It's funny that you seem to take such issue with the Charedi trolls. For the record, I think I dropped one comment on that post. HGL didn't post too many more than that either. The atheists, on the other hand, FLOODED the comments section. Howard Schranz alone left 50 comments. There was one possibly Charedi fellow, Inquire, who did leave a lot of comments (much less than the atheists though), but he was mostly trolling the atheists, not you.
It's your complex with Charedim which leads you to this paranoia.
Wow, this Balko guy is making me puke! Balko, I thought that loony bins monitor the resident's internet usage. I think I'm going to have to tell the nice man in the white coat what you're doing here.
The funny thing is - since the transfer to this site, the comments section has been inundated with open apikorsim spewing their filth all over the place. No longer do they discuss Charedim and mean Torah. Now they straight out deny Hashem, His Torah and any place for Yiddishkeit.
Yet the blog owner has a problem with the 'Charedi zealots'.
"I should also clarify that any degree of religious observance can provide some degree of benefit. But in order to gain the full benefit, it doesn’t help to just keep whichever aspects of religion are appealing. The full benefits only occur as a result of commitment to a way of life. And that means the full package." Is that borne out by the studies you refer to, or is that coming from your personal experience in Orthodox Judaism?
" But if you’re born Jewish, then [b]naturally Judaism would be the religion that is the best fit[/b], and which would be best positioned to provide the benefits."
Why do you believe that "the religion that is the best fit" is genetically determined? Or (even stranger) determined by the genetics of one's mother, who might be a convert?
I'll check the rest of the comments -- someone else should have caught that problem in logic.
The very categorization of Judaism as a mere religion conforming to the worldwide phenomenon of spirituality is a sign of a very secularized mentality. Why weigh the pros and cons of belief? If one believes the cons are irrelevant. If one does not believe the benefits are also irrelevant as it is irrational to live a lie.
"Religious beliefs in national superiority or the rights to certain resources can lead to deadly conflict." Not only can, but has done so. So what do you do when a religion which provides the benefits also demands superiority/choseness ?
"Judaism itself maintains that there are religious paths for non-Jews that are praiseworthy." For non Jews, but not Jews. Explain why a path that is good is not open for Jews to pursue.
Thank you R' Slifkin for signaling that you intend to take back the comments section.
I suggest you also add a link to the Irrational Moxodism blog, for the benefit of readers who are interested in viewing and in posting the types of comments that will no longer be allowed here.
I welcome as well your banning trolls of all stripes, whether they be anti-Slifkin, anti-Torah, anti-Orthodox Judaism, anti-vax, or anti-reasonable-argumentation in general.
As always, you try to take both sides of every position: "I'm going with Judaism, but all religion is good." Religion is good, but it can also be bad." "Atheism is bad, but so are charedim" Even with comments: "Everyone should have an opinion, but I don't want trolls."
Has it really never occurred to you that EVERYONE thinks they're practicing the golden mean? I mean this seriously, because I am genuinely curious: Do you really think you're smarter than the rest of the world? You would never actually say that, of course, but do you, in your heart of hearts, actually think you've managed to hit that sweet spot that NO ONE ELSE has ever managed to find? I have no other way to understand why you continue to pump out these posts with essentially the same commonplace theme, apparently thinking you're delivering some kind of unique wisdom or view. From an armchair shrink perspective, I'd love to understand what you're thinking.
It's funny that you seem to take such issue with the Charedi trolls. For the record, I think I dropped one comment on that post. HGL didn't post too many more than that either. The atheists, on the other hand, FLOODED the comments section. Howard Schranz alone left 50 comments. There was one possibly Charedi fellow, Inquire, who did leave a lot of comments (much less than the atheists though), but he was mostly trolling the atheists, not you.
It's your complex with Charedim which leads you to this paranoia.
Wow, this Balko guy is making me puke! Balko, I thought that loony bins monitor the resident's internet usage. I think I'm going to have to tell the nice man in the white coat what you're doing here.
The funny thing is - since the transfer to this site, the comments section has been inundated with open apikorsim spewing their filth all over the place. No longer do they discuss Charedim and mean Torah. Now they straight out deny Hashem, His Torah and any place for Yiddishkeit.
Yet the blog owner has a problem with the 'Charedi zealots'.
The idea that research on other religions will shed light on Judaism is repugnant.
Hashem told us to keep Torah, idol worshippers invented Christianity. And they are somehow similar? It is like comparing cyanide to penicillin.
