SHJ Executive Director, Paul Golin, presented on the following topic to the Muddy Waters Freethought Society on January 10, 2023. Watch the full presentation below.
“What is Humanistic Judaism?”
- Most Jews in the United States don’t believe in the God of the Bible, yet still consider themselves Jewish. How does this work? Humanistic Judaism offers a nontheistic alternative to contemporary branches of Judaism and defines Judaism as the cultural and historical experience of the Jewish people.
- We will discuss lessons that secular and humanistic people of all backgrounds might draw from the overwhelmingly secular Jewish community, such as acknowledging the familial and cultural pull toward tradition and history; the benefits and pitfalls of ethnic and cultural identity that may continue after secularization; how rituals can enhance life; and what meaning might still be found in religious practices or teachings.
- Must secular people reject traditional religion wholesale, or might we be throwing the baby out with the bathwater?
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