Please read the About Us page. This statement provides our perspective and commitment to empirical reality.
The challenges included in a reader’s comment to “Genesis and the Big Bang” (posted October 11th) illustrate a sad reality. Most of us have neither been exposed to, nor had the opportunity to study Bible Texts as literature. We have been offered two choices. The Bible is the word of God which must be “obeyed.” Or an independently drawn conclusion that Biblical Texts are a puzzling and confused inheritance promoting magical thinking, delusion and confusing, inconsistent rules for living.
If the latter is true the texts are unworthy of our attention, respect or affection. Hence, the traditions and the intellectual culture of our ancestors is abandoned and lost.
But, the purported facts contained in Biblical texts need not be true in order to possess relevance. The wisdom and inspiration of ancient cultures does not necessarily reside in the truth of their definitions of reality. Even in the face of rigorous challenge the texts contain valuable lessons, insight, inspiration and lasting value.
For example, the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is obviously not an accurate account of human creation. It probably was never intended to be. But as an allegory of human life it still possesses value and insight into the human condition.
From innocent infancy in the care of loving parents to sexual maturity and, then, responsibility for the generation they are to conceive Adan and Eve represent the stages of human life. Furthermore the biblical author offers a bleak perspective of adult life as being filled with pain, endless work and death.
Concerning the “tree hazards,” we are again offered insight into the biblical author’s challenge to the generations. Genesis 3:22: “And the Lord God said: “Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and bad, what if he should reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever!”
Does this not imply that only immortality prevents humans from being gods? The human capacity for advanced culture and learning is a blessing and a profound responsibility. It is, after all, every parent’s complaint that their children have reached the point of knowing it all, of striking out on their own without real knowledge of how the world really works! These myths and stories were a source of wisdom and strength for cultures whose lessons were fashioned in myth and were told without the enhancements of electronic media.
The obvious problems of where Cain and Abel found wives and implications of incest in the first family are contained in stories whose lessons are profound but whose details are flawed. This is not only the expression of concern about killing one’s brother but a teaching against violence as a means of solving problems. The family details were not important to the author/editor. The underlying theme was, perhaps, his concern.
Please keep the dialog going!
The creation story in The Book of Genesis isn’t just about the planet earth. It is about the entire universe. The text describes earth, sun, moon, stars and the planets. There is talk about the ‘firmament’ which we might refer to as the ‘expanse’ or space. The true power of this literature might be its intuitive genius. Perhaps, that is why we endlessly return to it.
Is it possible that an ancient author was truly inspired about the essence of reality? Yes, it is possible. There is ample evidence in the historic record to suggest the occasional appearance of incredibly intelligent or inspired individuals. Just think of Mozart or Albert Einstein.
The acquisition of new knowledge pushes back the boundaries of intellect or mental darkness. The accumulation of knowledge and new discoveries provide vocabulary and descriptive concepts which did not exist for earlier generations. Hence, when translating ancient texts there is good reason to use the words such as energy and matter; words which the ancient biblical author did not know.
Looking once again at the opening sentences of The Book of Genesis we are startled by its intensity and insight. The picture at first glance is that of an unformed, chaotic void of nothingness with the Creator ‘hovering’ or ‘infusing’ nascent reality with the energy necessary to explode into a material universe. “And God said, “Let there be light. And it was so.”
This brief look at the opening sentences of The Book of Genesis is not intended to prove or disprove any particular theological choice or belief. It is but another view of ancient concepts which are worthy of attention.
Genesis chapter 1: When God began creating energy and matter the universe was chaotic. There was only a dark void. Then, God said, “Let there be light.”
And the universe came into being.
Did the author of this ancient passage intend to initiate the Big Bang Theory? Probably not.
Did he intuitively perceive such an event? It’s fun to think that he might have. It is also incredibly profound!
Apathy is a condition of the many and an opportunity for the few. Apathy affects all of us some of the time and some of us all of the time. I suppose we should differentiate between degrees or types of apathy. First there is lack of enthusiasm or indifference. Then, there is the inability to be emotionally engaged, to feel ‘normal passion.’
Apathy toward spiritual or religious matters is complex and not necessarily negative. To zealously pursue a spiritual path without reflection or truth-checking might lead to extreme behavior. Examples are abundant. News reports offer daily reminders of irrational or hostile acts initiated in the name of religion. All major faiths share this danger of the zealot.
