in 1986 was the work of arson. BTW I happened to be working in the area at that time and witnessed this devastating event in which nearly 500,000 were lost and an equal number badly damaged. Heroically painstaking efforts were made to salvage thousands more. It took years to restore this great institution.
Probably the most famous incidents in history of malicious destruction of books by fire was the book burning conducted in 1933 by University students under the Nazi regime. Thousands of books especially those by Jewish authors were destroyed in this campaign. This was done not just as a policy of anti-Semitism but as on overall attempt to "purify" German thought and culture. But those who authorized this heinous act may in actuality have secretly feared that the accumulated knowledge written in the works that they were destroying was far superior to their own warped ideology.
Books are not only a bond with the past but can serve as a clarion call for social change. Consider the effects on American society by such works as Common Sense, Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Jungle, Silent Spring and The God Delusion .(Strictly speaking, the author of The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins, is not an American, but his works have probably created more of a stir in the U.S. than in his native England.) Often books such as these which challenge the status quo are so disturbing to the Establishment that government authorities attempt to ban or censor them, as was the case with the The Pentagon Papers.
So by condemning acts of violence and suppression against the written word including works of a religious nature, atheists are sending a message that we support the rights of all to express their beliefs. In the end, by taking the high road and advocating the preservation of books and other expressions of human creativity, even those that have theistic themes, we are standing up for our own rights and ideas as well.
I came across an inspiring blog post, " The Dysletic Atheist" in which the writer, jon_poson26, recounts how as a child he struggled with a learning disability but was finally rescued by a retired teacher who took an interest in his plight and became his mentor. Interestingly, the author's handicap was confined to reading but did not interfere with his math and science capabilities.
I can relate to this story, but with a twist. In grade and high school I did well in reading and writing but sucked at mathematics (What! A Jew who can't do math?). In high school I limped through linear algebra and crashed and burned in geometry. Based on my overall family background, this deficit is puzzling. Some of my relatives hold Ph.D.'s in math and physics. Others are—or were (now retired)—in other professions that also require high numeracy and logic skills. But if talent for math were a family inheritance, I was left out of the will.
However, in high school I did well enough in other courses to be recommended for an English honors course which I successfully completed. I vividly remember being the only student in that class that semester (or ever?) who due to my math deficiency was simultaneously enrolled in a" math-lite" remedial physical science course rather than chemistry or physics, both of which require an advanced algebra background. In other words, among my peers there was usually a correlation between math and science skills on one hand and reading and writing proficiency on the other. In that regard I was an oddball and hence can fully appreciate the somewhat parallel although opposite predicament experienced by the writer of "Dyslectic Atheist". Looking back I wonder why a school guidance counselor didn't pick up on this anomaly. After all I was too young and trusting of authority to question the matter on my own.
When I started college, I was required to take a remedial math course which I managed to pass with a "C", and after several attempts I finally passed the examination that would have enabled me to enroll in a college algebra course. However, I wound up not finishing college (the reason that I dropped out was not related to academic performance) and so never got around to taking that subject.
As jon_poson26's story shows, sometimes all it takes is a certain chemistry—a connection—with a teacher to impart a feeling of hope and turn things around. If an educator is not only learned in his field but can also instill enthusiasm for the subject matter and a sense of self confidence in his or her students, that is the mark of a true professional. Such was the teacher who had enough faith in my abilities to get me into an honors course as well as the one who taught that class itself and likewise offered encouragement.
Reflecting further on "The Dysletic Atheist" has made me wonder what direction my own life might otherwise have taken had I also been fortunate enough to get a dedicated teacher or mentor to help me overcome my difficulties with mathematics. No doubt It would have improved my feelings of self-worth which were already low as well. In fact I dare say it was the lack of self-confidence that also kept me in the thrall of God-belief for so many years. In both cases at the time I didn't catch on how the logic of complicated higher math formulas and the reasoning behind atheism have one thing in common: If you take the time to analyze them, they both add up.
I'm a senior citizen now, and one thing on my "bucket list" is to complete my degree. If I do so, the very first class that I will take will be a college math course, whether or not I'm fortunate enough to do so in a class room setting under the tutelage of a skilled instructor, or via the Internet instead. I may even try for credits by taking equivalency test such as CLEP.
