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"The ignorant cannot be pious"
In a Pew Forum survey released Tuesday, atheists and agnostic surpass all other groups in their knowledge of religion. How do you explain this? Educational level? That they have given more consideration to the religions they have rejected?
Is knowledge of religion important? Why?
"The ignorant one cannot be pious." That rabbinic statement is usually taken to assert that one who does not know something of the tradition cannot enact it. Judaism asks of its adherents a level of knowledge. To be Jewish is not to know Judaism. There are many Jews who may love their people and what they imagine to be their tradition without any serious, developed idea of what that tradition entails. To be a people of the book presumes that people will actually open the book, from time to time, and see what it has to say.
The word "Rabbi" means teacher. Traditionally to attain that rank one has to master a certain body of knowledge about Jewish law, customs, traditions and beliefs. One's lifelong mission thereafter is to spread that knowledge. Clearly we are not doing a thoroughly inadequate job.
The decline in religious literacy may be symptomatic of other declines, but no less sad for that. Judaism elevates the ideal of study; indeed it is probably the only religious tradition that envisages God studying. A rabbinic legend has it that in heaven the blessed sit around God and study together.
Guess we could use more heaven here on earth.
By
David Wolpe
|
September 28, 2010; 7:02 PM ET
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Posted by: FarnazMansouri2 | October 1, 2010 3:56 PM
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..Not our "G_D" [Eklah-t-i-ON spelling]???
.. Not our "G_D" [Eklah-t-i-ON spelling]???
WARNING: Never ever, In Xristian-State America or in Ju-State iSrael, Dare to SPELL (via Letters/ASCii) the "EKLAH-t-i-ON, [Eponymous "IT"] or Word, "G_D"!
Ye/Yo JEWS/Peligian,, Pelegian Ishlami's, Hindu's, Buddhists, can spell "G-D" and or "GOD" as much as ye/yo like, but never Spell "IT" name{Not a HE nor a SHE} as an; or spelled as "G_D"! ELSE
Ye/Yo "EBERU-Pelegian Destruction is Near'r than ever imagined. Don't Be Tough; cause the Tough gets tougher! And The "Prophecy" will consume Yo/Ye Eligenytly, Like Holyi Space/Universe/Solar-SYSTEM! Zero Man-MaDE sYSTEM(S) [Killing/Maiming, Hassling Over a NAME FOR GOD(s)!?]. Oye! Oye!
Posted by: woodstock-41 | September 28, 2010 10:37 PM
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ooppss
Worship a "JEALOUS-GOD(s)", Zero G-D! [Similar]?? But Not our "G_D" [Eklah-t-i-ON spelling]???
Posted by: woodstock-41 | September 28, 2010 10:23 PM
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"MY GOD"?
"LET MY PEOPLE GO"?
"WE ARE 'GOD(s)" Chosen People"? [Not Ye Yo "GOY"S,] aka
"KAFiR"S [via Allah-Chosen iShalami's]? & or aka
"CASTE" [ via Krishna Chosen Hindutvi's]? Or Gods chosen Panchun/Lama's Dali?? et al?
OYE! OYE!
"SIMCHA-TORAH?
PASSOVER? Celebrate the "Mass Baby Holocaust in [Pre-(Jealous-CopyCat) iShalmi's AEGYPT (Egypt)!????????????????
Worshis a "JEALOUS DOD(s)" [Similar??
Enforce the "DRUNKiN RACiST NOAH " Story!????
Modern iSrael via Haggana, Palmach, Urgun... To the Contrary, Suddenly Wants to be , A JU/JEW/JEWISH-Syaye/Nation, Instead of The Almighty "ROCK" [Peace Be Upon David Ben Gurion & folks like Albert Einstein, Golda Meir et al{PBU them} aka the Real "3rd TEmple" today????
Death To ISRAEL! Death To BIBI & CO.!!!!! Death To Evangelical Americans (NOt Ameriks)! And, Yes,
DEATH To iRAN (not Persia: {pbu King CYRUS et al}! Death To Afghanistan! Death To Pakistan et al!!!!! Plus Wahhabi-bi SAUDi Co.!
Posted by: woodstock-41 | September 28, 2010 10:17 PM
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DW: The word "Rabbi" means teacher.
Yeah, and "Taliban" means "student."
Someone should really require a broader set of electives.
Posted by: WmarkW | September 28, 2010 9:26 PM
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Mr. Wolpe, you be glad that the believer sect is ignorant. If they weren't then you would have even fewer numbers of ignorants, the implication is that believer sect will be even smaller. Clearly who in his/her right mind would think a fellow who pimped his wife not once but twice and made of like a bandit and then was willing to sacrifice his one child and cast away his elder child and the woman who bore him, anything but pond-scum. Yet bible tells them to honor this pond-scum as a father of not one but three religions. Only an ignorant will buy into this horse manure. Any well read and informed will see that pond-scum for what he is POND-SCUM. So you are better off that the believers are ignorant.
Posted by: Secular | September 28, 2010 8:20 PM
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Rabbi,
What you write is, in many ways, pure Hillel, is it not? You have chosen to be in good company!
And we must never lose sight of this, which is often misunderstood to mean that learning is unnecessary!
A man said to Hillel, "accept me for conversion on condition that you will teach me the entire Torah as I stand on one foot."
Hillel said to him: 'what is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. This is the entire Torah, and the rest is commentary. Go and learn.'"