Why is apathy a concern for Temple Without Walls? A couple of items come quickly to mind. These might be classified as “chronic apathies.”
Indifference toward personal spiritual development opens an emotional void. Lack of concern for community affairs allows the festering and propagation of ignorance, conspiracy theories and hate.
There has never been a ‘golden age of belief’ during which all anxiety and doubt disappeared. The creative impulses and intellectual strivings of human beings compel us to push against boundaries and limits. We are a curious species. We want to know why an assertion is true. We even hold the ‘standard of truth’ to fundamental religious doctrine.
But when we discern a lack of truth in religious teachings we pull back. The comfortable wonder of childhood evaporates. We perceive community involvement and participation as being irrelevant. We interrupt or simply end our own spiritual quest. We marginalize the organized Jewish Community and become essentially disengaged from it. We thereby weaken ourselves and open the door for the ‘demons’ of meaninglessness and separation from the fountain of our personal well-being.
Temple Without Walls, then, seeks to be a source of search and discovery. Our tasks are to help expand understanding and knowledge of the Jewish Religious Quest for the disaffected, unaffiliated and apathetic; to reconnect our participants with the rich intellectual, spiritual and creative aspects of our millennia long endeavors; and to serve as an avenue engagement and community for those in search.
Existing authorities rely upon a certain degree of apathy to maintain their status and power. However, any emergent awareness on the part of the complacent can only increase the dialogue and strengthen our community.
Temple Without Walls is an effort to find light; as in “aha!” or “enlightenment.” I believe this quest for knowledge is, perhaps, the most sacred element of the Jewish spiritual quest.
Sacred literature supports this. The Genesis story begins with the declaration that at first there is light. There can be no universe, no existence without light. Just as the energy of light is required for existence, so the light of knowledge is an essential element of meaning in our lives.
Pursuit of knowledge has a long history in Jewish Culture; not just as an individual effort but as a communal responsibility.
Since the time of King Solomon (app. 3,000 years) parents and/or the larger community have been held responsible for educating their young. Without education the wisdom and inspiration of the past would be lost. Without an accumulated corpus of information there can be no advances in science, philosophy or any other source of truth.
Without such advances neither community nor culture can thrive. The ongoing quest for truth, perhaps, is the singular characteristic of humanity.
There are many sources of truth. Some truths are ancient. These might be ethical or spiritual insights into human nature. Some truths come through inspired moments of sudden insight; such as Albert Einstein’s explosive theories of reality.
Whether we learn from ancient sources or from the most recent science it is our responsibility to continually open our minds to all sources of knowledge with confidence and joy.
What do you think? Can we find ancient sources of knowledge which can help us live worthy and meaning filled lives? What is a worthy life? What makes an event or a lifetime of valued existence?
Share your insights with us.
[Posted for Rabbi Weil]
It’s Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of a New Year. New beginnings mean fresh starts for us all. We are standing at the proverbial gate of time. In front of us lay a year’s worth of days. A year’s worth of personal triumphs and choices where we can each choose to find inspiration, within the many acts of kindness that we, our friends and our families choose to make. These mitzvahs may be as small as holding the door open for the person who follows you, or as large as sacrificing something of yourself to save another.
I often don’t like to reveal that I am Jewish, in the very non-Jewish community where I live. The reactions are varied and I’m usually expected to know something about it. Like, “Can you translate this Hebrew for me?” Or someone may want to get into a philosophical discussion about the beliefs of one practice of religion or another. I’m certainly not inclined to show off my uneducated self, or argue about my own private and very personal beliefs with someone who may be looking for an argument or looking to make me wrong. However, I will say that what I do suspect is that maybe, all of the discussion that happens around religion is much more about, “How do I find God and meaning in my life?”
This may be especially difficult, after we’ve all experienced — and in some cases suffered through — some very difficult years here in the United States. There has been the tragedy of September 11, a lasting war, the lasting tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, the floods in the mid-West and economic disasters. And there are much less complicated, but still tragedies, that happen every day — like the two firemen who lost their lives in the California wildfires in their efforts to find an escape route for the men that were in their charge.
