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From: adam@npois.UUCP (Adam V. Reed)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Humanistic Judaism
Message-ID: <239@npois.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 14-Mar-85 20:23:49 EST
Article-I.D.: npois.239
Posted: Thu Mar 14 20:23:49 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 15-Mar-85 05:41:33 EST
Organization: ATTIS, Neptune, NJ
Lines: 35

Asher Meth asks:

>What is a Humanistic Jew? A simple definition will do.

A Humanistic Jew is a Jew who defines his way of life as a Jew without
reference to supernatural authority, and who affirms the right of
individuals to be masters of their own lives.

>How do such Jews fit into the larger scheme?

Humanistic Jews tend to value their Jewish identity and live according
to their individual understanding of the Jewish way of life. There are
several Humanistic Jewish congregations and Havurot; a national
organization, the Society for Humanistic Judaism, with headquarters at
28611 West Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills, Michgan 48018; and an
Association of Humanistic Rabbis.

Because Humanistic Jews affirm the right of individuals to be masters of
their own lives, they generally make sure that their children feel free
to define their Jewishness without being constrained by the choices of
their parents. For example, to make sure that my former wife's future
children would feel free to become Orthodox, if they wish, without the
stigma of mamzerut, I gave my ex-wife an Orthodox get, under the
supervision of the head of an Orthodox beit din.

Eliyahu Teitz writes:

>Eventually there will be a mitzva without an explaination and then the
>humanist will be up a tree having to decide on observance for observance
>sake or not following.

If I could not understand a Mitzva, then I would not be be able to carry
it out "with all my mind" anyway. So an "observance for observance's
sake" would not be much good in any case.
						Adam