The Philosophical/Theological End of the Last Academic Hideouts of Christianity?

G-d is like the Swedish Chef of the Muppets. Don't ask me why He is the way He is. My understanding is that we don't get to judge Gd. G-d Does as He Does, all I can try is to serve Him and hope for Moshiach.

The Torah does not call people to believe in things that they find disagreeable. With Torah, if there is a problem; it can't last. I encountered Judaism by searching because I was looking for a religion I could agree with. In your thinking, should I have searched for a religion I couldn't agree with?

The science of pain is so much easier to believe in than a Gd that uses pain to His liking. I am glad you found Him

The Hasidic Jews virtually rebuilt me into a much better way of life, and it was as if I saw the Light. Good things started happening to me. I was no longer a kid that wished for his own death, plotting how, but always scared that doctors would revive me into an even worse condition. If I did not fear resuscitation, I probably would have committed suicide.

Torah speaks the dark language of a broken mind looking for love. For me, it wasn't, "Light" that attracted me. I was attracted to things in the dark part of the mind, such as throwing stones for the sake of justice.

Gd hates those who deny the wrath of Gd. Gd doesn't answer their prayers with reward.

The worst heresy of this age is that both the Jews, atheists, and the Xtains still provide no answer that I know of to, "The Problem of Pain." It is only the agnostic that has an answer, but it is a flimsy one; it is the easy way out of contemplation of Hashem. I am asking a question to something I feel like is a satisfactory answer (for me that is), and that is that Hashem is everything everywhere, pain, happiness, trees, rocks, depression, excrement, insects, food, men, woman, children, dogs. Everything is made by the design of Gd. However, though we may suffer, the Xtian says, Jesus relieves them from suffering because of the completely absurd and ineffectual claim that, "He (Jesus) died so that we don't have to." Xtians need the news, the death of Jesus and its magic accomplished nothing. A painful senseless death the story seems to tell; but, that means absolutely nothing, except one of millions of cruel, painful, and senseless deaths on this earth. Pain is a problem because chronic pain can be far worse than the pains claimed by the followers of Jesus. Retrospectively the pain of Jesus did not last that long making it a far less problem than chronic pain can be.

We live to be righteous in this world and to repair the world.

I never said the Tanya teaches animals reason, but regardless in my understanding it is not only humans that are capable of reason. Thus, in this thought, perhaps I am in subordination of the understanding of souls, especially from what I can remember in Tanya. I do believe that for at least some animal souls, like humans, animals can share a part in the Gdly soul, and accomplish some feats such as reason.

I don't separate nature from Gd.

Who invented death? Who invented pain? G-d is all powerful. Gd could stop suffering easy as snapping His fingers, but He does not. He, Himself, invented such things for His ways that I don't completely understand. I love Him as a child loves His parents, without fully comprehending anything of His nature.

"so man will not degrade Yehovah's Ways by changing them over time?" ~ That is absolutely correct. We are as G-d's agents to take care of the earth, not ruin it. Hashem calls us to be stewards of earth, as it says in the Genesis creation account, "Let them rule," and the agricultural Laws of Torah are strongly suggestive of maintaining the glory of planet earth.

degradation of the universe is not the rule. You are speaking of entropy. Entropy says things tend to disorder, but that is not the whole story. A greater equation, delta G, includes entropy, and even supercedes it, such that organization, such as cellular evolution can occur even in the presence of our universe’s entropy. Also, you are thinking of the universe as a closed system. I believe the universe is an open system, where Hashem has left Himself, an "In," as a way reign over and organize of the universe as His kingdom.

culture such as a Law is the product of nature, and culture is inclusive of DNA. Like the morphology of species predicted by DNA; culture can also morph, evolving such things as laws for the benefit of the continuation of groups.

Who knows the future? I don't. But, will say this, I think in the future there will be categories upon categories greater than reason, logic, and science. These are but three boxes. Because I believe in Hashem, I believe that there are greater categories than these.