If you are in a search for “a higher power” or are seeking to find inspiration for the upcoming year, we may need to look at the year behind us to remember that what lays ahead of us also brings joyful events and surprises. It is not all doom and gloom. And so as we stand at this gate, we ask ourselves, “What would inspire me, what do I have to look forward to in the upcoming year? What choices can I make?” If I free a bee trapped in the pool, how will it affect the world around me and the world beyond me?
Even just the past few weeks have demonstrated that when millions of people get together, they can make choices that uplift and inspire the world. Take the example of Kevin Skinner, the chicken catcher and the current winner of America’s Got Talent. And also the example of Susan Boyle, from a simple “collection of villages,” in Scotland, of Britain’s Got Talent. Two people of very simple means, whose personal perseverance and talents managed to inspire millions and millions of people throughout the world. And who moved millions of people to vote, to cheer, to cry and to be uplifted. It wasn’t Hollywood glitz or glamour that persevered through these two examples. It was they. It was their strengths. Perhaps it is what they have seen that compels them to perform; and perhaps in their own humility they don’t yet know that they are “Angels” in the eyes of some.
While the “devil” may be in the details, cannot God be found there as well? Whether in the simple mitzvah of holding the door open for another, or the breakthrough performances of a person’s lifetime, or the complete selfless giving over of oneself. And is it not these inspirational events that cross all the boundaries and shackles that we create for ourselves within our typical religious institutions? And is it really about whose religious belief is “Right” and whose is “Wrong?” Wars continue to be fought over this and likely will continue to be. But in the moments that we have control over, can we too, make our own choices to be humble and to allow that which is good and inspirational within ourselves to persevere?
September’s Holy Days are upon us. These ten days of awe occur at the beginning of the seventh month of the Jewish Ritual Calendar. We refer to this period as the ‘Days of Awe.’ It is the season of the sounding of the ram’s horn; that intense and startling occasion intended to shock us into spiritual awakening.
For some the ancient call to assessment and atonement still possesses power. They will prepare their minds and homes for this most momentous event. They will attend long and richly symbolic worship services in search of hope and a dose of optimism in the face of daunting reality.
Others of us will remember that something is supposed to happen on ‘Holy Days.’ However, the inherited teachings are largely difficult to believe. Furthermore, the nearest house of worship may be distant. And, then, the last time we attended a Holy Day service we felt disconnected. The events and the functionaries failed to move us.
We ‘others of us’ are in the majority. So, what to do? Where do we go? How do we shock sleeping psyches into the intense awakening experienced by so many former generations of Jews?
Stop looking. Stop trying to believe the unbelievable. Recognize that the Jewish Religious Experience is a quest, not an established fact. You may find inspiration and comfort in an organized worship service but, you may not. If not, do not be angry at those who do. Do not feel unwarranted guilt or self loathing if your reality does not include time for elaborate festival preparations, special meals, formal clothing for service attendance and more.
Even if you take just a moment to reflect upon your personal qualities you may have done enough.
May the coming year ad meaning and hope to your life and to the lives of those closest to you.
Religion demands that we believe the unbelievable. We believe in God, Santa Claus, Moses the Miracle Worker and a lot more because we have been told that it is the right thing to do. Besides, if we were to judge the religion we inherit against the evidence of demonstrable fact we might anger our parents, teachers, Ministers Priests or Rabbis. We believe, then, because we have been trained to do so.
But what if we don’t believe? What if we reject teachings in the Bible which advocate killing women who commit adultery, or incorrigible sons, or those whose love is for same sex partners? How can the Bible be the untarnished word of God if even part of it is troubling, or untrue? What if we don’t believe there is a Father God/Creator/Judge/Savior? Is there, then, a way for us to find a spiritual connection?
Should we reject out of hand timeless literature which can still be a source of wisdom, insight and wonder simply because does not possess eternal truth or authority? And do we have to exist in polarized camps of believers vs. non-believers?
Temple Without Walls is a forum for those in the middle – and that’s most of us. This is a place for spiritual quest. This is a path for open minds and generous hearts.
We invite involvement and direction. But we will follow a few simple guidelines in order to use language we can all understand.
Clear understanding of terms is reasonable in any discussion of important subjects. It is especially so in a discussion of faith. Confusion caused by a lack of precise vocabulary results in absence of clarity. At its worst it can lead to tragic conflict.
The page of definitions is offered in an effort to provide some degree of clarity. We will expand this page as circumstances require.
We invite your participation.
