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Big Government or Big G-d

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Big Government or Big G-d

Some say we need more and bigger government, since we can't trust people anymore. But would government be more trustworthy?

Topics:

Seven Noahide Laws, G-d, Morality; Ethics; Values

Rabbi Manis Friedman, a noted Chassidic philosopher, author and lecturer, is dean of Bais Chana Women's Institute of Jewish Studies.

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25 Comments

ruth housman marshfield hills, ma September 20, 2010

what we teach our children I guess for me, it's an issue what we teach our children, perhaps an un resolvable issue. Maybe my issue is that I am not only color blind but gender blind, and that I have an idea about love, about compassion, that I want children to learn, and not about separation, of them vs us, in all dimensions of humanity, as long as it is, humanity, meaning respect, caring and what we call love, but not the abuses of love and I think there can be some agreement about this.

What would a Messiah say about these issues, that seem to divide people into "them" vs "us"? I wonder.

We use the term Moshiach so often, especially lately, and I don't actually hear any confrontation of some rather deep issues about how the world would change, and how the "words" would change, because for me, there is something about love in all of this, that is missing when the education of ALL our children is not about this.

I don't worry. I comment, and in so doing, I think we're all doing this thing, called Midrash. Reply

Aaron Katz NJ, USA September 20, 2010

Stop worrying. There is no issue here. If parents want to pay to send their kids to a school, where they are taught that homosexuality is immoral, this is their right. The issue of separation of religion only applies to publicly funded schools. The law of the land is to allow alternatives to public school. Reply

ruth housman marshfield hills, ma September 20, 2010

for Catherine I have heard a lot of arguments against gay marriage, and as a therapist I have encountered happy children and happy parents who are responsible, who are gay. These people are often better parents than heterosexual parents, and as to rule, we change rules all the time. Rules are made to be broken as we grow, emotionally and towards compassionate ideas that have to do with each other and conduct and respect and reverence for each other on this planet. THAT is the learning curve for all of us.

The vilification of others, given that they too, exist under God, and that they too, are part of creation, is wrong.

You may not know this, but there are children born whose sex is ambiguous and there is a lot of sorrow about this and controversy, and there is actually a genetic anomaly in which girls become boys later in life. I know this because my husband is a geneticist.

God created us all, and God wants LOVE to be the guiding force. What is love? I think we do know it when we feel it. Reply

Aharon Dovid Portland, OR September 19, 2010

To clarify, our government is officially a Republic and Not a Democracy. For a good explanation to our system see the youtube video: The American Form of Government.

Political Correctness (PC) is the direction Big Nanny-Police State Government is evolving into in America. The PC belief system is a religious ideology pretending to be a social political belief.

It is only a matter of time before those who advocate for big government with its PC message will charge that private religious schools are brainwashing children and not giving them a choice to choose their own values. As one example among many; it is only a matter of time before a future USG with its PC supporters demand that Orthodox Jewish schools stop teaching children that homosexuality is immoral.

If those PC supporters here with their agenda want to go ahead and call me a bigot, please do so as I find it a compliment from those who believe there are no universal standards and no laws of G-d. Reply

Wayne B. Manhattan, New York May 8, 2010

Big Government or Big G-d Democracy is a dangerous word meaning "rule by mob."

What we have is a republic; which is the governing of one's self.

The more people say "safer for democracy" it is actually making it safer for the "rule by mob"; where 51% of the people can take away the rights of the 49%.

So it would be wise to enforce our republican form of government; while it's still guaranteed by the federal constitution.