If miracles as mentioned in torah can be explained through science and logic ~ that is the goal. Fundamentally, I believe that if it can be conceived of, then it can almost certain be built, such as through logic and science. "If it works use it," as the utilitarians say.

I see no difference studying nature with the purpose of gain. ~ For example, climate change, or lightning, rain, etc. (This is where science is headed), and it is in Torah, Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy, first it would appear that religion is far ahead of science. Jews knew about the way the weather works thousands of years, through Torah, before scientists thought of it.

miracles, true or not, may give me insight to how the universe works. I makes me think, "I wonder if I could do that using what I know about religion and science." I have not shut the door on either.

Walking on water: I would call a frozen pond in Israel to be a miracle, especially when folks didn't live that long, such that often the adults were as children. If you are young and you have played on thin ice, I was brought this idea, reading about it in the NIV, it strikes me as children playing on a frozen pond, or even a frozen puddle.

the Electrochemist in me looks for unusual things to help understand and explain the universe.

I have seen a picture of snow in Israel.

Maybe that is why it is mentioned in the literature? It was so rare that someone recorded it.

Question for Christians: When Jesus reportedly walked on water, could that be a frozen pond or lake?

Jesus got angry when people questioned him (What kind of Moshiach would try to stop people from questioning him? - This makes me angry because of the importance of questioning to Judaism) Jesus also demanded his followers follow him extremely, demanding complete loyalty, as if he where a god. For instance, telling a rich man to give up all his money.

I thought Jesus came to bring a sword. Matthew 10:34

New International Version

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

Logic and Faith Meet

In geometry, consider the size of a point.  Mystically, the size of a point can’t be determined.  Tell me how big a point is, and I’ll reduce it by half.  Tell me again, and I will cut it in half again, and so on. Geometry does not tell us the size of a point, or even prove that a point exists.  Now consider two points, on the Cartesian plane, and draw a line between them.  Because you don’t know the exact size of the points, you can’t know the exact size of the connecting line, and so on. It can be said that it is important that the points are relatively the same size in order for calculations to become closer to an equality, but rarely are two points or two shapes, or even copies of points and shapes equal. The job of an engineer is to say, "Close enough." However, if one point is big, and one is small, in the real world, it can effect the size of a line.

Judaism has answers for this; the logistic size of points, and line on the Cartesian plane.  We assume a "yud" is a point. In the same way, we assume the existence of a point is possible , so too we are able to have faith in G-d without logistical proof.

This is a letter yud:

We just believe that a point can exist because of a mystical meaning of the Hebrew letter “yud.”  How big is a yud?  It is the size that it is.

Likewise, we can fill the Cartesian plane with lines and shapes because of the mystical meaning of the Hebrew letter “tes.” Tes is like a pregnant woman. In creation, tes was pregnant and gave birth to the universe, in the same way that a mother gives birth.

This is the letter tes:

Faith Is Magical Thinking

At times I have been accused of magical thinking, but this is what I know; Hashem tells us this:

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that YHWH thy God, He is God; the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations;

And this,

Deuteronomy 7:15 And YHWH will take away from thee all sickness; and He will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee, but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.”

Now, I can’t say that I have never been sick, or that I have always been faithful.  I struggled with mental illness, and opiates, which to me these are the “Evil diseases” I knew at my worst.  Even to this day, I have a few allergies.

However, Hashem’s word promises me that he will keep me free from sickness, in return for obedience, and that is precisely what I experience.

I do my best to follow His commands, and this is what I get:  I have never been vaccinated against the flu, yet it has been several years since I have had any viral infection.  In addition, it has been at least 20yrs since I have had a bacterial infection, going back to one time in high school when I had small one under my toenail, probably from the boys locker-room.  This seems like magical thinking indeed, but I don't care because it works, sort of; one must do in addition to acquiring belief!  At one time I had a job that dealt with sewage, and I still didn’t get sick, not even once!

Therefore I suggest that one can live free from disease through religion, but it’s not as if one can state that he or she has faith and continue to doubt Torah.  One must have faith first, and possibly prove later.

