And this is why I’m Jewish
Half Changed World: Making connections
More broadly, other than the central idea of monotheism, Judaism doesn’t care so much about what you believe, as what you do. If you went to a rabbi and said, “Rabbi, I follow the commandments, I go to shul, I keep Shabbat, but I don’t know if I believe in God, can I still be a good Jew?” my sense is that most rabbis wouldn’t hesitate to say you can.
This is my sense of Quaker theology, too. Oh and if you’re Reform? The idea of what you need to do to be a good Jew is an awful lot more flexible, which is why I’m a Reform Jew. (I don’t keep shabbat, we rarely go to shul but we “think” Jewish. It’s where I look to find my answers.)
Yay for Judaism! :-))
OK, so both you and Elizabeth think you need to learn Judaism by doing, but do YOU have any favorite books for a reformed-leaning wanna-learn-er?
This is exactly why it was easier for me (as a Catholic) to make the decision to raise my future kids Jewish (as my husband is). The non-judging attitude, and the ability to be good Jews without following all the “rules”. Now if we could just find a good reform temple. Sigh.
I like this about Judaism. It’s actually influenced how I “think” my own Christianity. Sometimes I call myself a “Reconstructionist Episcopalian.”