Julia Neuberger

Christmas belongs to Christians

I love the lights, the glitter, the sparkle, and the celebration- I share in sending cards to non-Jewish friends and I enjoyg the odd Christmas drink or mince pie. But I am clear it is not my festival- and nor should it be.

By Julia Neuberger | December 21, 2010; 09:31 AM ET | Comments (7)

Rally for humility

Reason and sanity are by no means the opposite of religious belief.

By Julia Neuberger | October 26, 2010; 03:15 AM ET | Comments (11)

Mixed faiths a mixed blessing

We'd all prefer people not to marry outside the faith- but if they do, we must make them welcome, ask for God's blessing on their union, and encourage them not to break away from the faith of their ancestors entirely.

By Julia Neuberger | July 28, 2010; 04:44 AM ET | Comments (1)

'Islamic terrorism' an unacceptable term

The Obama administration is right to decouple the religious description of terrorists from them, even if they claim to be motivated by their religion.

By Julia Neuberger | July 13, 2010; 04:41 AM ET | Comments (3)

Arizona's moral failure

Arizona's immigration decision smacks of cruelty and a lack of understanding of all our religious traditions. And it is terribly sad, because it suggests a real lack of moral leadership in the state.

By Julia Neuberger | June 24, 2010; 06:03 AM ET | Comments (1)

Courts must reflect the people they serve

The composition of our judiciary need be in some way reflective of the people it serves.

By Julia Neuberger | June 24, 2010; 06:02 AM ET | Comments (0)

The rule of law, not Lords

The position that we should hold as religious people who also believe in the rule of law is that we expect and hope that those appointed to the Supreme Court will be brilliant lawyers and supremely fair minded, and that they will interpret the law, rather than push their own belief system to the disadvantage of any other.

By Julia Neuberger | May 14, 2010; 08:18 AM ET | Comments (0)

Social justice rooted in the Bible

in Jewish tradition, the idea of social justice is well established. You have specific obligations - burying the dead of people in your area (if they can't afford it), helping with the poor and with orphans, giving social support.

By Julia Neuberger | April 13, 2010; 08:40 AM ET | Comments (2)

Heaven is here

Heaven is not where God sits upon a cloud, in my view, but the sense of where God belongs, in our hearts, in our heads, in our world and beyond it.

By Julia Neuberger | March 25, 2010; 06:18 AM ET | Comments (2)

If a pastor loses faith? Resign first.

If a pastor loses his/her faith, or a rabbi or imam for that matter (though it's a bit different), they must offer to resign and perhaps should do so,and then work out how they wish to take their changed faith, or lack of faith, or agnosticism, forward personally.

By Julia Neuberger | March 22, 2010; 11:19 AM ET | Comments (1)

Ethics of stem cell research

Unless you come from that sector of Christianity which regards the earliest stage of human life as so sacred that it must not be interfered with- despite nature's frequent spontaneous abortion of pre-embryos and indeed far further developed fetuses- the duty is to improve the human condition and to improve the lives of those who suffer.

By Julia Neuberger | January 18, 2010; 10:19 AM ET | Comments (0)

How to study sacred texts

In Jewish tradition, people often study in pairs, and there is a view that you get yourself both a teacher and a study partner- and you learn from both.

By Julia Neuberger | January 18, 2010; 10:18 AM ET | Comments (0)

Pope Benedict XVI has offered a number of apologies recently -- for

The fact that the Pope has apologised for various things in recent > months is excellent....

By Julia Neuberger | January 18, 2010; 10:16 AM ET | Comments (0)

Reactions to shooting at US Holocaust Museum

The Holocaust Museum shooting is horrific. We do not know for certain what the motive was, but can only suspect white supremacist motives, and a deep seated anti-semitism and racism....

By Julia Neuberger | January 18, 2010; 10:14 AM ET | Comments (0)

Former President Jimmy Carter, writing this month on behalf of a dozen world leaders including Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, condemned "the male interpretations of religious texts" that have "provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women's e

Former President Jimmy Carter, writing this month on behalf of a dozen world leaders including Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, condemned "the male interpretations of religious texts" that have "provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women's equal...

By Julia Neuberger | January 18, 2010; 10:11 AM ET | Comments (0)

What makes the best 'case for God' to a skeptic or non-believer, an open-minded seeker, and to a person of faith and Why?

The best case for God to a sceptic or unbeliever is a combination of all these things. But for me it is perhaps two in particular- the intelligent designer who makes things work, the sense of design and order and...