Thank you; I enjoy your web site, and it's helping me a lot. Reply

Anonymous NJ, NJ March 1, 2010

Obviously there are people here that have hidden agendas themselves. Ruth and Aaron are either gay or someone they love is gay. In any event their arguement is prejudiced. Reply

Catherine NY, NY March 1, 2010

There are certain laws in this world that do exist Ruth, and whether you believe it or not, doesn't mean they don't exist. For instance, marriage between two people of the same sex cannot create children in a normal fashion. This is a fact. Children are entitled to a mother and father. They do not asked to be born. Whether homosexuals love each other is not the issue. The issue is that they want to be considered eqivalent to a hetosexual marriage. They cannot be, it is not the same. They should be considered equal under the law when it comes to inheritance, insurance and all things considered secular. However, in the text of changing the meaning of marriage to fit their agenda, which include equal status under the law for monetary issues, I cannot agree with them. If they are able to change the definition of marriage, be assured they next group of people who need to marry more than one person at a time, or marry relatives will be right behind them. Reply

Aaron Katz NJ, USA February 28, 2010

thank you ruth thank you ruth for articulating what i was not able to at the time. no need for me to add to it. Reply

Shlomo New york April 24, 2022

in response to Aaron Katz:

I agree the same. You described it perfectly. Please everyone try to love and accept other people. Reply

ruth housman marshfield hills, ma February 26, 2010

passing judgment You used these words: The Gay Agenda, which is a bigoted statement, and as to the "traditional definition of marriage" I believe that non traditional marriages are just as sacred as those you refer to, meaning, no doubt, between two heterosexuals. Your definition of sacred is Not Mine.

If you believe that God created us all, in diversity and that this story, this entire creation story, is about love, then I think your hatred of homosexuals is actually not a spiritual way of seeing the world. God created them too.

I know many totally loving couples who are gay and whose children respect and do adore them, because they are teaching them deep ethical and moral values, and one is, that in diversity, of all kinds, there can be love and mutual respect.

The Gay Agenda is a trigger word, as if there is one, and it's assuming something dark that's just not there. If you have a problem with gay people in this way, I think many would call this Bigotry. Reply

Catherine NY, NY February 25, 2010

Bigotry, Ignorance The teaching of the Torah is not taught AT ALL in public schools. I know, I teach in a public school. No effort is put into teaching children morals or values.

I also taught in a Religious School, and the atmosphere is like the one Ruth describes how education should be. But they will not teach about promoting gay lifestyles, in a private religious school.

You are living in another dimension or time to think we will magically transform the human race in public school. The Gay Agenda is working hard toward destroying the traditional definition of marriage, and they begin by brainwashing children in public schools. Check into it before you and Aron label people.

In any event, you don't even know me and you are passing judgment. Who is really being bigoted here? Reply

Ruth Housman marshfield hills, MA February 24, 2010

Bigotry I totally agree with Aaron. What kind of a statement is that?

I think we're all doomed if that is what people really think, because that's the rhetoric of bigotry and hate, and not about the teachings of Torah, as far as I am concerned. And I am concerned, when I read such statements on a religious/spiritual site. Reply

Aaron Katz NJ, USA February 24, 2010

Catherine is a bigot "laws that give homosexuals free reign to teach their philosophy of life to kindergarten children"

Catherine - I have no words Reply

Anonymous Minneapolis, MN February 24, 2010

Big Government, G-d, and Doom Torah. Mitzvot. The Jewish people. Chabad.Org. The Rebbe. Manis Friedman. The contributors to this blog.

We are neither doomed nor hopelessly naive. Practical persistence in the practice of G-dly values and Torah mitzvot I see as the only working program in the midst of a world that slouches constantly toward the yetzer hara (evil inclination).

Catherine, you've "gotta believe," even just a little, like Mets fans 41 years ago, that the each of us, and all of us together, will find redemption by adding your important warning to this blog. Reply

Catherine New York, NY February 23, 2010

Morality??? Rabbi is entirely correct. However, his common sense is not so common any longer. Even the word moraity in todays "modern" world, conjures up visions of sour faced people judging others and condeming them to hell for misdemeanors. In a world where the trusted ones, priests, coaches, and teachers, turn out to be pedophiles for years, and government officials condone passing laws that give homosexuals free reign to teach their philosophy of life to kindergarten children, and in a world that lies to us with every breath in commercials on TV etc. how can we ever think the 10 commandments or Torah teachings will ever be heard, and tolerated, much less understood??? We are doomed, if you just take a look around you and see the blaring culture destroy everything in its path. Reply

Ruth Housman marshfield hills, ma February 7, 2010

Go after the young I fully believe in programs like Seeds of Peace, that promote unity in diversity, particularly among young people, because they are the future of this and every country, and in recognizing our kinship, despite our cultural differences, the humanity inherent in the "soul" of friendship itself, this is how we recreate the world in a different way.