Whichever of these options I select, I'll need a great deal of review and preparation. But now that my mind and spirit are no longer chained by some of my previous problems, especially the repression and "ill-logic" of theism, I believe that I can better focus on the task at hand and have a shot at achieving my no longer impossible dream.
As is typical for Jews of my generation, since I was a child I have believed in and supported Israel and the ideals of Zionism. At one time it made pragmatic sense to have a national haven for the Jewish people to return to in light of historical Antisemitism culminating in the Holocaust. Also, supporting Israel was an ace in the hole of sorts--a place of refuge if hatred of Jews were to become as rampant in the U.S as it had been in pre-war Europe.
Equally important, Israel was founded by secularists not just as a Jewish state but a democratic one as well.. Also, at its inception, Israel's very existence was threatened by its hostile Arab neighbors, so it was truly an underdog state. But that was then, and this is now. Times have changed, and I find myself questioning my position of heretofore unwavering support for several reasons.
To begin with, in recent years the country has fallen under the control of the right wing and Orthodox minority who thanks in part to the parliamentary system of government holds a disproportionate amount of political power over the secular majority of Israeli citizens. I find the intolerance and aggressive policies of the Orthodox and its other rightist allies in government abhorrent, in terms of its stranglehold in such matters of conversion to Judaism, marriage, and its refusal to recognize and share power with other branches of Judaism within Israel. Equally obnoxious is the attitude of the Orthodox Jewish establishment in Israel towards non-Orthodox Jews in the Diaspora, which is "You must keep supporting us with your donations and your political support , but don't expect acceptance or recognition from us; not now, not ever."
And in the topic of political support, I think that it's high time for Israel to shed its over-dependence on American aid on both government level as well as from private sources such as AIPAC which as a lobbying organization has itself become too big for its britches. As previously mentioned, Israel is no longer a 97 pound weakling among nations. It is a first world country with a sound industrial base, a kick-ass military, and an eminent producer of software which is highly in demand worldwide as well. So it should not keep putting its hand out for financial assistance.
In addition Israel needs to quit searching for love in all the wrong places. For example there is the matter of the Israeli Government's and Orthodox Jews' climbing into bed with American Christian fundamentalists who support Israel's existence, yet are nevertheless anti-Semitic. If that sounds like a twisted doctrine (which of course it is), here is the "reasoning" behind it: Christianity, especially evangelicals, believe that the establishment of the State of Israel heralds second coming of Christ and of God's Judgment Day. At that time those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior will be condemned to hell. This is especially so for the Jews who as a people who "betrayed Jesus". They can only escape God's wrath by seeing the error of their ways and converting to Christianity sooner rather than later. In other words, these Christians refuse to recognize Judaism in its own right and consider Israel's existence only as as a means to an end (as in "End of Days"). How can the leaders of Israel and Orthodox Judaism be so shameless as to accept these people as "allies"? To add insult to inury, Israeli Orthodox Jewish leaders extend a recogniton to these Christian extremists that they refuse to grant to non-Orthodox Jewish movements inside or outside of Israel.
Speaking of acceptance, there is a branch of Orthodox Jews in Israel, the haredim, who refuse to recognize the State of Israel's existence because according to their belief, Israel will not become a nation until the messiah comes. Thus as a human created establishment, the country is an illegitimate state. Yet these people for the most part do not work for a living. Instead they spend their time in religious studies, are exempt from military service which is compulsory for most other Israeli citizens, and--get this--receive financial support in the form of welfare from the very government that they reject.
As an atheist, I have a hard time coping with all this religious craziness. Yet, in spite of everything, I feel that turning away from Israel--and from my relatives living there as well-- would be not just disloyal, but by default would put me on the same street as anti-Zionists who claim only to oppose Israel's existence and want to drive the Jews into the sea. Certainly, there are people who oppose Zionism and who do so without harboring a hatred for Jews and Israel. But for the most part "Zionist" is used pejoratively by Muslims and other anti-Semites as a code word for "Jew".