Hashem runs the world, and He helps those who keep His Mitzvos. Following Buddhism gives you nothing but a headache. How could they be similar at all?
Looking forward to this.
"I should also clarify that any degree of religious observance can provide some degree of benefit. But in order to gain the full benefit, it doesn’t help to just keep whichever aspects of religion are appealing. The full benefits only occur as a result of commitment to a way of life. And that means the full package." Is that borne out by the studies you refer to, or is that coming from your personal experience in Orthodox Judaism?
" But if you’re born Jewish, then [b]naturally Judaism would be the religion that is the best fit[/b], and which would be best positioned to provide the benefits."
Why do you believe that "the religion that is the best fit" is genetically determined? Or (even stranger) determined by the genetics of one's mother, who might be a convert?
I'll check the rest of the comments -- someone else should have caught that problem in logic.
The limits of being a kofer:
You get to make up your own rules and morals.
But that only gets you so far and leaves a deep spiritual emptiness.
Then you die and face the God you spent your whole life fighting and denying.
You also really have nothing to pass on to your children, and your children will think they are superior to you.
Keep making fun, while you can.
The very categorization of Judaism as a mere religion conforming to the worldwide phenomenon of spirituality is a sign of a very secularized mentality. Why weigh the pros and cons of belief? If one believes the cons are irrelevant. If one does not believe the benefits are also irrelevant as it is irrational to live a lie.
I was asked last night about ideas on the פיוטים that we say in תפילת טל.
I came across this from Reb Moshe Yehudah Rosenwasser. His works on explaining פיוטים are legendary.
https://www.machonso.org/hamaayan/?gilayon=61&id=1804
Enjoy.
"Religious beliefs in national superiority or the rights to certain resources can lead to deadly conflict." Not only can, but has done so. So what do you do when a religion which provides the benefits also demands superiority/choseness ?
"I’m not aware of any scientific studies regarding the benefits of Judaism specifically." Check out Permission to Receive by RK
"Judaism itself maintains that there are religious paths for non-Jews that are praiseworthy." For non Jews, but not Jews. Explain why a path that is good is not open for Jews to pursue.
Thank you R' Slifkin for signaling that you intend to take back the comments section.
I suggest you also add a link to the Irrational Moxodism blog, for the benefit of readers who are interested in viewing and in posting the types of comments that will no longer be allowed here.
I welcome as well your banning trolls of all stripes, whether they be anti-Slifkin, anti-Torah, anti-Orthodox Judaism, anti-vax, or anti-reasonable-argumentation in general.
"Judaism itself maintains that there are religious paths for non-Jews that are praiseworthy."
With only 20,000 plus Noachides, out of ~<8 billion in the world, there's no significant number to study, because as Rambam Hil. Melachim 8:11 says,
כָּל הַמְקַבֵּל שֶׁבַע מִצְוֹת וְנִזְהָר לַעֲשׂוֹתָן הֲרֵי זֶה מֵחֲסִידֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם. וְיֵשׁ לוֹ חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. וְהוּא שֶׁיְּקַבֵּל אוֹתָן וְיַעֲשֶׂה אוֹתָן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁצִּוָּה בָּהֶן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בַּתּוֹרָה וְהוֹדִיעָנוּ עַל יְדֵי משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ שֶׁבְּנֵי נֹחַ מִקֹּדֶם נִצְטַוּוּ בָּהֶן. אֲבָל אִם עֲשָׂאָן מִפְּנֵי הֶכְרֵעַ הַדַּעַת אֵין זֶה גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב וְאֵינוֹ מֵחֲסִידֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם וְלֹא מֵחַכְמֵיהֶם:
And the Girsa אֶלָּא מֵחַכְמֵיהֶם doesn't ameliorate matters much.
I would also change your "there are religious paths" to "there is a religious path".
As always, you try to take both sides of every position: "I'm going with Judaism, but all religion is good." Religion is good, but it can also be bad." "Atheism is bad, but so are charedim" Even with comments: "Everyone should have an opinion, but I don't want trolls."
Has it really never occurred to you that EVERYONE thinks they're practicing the golden mean? I mean this seriously, because I am genuinely curious: Do you really think you're smarter than the rest of the world? You would never actually say that, of course, but do you, in your heart of hearts, actually think you've managed to hit that sweet spot that NO ONE ELSE has ever managed to find? I have no other way to understand why you continue to pump out these posts with essentially the same commonplace theme, apparently thinking you're delivering some kind of unique wisdom or view. From an armchair shrink perspective, I'd love to understand what you're thinking.