As a former atheist, I am not going to be able to tell you that everything in this existence is reasonable, or provable.  We may never be able to study about Hashem in a quantifiable way, or to understand before doing.  If that sort of thinking is an obstacle for you, then I truely feel sorry for you.

Note: Quotes from 1917 JPS Corrected version.

Idol or G-d: Is truth discernible?

One man's God is the next man's idol! How profound. Just say that and put the next evangelist that tries to save you in a pickle. It reminds me of a comical skit from The State. Old fashioned man proclaims [license taken], “I believe in the one true G-d,” dramatic pause “And his name is Zoro and he is living in that lake,” which is followed by the old fashioned man humorously whistling at the end of the short clip.

watch the skit here:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpiw-ng5wkQ

I have never heard apologetics from any religion that address this maddening issue, which is that once we establish that there is a G-d, we fall flat on our faces in details, not minor details, but MAJOR DETAILS!, such as what the name of G-d is, but the where, the when, the why, and the how, so I will tell it: The details are up to Gd Himself, not me. However, I have a function too. As a faithful follower of Hashem, my role is to be as His instrument in order that His will may be done. He doesn’t need me to be His instrument, but through His unfathomable ways he has chosen to work through humankind.

Want to know how I came to faith? When I was an atheist at Rutgers, G-d spoke to me and instantaneously I believed. G-d said, "I AM punishing you." There was nothing not to believe about that Voice, and it caused me great joy because I never knew Gd could be capable of retribution, and not only that but that He also cared enough about me enough to speak with me. In my opinion, Hashem chose to speak to me when I was at my lowest because I felt like I had nothing to lose. I would try anything. Had he spoken to me in less dire circumstances, I may have brushed it off without changing. That is how I feel about folks when I tell them about G-d and they roll their eyes or deny that He has spoken with me. Like me in the good times, I expect that they wouldn’t change a thing.

Craigism and Being a Craigist

One of the best gifts I hope my son will learn from me is to be a freethinker. I hope that he sees this in that I am a Craigist, and my religion is Craigism, and that legitimately I am not a Jew. That faith didn't confer what religion one belongs to puzzled Alex, because he has learned that religion depends on faith. That is why I had to explain to him that I am a Craigist. And, what is a Craigist, but someone who is their own disciple. The goal is for him to have a Higher Power, and gradually strip away the ideas that are incoherent or incorrect, according to Judaism, but still allow Alex the freedom to disagree with me, and for me not to judge him for it.

Why Many Scientists Are Atheists

According to my religion, doctors are supposed to act as if there is no Gd when it is time to heal.  This action, suspension of belief for the sake of administering healing, is fundamental to the way modern medicine is currently practiced.  When doctors find suspension of belief in the practice of medicine works, this is often when pride becomes puffed up, such that they take their job disbelief home with them, and IMO miss out on the joys of faith.

Fearing Gd in the Truest Sense When Petitioning Hashem in Prayer

Before we petition the L-rd in prayer, our hearts should be striken with fear of Gd, as we are requesting a change to reality, and in fact questioning if our L-rd's oversight of the universe is insufficient.

It is this way: sometime the Torah records the sins of the patriarchs and matriarchs of the religion.  We know in Torah that it is a sin to marry sisters, and yet Jacob married the sisters Leah, and then Rachel.  This was out of Hashem's grace, and nothing else.  When or if someone tries to recreate the idea of Jacob's marriage to sisters, it is but an abomination.

It is the same way with Abraham.  Abraham stood before the Creator of the universe and pleaded that Sodom would not be destroyed.  Abraham petitioned G-d, which is completely audacious, and yet Gd did not annihilate Him because Abraham had proved himself worthy of Gd’s love through not sacrificing his son Isaac.

To those of us who take prayer lightly, I really feel that this is almost as the way a child perceives the world.  A child does not know what to fear, and must learn fear.  Thus, for those that petition Gd lightly, I believe His response is distant.  However, for Abraham and those who know Gd; great fear of Gd is upon them when they pray.