Perhaps it was the Six Day War in 1967 that showed Israel was a powerhouse of military strength and not to be taken lightly, even by its enemies. It also brought the Palestinian question issue into the world spotlight, although that issue had been festering in one form or another for years prior, and of course ever since. There is plenty of blame to go around. Israel has been wrong and ham-handed in many ways that it has dealt this matter. But a major source of the problem is the Arabs' decision to leave Palestinian refugees to rot in squalid camps and exploit them as pawns instead of absorbing them into the Arab nations as Israel did for Jewish refugees who were expelled from those same countries as soon as Israel achieved nationhood in 1948.
It's one thing to criticize and second guess Israel from the outside (and by someone like myself who has never even been there). But its quite another from within. Please see "We Have Lost Our Way", a beautifully written essay by an Israeli about her country's wayward policies and culture . The sadness that the writer expresses over Israel's straying from its compassionate Zionist roots is almost palpable. On the other end of the spectrum is an equally moving "Only Israel". This video rightly condemns the hypocrisy of those in the international community who criticize Israel for the very acts that they themselves likewise commit. Yet why does Israel frequently shoot itself in the foot and put itself in untenable positions in the first place? In doing so it needlessly furnishes ideological ammunition to its enemies and even alienates many Jews as well. (See "American JewsWho Reject Zionism Say Events Aid Cause".) For Israel to then say that it is no less guilty of international law violations than its detractors is a poor rationalization. Two wrongs don't make a right.
One noteworthy ideal of the aforementioned early Zionist roots was the willingness of the pioneers in Israel in the late 19th century through the mid 20th century to tackle menial jobs and perform hard physical labor required to build the country. In time as the country prospered, this scut work was handed off to Palestinians laborers. After the Intifada when these workers became scarce, the country began importing workers from other places such as those in Southeast Asia. Sad to say that these laborers often face such abuses as unsafe working conditions and unpaid wages. By turning a blind eye to the exploitation of these workers by ruthless employers.("Israel Grows Uneasy Over Reliance on Migrant Labor"), that country is following the lead of its Arab neighbors who are infamous for their inhumane treatment of migrant laborers. I reside in the Philippines, and tales of horror abound in the local media about Filipino overseas workers who have suffered at the hands of their Arab employers. Is Israel on the slippery slope to that same kind of barbaric behavior? And what are the all powerful Orthodox Jewish leaders who are self-proclaimed experts on morality doing to stop these violations of human dignity?
In short, many of Israel's missteps and inconsistent policies are the result of the delusions of its religious establishment. If it could overthrow this pernicious influence, the Jewish state would very likely become a more humane, coherent, and progressive society. In turn it might regain the worldwide respect that it once enjoyed.
Suggested reading: "What Is Israel Doing Wrong?" I happened to read this essay after I wrote this post and found that many of the views of the writer, David Solway, are identical to mine. However, many are diametrically opposed. (More cognitive dissonance!).
As an expatriate American residing in the Philippines, I followed the election here last month which you won handily. I offer you my congratulations and best wishes on your victory.
I find interesting parallels and similarities between that contest and the 2008 Presidential race in the United States. When President Barack Obama was elected by an overwhelming majority, the millions of Americans who had supported and voted for him, myself included, were elated. After the the long dark night of the repressive and dishonest Bush administration, we looked forward to a new day and the progressive agenda for our country that Obama had promised in his campaign.
I'm sure the millions of voters who elected you now hold a similar trust, in this case that you will lead the Philippines out of the wilderness of corruption and poverty; or based on the likelihood that such a change might take generations to accomplish, that you will at least make a strong impact against these twin evils and set the country on the road to brighter future.
I hope that you do not sacrifice your goals in the name of unrequited bipartisanship and that you do not make unreciprocated concessions to your opponents in order to needlessly placate them.
I hope that should an ecological disaster strike the country, whether natural or man made, you will exercise decisive leadership immediately. If the calamity was the result of human error or negligence, I hope that you will immediately hold the perpetrator(s) accountable and not allow them to stall and make excuses while the situation worsens. If the violators acted in collusion with the officials in government department that oversees and monitors their operations, I hope that you will pursue the latter as well.
I hope that you will order an investigation into the crimes such as treason and human rights violations that were committed by your predecessor and whoever else was involved in these abuses no matter how powerful or influential and that if they are convicted, you will use the power of your office to let the chips fall where they may.