By Julia Neuberger | January 18, 2010; 10:10 AM ET | Comments (0)

Proposed health-care reform legislation includes a provision that allows Medicare to pay for "end-of-life" counseling for seniors and their families who request it. The provision -- which Sarah Palin erroneously described as "death panels" for seniors --

End of life care in no way rations health care in the United Kingdom. What it does is to recognise that, at some point, we must die, and that heroic measures become pointless and cruel if they are not working....

By Julia Neuberger | January 18, 2010; 10:06 AM ET | Comments (0)

God Gave us Minds to Use to Improve Life

God gave us minds and hearts and heads, and that it is for us to use that God given intelligence to conduct research that could improve human wellbeing and human life expectancy.

By Julia Neuberger | March 10, 2009; 12:05 AM ET | Comments (17)

Domestic Violence More About Culture Than Religion

Domestic violence has little to do with religions and far more to do with culture and the degree to which violence is acceptable either in the home or in wider society.

By Julia Neuberger | March 3, 2009; 10:41 AM ET | Comments (1)

Even When Our Brother is a Loser

However much we may resent helping those who have been careless and who possibly absolutely delighting in risk taking, we have a duty to help for the sake of society.

By Julia Neuberger | March 3, 2009; 10:37 AM ET | Comments (0)

Ignore Holocaust Deniers, Except...

In most cases, I would argue that ignoring Holocaust deniers is the best thing to do, as it cuts off their publicity hungry life blood -- but not when it comes to the Head of State.

By Julia Neuberger | February 5, 2009; 07:30 AM ET | Comments (0)

Obama's Church Choice His Choice

It seems to me that whether Barack Obama goes to church and where is an entirely personal matter.

By Julia Neuberger | January 5, 2009; 07:59 AM ET | Comments (0)

How "Broad" Are Anglicans?

Whether conservative Episcopalians should leave and form their own denomination or not depends less on their views- clearly different from the mainstream- than on the extent to which it is possible to live with what is literally a 'broad church'.

By Julia Neuberger | January 5, 2009; 07:55 AM ET | Comments (0)

More Pressure to Allow Assisted Suicide

2009 will be a year in which there is greater recognition in their religious world of much of Europe that religion is by no means dead, and, indeed, is reinventing itself and having even greater power to sway people's minds, consciences, and spirit than before- and they will not like it!

By Julia Neuberger | January 1, 2009; 08:03 AM ET | Comments (13)

Don't Be Quick To Judge Candidates

So one should not be too quick to judge people by the company they keep, and in the case of judging anyone by their friends and allies, it is always worth giving them the benefit of the doubt.

By Julia Neuberger | November 24, 2008; 09:35 AM ET | Comments (0)

Obama's Election Put America Back In Front

The election of Barack Obama is one of the most heart warming things to have happened in recent years.

By Julia Neuberger | November 24, 2008; 09:32 AM ET | Comments (0)

Religion Can Empower Women, But Does It?

Women can indeed be empowered by religion, although much of the feminist critique of religion in the 1970s and 1980s suggested they could not.

By Julia Neuberger | November 24, 2008; 09:27 AM ET | Comments (0)

Compassion a Virtue of All Religions

Karen Armstrong's call for a charter is one way of strengthening our awareness of the importance of compassion- I very much hope that she gets a strong response around the world, and that we can build a movement that might make a difference.

By Julia Neuberger | November 24, 2008; 09:23 AM ET | Comments (0)

Leave Religion to God and the Faithful

As so often, writing from the other side of the pond where we have a State church- the Church of England- I am left wondering at how deeply evangelized the USA is with no state church, and how irreligious the British are with a State religion.

By Julia Neuberger | November 24, 2008; 09:19 AM ET | Comments (5)

How Much Greed Can We Justify

What I think we need is a wider debate about what kind of economy we want, how much we justify- and need- greed, and what protection we can put in place to make sure that ordinary people do not suffer too much in what is unfolding.

By Julia Neuberger | September 22, 2008; 08:26 AM ET | Comments (8)

Peculiar and Inconsistent

It has always seemed extraordinary that anyone finds it seriously difficult to think of women leading congregations.

By Julia Neuberger | September 8, 2008; 03:14 AM ET | Comments (7)

From Europe, Curiosity and Admiration

There is clearly serious interest here in Europe in the role religion plays in politics in the U.S., especially given recent comments about Irish Catholic concerns about the non-Christian direction of the EU.

By Julia Neuberger | September 1, 2008; 08:38 AM ET | Comments (8)

Prejudice, Faith Directly Connected

Racial prejudice reflects on one's religious beliefs in one key way- that one is not listening to the word of God and the teaching of all religious teachers if one persists in one's feelings of racial prejudice despite knowing it is wrong.

By Julia Neuberger | August 22, 2008; 06:46 AM ET | Comments (1)

So Rich and Yet So Many Poor

If I had the chance to pose a question to both candidates, it would be this: Are you disturbed by the fact that millions of Americans do not have health insurance coverage?