Children, being clay, being pliable, as they grow and develop, are the seeds that when planted with notions of peace, who are watered and nourished in love, well they will be the sunflowers of the future, and will grow together and not apart, in a different way, a way that creates something truly, beautiful. This is how clay is kneaded and we are needed, in order to create a new "order".

Teach it to our children. Reply

Peter J. of Minneapolis Minneapolis, MN February 5, 2010

Eternal vigiliance is the price of liberty & Torah The U.S. has never had a Jewish president. Nevertheless, the likes of George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson recognized the greatness of the Jewish people and the G-dly wisdom of Torah.

G-d forbid that the government support religious schools. Government playing favorites on religion leads to strife and violence. It is always bad for us Jews.

Vigilance keeps Torah alive in daily lives. When vigliance fails, we degrade our relationship with G-d. Look at the two Temples we lost -- to a lack of vigilance to keep Torah -- a failure to be vigilant to pursue justice, show mercy, and to walk humbly with G-d.

Democracy does not have the seeds of corruption any more than the yetzer hara (evil inclination) in each of us. Democracy, with a respect for self-determination and reverence for each person's right to revere G-d, has the seeds of greatest, equally to the yetzer tov (good inclination) in each of us. Reply

Mr. David Chester February 5, 2010

Good Government To get such a government we need to elect a political party having such similar idealistic natures. But by definition politics itself is not an honest system of doing things. Democracy itself carries the seeds leading to corruption. So even though we the unelected want the right thing, our electd leaders have great difficulty in doing things in that way and in fact due to the pressure of politics cannot achieve anything better that what we have currently got.

If it were possible to change certain basic laws and so by natural economical means ensure that the amount of political corruption were minimized, this would help. But who will pass these laws? Reply

Aaron Katz NJ, USA February 4, 2010

He does not say how Listening to this, I think that what he is advocating is that the government invest in religious schools as its number one priority. It is because where else would moral values be part of society? You go after the young, and religion is the source of moral teachings. Reply

ruthhousman marshfield hills, ma February 4, 2010

building a just democarcy We live in a diverse world with diverse views even as to what constitutes morality. There are people who differ about the "moral and ethical laws". We have people who are sure that homosexuality is a sin, people who are sure abortion is a sin, and there are opposing views that equally draw on an ethical moral stance. So we live with inherent contradiction and dialogue that often gets heated. Yes I think we need to live always with ethical consideration, but there are, in built differences, and everyone wears filters. So this is hard. Are we hard-wired by G_d to engage in the "heat" of these discussions, because G_d created us all, and is deeply involved in our world as can be seen by the article about Rebbitzon and what she did, in this same series of pieces. Reply

Chayim Sipple Portland, OR February 3, 2010

what g-d? I fully agree with the Rabbi. A nation not rooted in the principles of Torah is sure to fail, albeit sometimes slowly, nevertheless it will happen. In regards to the statements of some that this country (the US) was founded on these principles is a streach to say the least. I would encourage anyone interested, to research those individuals responsible for this countries formation religious ties more closely. There is wisdom among the nations, but Torah is only among us. Any similarities is superficial at best. It has been well documented that the " founding fathers" were not believers in the G-d of the Bible, let alone the Torah. I believe we should be cautious in giving credit, admiration or using as examples those people who we do not know for sure adhere to Torah principles.Thank Rabbi Freidman for the insight and direction. Reply

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