[lit-ideas] Re: Iran (1), The Revolutionary Imperative

Judaism is an ancient culture with its own set of traditions.  It's  not 
primarily about belief.  It's about community and ethics in living  everyday 
life. 
 There's very broad spectrum out there from Ultra-Orthodox  to Conservative 
to Reform (some joke about the Reform movement as referring to  the 618 
suggestions, not commandments).  But belief or no in God, a Jewish  family will 
generally celebrate a wedding ceremony in the traditional way.   And have their 
son 
circumsized at a bris.  and so forth.  I know  people who are passionately 
Jewish in their identity (both Zionists and  anti-Zionists, to muddy the water 
a 
bit more) who do not have any particular  faith that God exists.  Take a look 
at a Reconstructionist Siddur --  your local Synagogue will have a copy -- 
choose a passage, e.g. Moses leading  the Hebrews through the Red Sea and the 
parting of the waters.  Find the  chapter and verse in the Reconstructionist 
Humash, the Conservative, and the  Orthodox.  The translation isn't 
particularly 
what's important here,  what is important is the commentaries.  Compare what 
each commentary says  about that passage and I think you'll get a better idea 
of exactly how much  Judaism is not monolithic!  (Then, if you're really 
interested you  could compare the commentaries of the JPS, Fox, and Haart(sp?  
-- 
I'm too  lazy to go in the library room and look at my copy) and really find 
some  interesting differences <g>!
 
Julie Krueger 
========Original  Message========
    Subj: [lit-ideas] Re: Iran (1), The Revolutionary Imperative  Date: 
2/3/06 6:51:08 P.M. Central Standard Time  From: _aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
(mailto:aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)   To: _lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
(mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)   Sent on:    



When I first heard about atheist Jews I thought it was an  oxymoron.  I 
couldn't picture it.  In fact, it seemed so impossible  that I compared it in 
my 
mind to being an Catholic Atheist.  How does one  do that?  Now you call 
yourself a Catholic Atheist.  Can you please  explain?
 
 
----- Original Message ----- 


From:  _Mike  Geary_ (mailto:atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)  
To: _lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx) 
Sent: 2/3/2006 3:45:42 PM 
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Iran (1), The  Revolutionary Imperative


beginning my 63rd year as a Marxist Liberal  Communist former Catholic Atheist

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