As for the question of why practice a religion at all, for me personally I identify with the history of the Jews and I am proud of my ethnicity. My religious practice is akin to yoga/meditation as a method of achieving inner peace and Judaism is a comfortable vehicle to achieve it. At the same time I know that there are a myriad of equally valid ways to do it.

Where it all gets crazy is when religion is used for political and/or psychological control. Jews certainly hold no monopoly on truth, nor are they immune from the ignorance that has led Moslems, Christians, Hindu’s and even Helenists from hurting their fellow humans.

Heartfelt agreement here.

Jill

I think the Golden Rule is instructional here. Many religions promote this teaching as they have found wisdom in it’s message. Interestingly, many of the nonreligious follow this adage as well, testimony I suppose to the universality of its truth. Given the broad acceptance of such a simple concept, are religions even necessary to support this seemingly innate sense of morality. Is essence, I am asking the Great Rabbi, why do we need the commentary or the commentators?

To paraphrase one of Judaism’s great Rabbi’s when asked to comment on the meaning of The Torah, replied “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, all the rest is commentary.”

Vegas is dangerous. The specific audience required for this booking will likely have been completely fleeced of their belongings before showtime.

Bidness is bidness eh? I’m just sayin’

Religion does make great cover. Father probably would be effective but it’s going to cost us…a lot! Maybe we could book him as part of the bluemen exorcist group in Vegas and get all the religionists to meet there as they engage in practices they have banned for everyone else.

Confirmation, once again, that religion has nothing at all to do with strife in the Mideast. As for that exorcism, I bet Father Saverio Bazzoffi (referenced above) could handle the job.

A few years ago, I was sued by a former business partner, for what he described to others, was his ‘scriptural right.’ The poor soul is a religious “scholar” and explained to anyone that would ask, how he had been wronged. In fact, he tried to perpetrate a fraud and I instructed colleagues to trip the global purchasing fraud traps which would cause an investigation before any funds were released by our very large International client.

Of course, he provided his counsel with dogma, and I provided our counsel with facts, records, minutes and documents. The judge dismissed the case ‘with prejudice.’

The larger point of course is that traveling the globe for a good part of my adult life, I have been in the company of many ‘known’ civilian religious and many ‘known’ politicians or government officials who were outwardly religious …. people of all faiths. The distinction is very easy in my observation.. Truly spiritual people, very rarely rant … they rarely do. Those that are wearing the costume rarely do … they mostly rant.

How strange that his math seems to mimic the USA’s math.