I hope that you will reverse the population control policies of the last administration and that you will not be intimidated by religious extremists who want to impose their will on those who want to make their own personal choices in such matters as family planning,contraception, and sexual identity.
I hope that you will change the economic policies of the previous president, specifically that you will back a policy requiring businesses and wealthy individuals to pay their fair share of income taxes, and that the resulting revenue will be used to rehabilitate and expand the country's infrastructure and improve the educational system.
Remember, Mr. President, you were elected by a landslide. You have a mandate from the people to make significant changes in the political landscape and an opportunity to turn the Philippines around.
As a rule, when I create a post I don't knowingly duplicate a topic from another blog site, especially a recent one from the blog list in my sidebar, in this case "Atheist Revolution". I believe that doing so is intellectually lazy. However, due to the gravity of the issue and the enormity of the report relating to that topic as related by that esteemable site, I'm making an exception. I feel that it's imperative to bring this matter to those of you who may not have read this story.
So here's the deal. Just when I thought that the Catholic Church pedophilia scandal couldn't get any uglier than what's already been revealed, I was proven wrong. To see what I mean, you can either click on the above link to "Atheist Revolution", or click here to read the article that the post will refer you to.
But wait. There's more. Just to show how depraved and cynical that the Church hierarchy, whom millions of people throughout the world place their trust, has become, please read this post from "Atheist Revolution".
BTW now that I've introduced you to "Atheist Revolution", I hope that you will join me as a regular reader of that site. The author "Vjack", is extremely prolific and comes up with at least one provocative new topic almost every day.
According to scientific evidence, our existence as living beings requires the right mix of chemical ingredients and "Goldilocks" conditions inside and on the surface of our planet and in the surrounding cosmos, e.g. "just right" surface temperature, atmospheric conditions, the distance of Earth from the sun, etc. (And speaking of our sun, there is really nothing special about it. It's just an ordinary star on the edge of the Milky Way and just another face in the crowd, indistinguishable from the billion or so other stars [some of which may also have inhabited planets] that populate our galaxy and from those in the billions of other galaxies in the cosmos; so much for the notion of the world's and man's special place in creation).
Despite the staggering odds against the above mix of circumstances serendipitously coming together, this extraordinary convergence of events did happen. Thus life in its simplest form began on our world. And, as a result of the path that evolution happened to take once life did start, humankind is here to tell the tale. All in all, the whole thing is pretty amazing.
Yet in a sense life is abstract and is not the same as being alive. Although humans are hardly even specks against the backdrop of the universe, as sentient beings we have to ask ourselves what it means to be alive and have awareness, i.e. to look outward from the inside of our minds. However, we have nothing against which we can compare existence. There's no evidence of life after death or for past lives through reincarnation prior to the time of our conception. So when we say that it's wonderful to be alive and that we should be thankful for being born; well, being born and alive versus--what? Nothingness? If that's the case then had we not been born, then how would we know the difference? And when we die, we will return to oblivion, most of us to be eventually forgotten.
This is not to trivialize love of life or the survival instinct that drives it, just to put matters into perspective. I believe that while we are here we should try to enjoy ourselves constructively, enrich our knowledge of the world around us, and seek an understanding of the human condition. I further believe that to achieve these ends, we need to reject such shallow values as greed and materialism. After all, the thrill that many people derive from acquiring and possessing things won't add even an extra second to their lives.
Of course, theists, especially the fundamentalists, have solved this the issue of man's insignificance by inventing a god who they insist brought the universe into existence, created man in his image, gave us life through reproduction, and a soul which will be taken to an eternal afterlife when we die. They will not listen to evidence to the contrary perhaps because they cannot handle the concept of a world without a supreme being pulling the strings. It would be tantamount to jumping into an abyss.
Despite its limitations, the great thing about our existence is that no two humans are identical. We are of course individuals. As such I believe that it is incumbent upon us as a society to ensure that people's basic needs are addressed so that each of us can flourish and be productive. By doing so we can celebrate life even as we acknowledge and accept our role as bit players in the eternally unfolding pageantry of the universe.