By Julia Neuberger | August 22, 2008; 06:30 AM ET | Comments (1)

"Collaboration with Tyrrany"

On the book that has most influenced me, I think it is probably David Daube's "Collaboration with Tyranny," a short monograph I read when I was a rabbinical student. It discusses in great detail how people should behave when an...

By Julia Neuberger | July 1, 2008; 08:34 AM ET | Comments (2)

Faith Alone Not Enough

I am utterly convinced that it is more than scientifically proven interventions that improve people's health.

By Julia Neuberger | June 17, 2008; 11:48 AM ET | Comments (1)

The Gifts and Costs of Greed

It cannot be right that disparities between rich and poor are growing. If that's the effect of greed, whatever is does for the economy, it is appalling in its impact on humanity.

By Julia Neuberger | May 30, 2008; 12:33 PM ET | Comments (4)

Try UK's Civil Partnerships

In the UK, we have civil partnerships, which give gay couples the same rights as married couples -- inheritance, insurance, as well as acting as next of kin -- but they have no implications for what many in many religious organizations see as the 'sacred' state of marriage.

By Julia Neuberger | May 26, 2008; 04:14 PM ET | Comments (2)

Pope Rebuilding After Bad Start

The Pope has begun to build bridges with the Islamic world after a disastrous start, but, despite his attempts to build these bridges, it feels as if the hand of friendship is not being stretched out far enough.

By Julia Neuberger | May 2, 2008; 07:57 AM ET | Comments (1)

Church, State and the British Balance

We need faith to be both private and public, and we need to be less precious about how we define where faith fits. If we are truly people of faith, it colors all that we do.

By Julia Neuberger | May 2, 2008; 07:55 AM ET | Comments (1)

You've Got Mail and a Life

E-mail is only really bad if it stops us talking face to face, if we believe technologies can take the place of people engaging with other people.

By Julia Neuberger | March 12, 2008; 05:30 AM ET | Comments (2)

Religious Leaders Also Need Leaders

Often, religious leaders themselves do not realize how much influence they have- they need to use it responsibly, and to inspire their communities, not to be dogmatic with them.

By Julia Neuberger | February 1, 2008; 03:50 AM ET | Comments (1)

Choosing to be Among the Chosen

Jewish communities are stronger than ever, but will need to cry antisemitism less often, and to trade on its strengths, not on a sense of victimhood.

By Julia Neuberger | January 9, 2008; 09:18 AM ET | Comments (7)

We Need More Tell, Less Show

Fewer prayer breakfasts and more public discussion of moral issues with a faith dimension would suit my taste better- and give me less cause for concern that it is all for show.

By Julia Neuberger | January 1, 2008; 05:38 AM ET | Comments (5)

Not Only in America

Sex outside of marriage is a great wrong, a sin. But it is not a political matter and should not be a public matter.

By Julia Neuberger | December 3, 2007; 07:38 AM ET | Comments (5)

A Day to Celebrate Superstition?

Halloween seems to me to beg lots of questions, not least the custom of children 'trick or treating' around the streets of London, becoming an increasing nuisance.

By Julia Neuberger | October 31, 2007; 05:23 AM ET | Comments (25)

Religious Background Should Stay There

Our Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, makes much of being a 'son of the manse'- and his attitudes have been strongly shaped by his Scottish Christian upbringing.

By Julia Neuberger | October 8, 2007; 07:42 AM ET | Comments (8)

Physicians, Heal Others

Physicians' primary obligations are to their patients, without a doubt. They have other obligations, of course, including to wider society, to their professional colleagues, both physicians and other health care professionals, to their employing institutions, and to their own ethical...

By Julia Neuberger | September 5, 2007; 06:54 AM ET | Comments (1)

We All Are Chosen People

My favourite verse- or perhaps verses- are Isaiah chapter 42 verses 6-7. It's really verse 7 I love: I the Lord have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will support you, and set you as a...

By Julia Neuberger | September 5, 2007; 06:52 AM ET | Comments (1)

From the Beginning, Obsession with Sex

I think the Lutheran church has been courageous in voting that way, but given the gradual realization that same sex relationships are not anything but what is 'normal' in nature, the question is really why other churches and other faiths...

By Julia Neuberger | September 5, 2007; 06:49 AM ET | Comments (3)

Honesty Best Patient Policy

Physicians' primary obligations are to their patients, without a doubt. They have other obligations, of course, including to wider society, to their professional colleagues, both physicians and other health care professionals, to their employing institutions, and to their own ethical...

By Julia Neuberger | August 10, 2007; 08:15 AM ET | Comments (7)

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