The Portal 5: Rabbi Wolpe - “So a Rabbi and an atheist walk into a podcast...”
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Aug 31, 2019 Exploring the relationship between atheism and religion, Rabbi Wolpe and Eric discuss the challenges of balancing beliefs and navigating dialogue between religious and non-religious communities. They delve into interpreting the Hebrew Bible, Jewish adaptation, and maintaining cultural ties with tradition. The conversation also touches on the significance of gratitude, rituals in Judaism, and the importance of having the courage to stand alone in a polarized society.
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Religion's Core: Community and Interdependence
- Religion primarily offers sustained community and interdependence beyond specific transcendent beliefs.
- Creating meaningful community without religion is urgent but still unresolved.
Judaism as Family and Culture
- Judaism functions as a cultural and familial identity, not solely a religion.
- One can be Jewish athiest and still belong to the Jewish community unlike Christianity.
Judaism is an Interpretive Tradition
- Judaism is an exegetical tradition that constantly interprets texts rather than taking them literally.
- No rabbi claims all answers are directly in the written Torah; interpretation is essential.