Orthodox Paradox

Orthodox Paradox - NY Times

This article written by Harvard law professor Noah Feldman eloquently describes the ideology of modern orthodox Judaism. Great insights into how people try to live normally in a modern society while following antiquated religious laws.

It is interesting how people mend Talmudic and Biblical writings, conforming them to coincide with modern practices. There is a part in the article which talks about the story of creation in the book of Genesis. While Feldman was attending his Jewish high school, the school's rabbi commented on creationism and evolution. The rabbi did not deny evolution or scientific explanations of the creation of the universe but saw science's reasons in the Genesis's text. The text in Genesis, on the sixth day God created xxxx, was an allegory for the world's creation. The allegory was that one day is the poetic equivalent to millions of years.

What this is saying is that once science reveals certain truths about the world's past and nature, we find different meanings in the words of the Bible. In other words, as soon as something in the Bible is proven fallible followers just change their interpretations of the hard written book. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and styles but when you deny the lack of truth coming from one source (the Bible) and conform it to match stronger theories and still hold belief in that original source, there is a problem. Their should be a truth threshold which people should be willing to cross. Once previous ideas are challenged and proven false or inadequate one should then accept new more logical and rational ideas. This in other words is called learning or education.

Maybe I'm crazy but living my life based on a book written thousands of years ago on how one should tend to their livestock seems not of divine word but of some writer who was on a power trip.

More posts on this topic to come for sure, but must make use of my time and stop here!