Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Midlife Musings's avatar

I admire anyone who has a strong faith. I’m a cradle Catholic. I attend Mass sporadically. My kids are baptized. My mother attends Mass daily. It’s gotten her through the loss of her eldest son in a plane crash and watching her husband of 60 years succumb to Alzheimer’s during Covid. We all need faith.. I believe that true genuine faith is not divisive… however politics is. Thanks again for a great post.

Expand full comment
Elle Griffin's avatar

The interesting thing about Judaism is that it is not just a religion, it is more like an ethnic race/living history partnered with a philosophy of living.

I think there’s a good reason why someone raised Jewish believes that morality comes from religion, and why someone raised Christian believes morality shouldn’t come from religion. In Judaism, beliefs are up for debate, and also not central to being Jewish. As you say yourself, you can throw whole parts of it out and still be Jewish by heritage/morality/etc. Rabbis frequently debate amongst each other, as do Jewish people.

That is not as true with Christianity. When I decided that I did not believe Jesus rose from the dead, I was no longer Christian. There is no “cultural Christianity” or “ethnic Christianity” or even “moral Christianity.” It is not an identity or ethnicity or cultural heritage, it is just a religion. If I don’t believe that religion I am not part of it. In fact, I am even a sinner and in the moral wrong.

For this reason, I think Sam Harris is right. I think religion does more harm than good, and I don’t think religion is a great place to get our morality from. But I don’t think I would feel that way if I grew up Jewish.

That being said you should totally attend your grandchild’s baptism haha 😅

Expand full comment
141 more comments...

No posts