Religion; Religious Ritual

Keeping kosher is not a reasonable act and neither is Shabbat or the prohibition against mixing wool and linen. These are neither rational nor religious acts—at least not in the modern understanding of "religious"...

Why does every normal person, regardless of his professed philosophy, regard human life as valuable?

Yes, I was a rationalist. Yes, I believed in evolution and the A scroll and the J scroll and all that stuff anthropologists said about the Bible. But this was too much

If G-d transcends all limitation and definition, and religion is a set of laws and rituals and a list of things that one must or must not do, why would the way to relate to G-d be to impose further restriction and definition on our already finite and ...

My daughter was hoping that I'd detect some excuse in the fine print on the wrapper, but I found no visible certification. "I'm sorry, Sarah," I said, handing it back to her after a careful search. "I just don't see any kosher mark."

I find this battle terrifying, because I have no idea where it will lead. It forces me to confront the plaguing question: if I truly let G-d in, what will He do to me once He is there? Who will I be?

Our interests included Jewish "things": JPS books, Chagall prints, and Jewish records. And that was enough for us. Until our visit to Warsaw

Do we? Does G-d? No and yes. We may find, however, when we begin to reveal ourselves more deeply, that a new "companion" is sitting next to us at one of those unending committee meetings

Many people assumed that it must be difficult for me to believe in G-d or to practice one religion exclusively. They thought studying and teaching comparative religion promotes a relativistic morality wherein all beliefs and practices are equal

Religion offers salvation, enlightenment, a place in heaven. Religion teaches self-improvement: humility, devotion, patience, faith. Religion demands a standard of behavior that benefits our souls, our bodies and our society. I'm glad Judaism is not a ...