Keith Benjamin, who has been one of my business partners for more than six years and a friend since we first worked together on an IPO in 1993, died on July 29th. He was a kind and loving person who adored his family, loved his work and was passionate about everything he did. We will miss him very much.
I grieve for Keith's family and mourn his passing.
Anthony Ramirez of The New York Times published an article on April 5 describing the funeral service at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York for William F. Buckley, who died on February 27th at age 82. One of the most influential American political conservatives of his generation, Buckley is widely respected for his powerful intellect. The founder of The National Review, he is recognized for the central role he played in shaping the blend of anti-communism and libertarian economics that became the core american political ideology of President Ronald Reagan.
Speaking at the funeral service, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger made emotional comments about how Buckley had come to reconcile the gap between objective knowledge and religious faith:
'Over a decade ago,'' he [Kissinger] said, clearing his throat, ''Bill and I discussed the relationship of knowledge to faith. I surmised it required a special act of divine grace to make the leap from the intellectual to the spiritual. In a note, Bill demurred. No special epiphany was involved, he argued. There could be a spiritual and intellectual drift until, one day, the eyes opened and happiness followed ever after. Bill noted that he had seen that culmination in friends. He did not claim it for himself."
I was struck by these comments, both because of the speaker and the context. Secretary Kissinger, himself a man of powerful intellect and a German Jew whose parents fled the Holocaust, has clearly considered deep questions of God and religion and was touched by the loss of a long-time friend. It is interesting to me that he focuses on the notion that, for individuals who are intellectuals and very data driven, perhaps an epiphany or revelation of some kind is necessary to bridge the gap between faith in the existence of God and knowledge of objective reality.
As I think of this perennial debate, the oft-repeated motto of the New New Atheists comes to mind-- "I don't need to believe in God to have a moral conscience." The atheists, in my view, totally miss the irony of their own assertion. That little voice in your head that tells you the difference between right and wrong is evidence of a little bit of God that's inside every one of us. No epiphany required. 
The New York Times reported today on the latest Pew Research Center demographic survey on religion in America.
Highlights from the report--
* Over 16 percent of American adults say they are not part of any organized faith, which makes the unaffiliated the country’s fourth largest "religious group."
* In the 1980s, the General Social Survey by the National Opinion Research Center indicated that from 5 percent to 8 percent of the population described itself as unaffiliated with a particular religion.
* In the Pew survey 7.3 percent of the adult population said they were unaffiliated with a faith as children. That segment increases to 16.1 percent of the population in adulthood, the survey found.
* The unaffiliated are largely under 50 and male. "Nearly one-in-five men say they have no formal religious affiliation, compared with roughly 13 percent of women," the survey said.
*Protestantism has been declining, from two thirds of the U.S. population in the '70's to about 51% today-- with evangelicals accounting for a slim majority of Protestants.
*Catholics have remained steady at 25% of the population, but the influx of Catholic Latin Americans into the U.S. is largely responsible for what looks like stability in this group.
*Affiliated Jews have declined slightly to 1.7% from 1.9%
So what does this mean? The New York Times article quotes a Pew researcher who concludes that these religious affiliation changes do not mean that Americans are becoming less religious: "Contrary to assumptions that most of the unaffiliated are atheists or agnostics, most described their religion "as nothing in particular." I'm sure that the new-new atheists will conclude differently.
Over the past three years, I have posted multiple times on the subject of religious discrimination and intolerance BETWEEN JEWS in Israel. In America, this is a widely under-reported problem which, in my view, strikes at the heart of the socio-religious problems in the State of Israel and also threatens the future of Judaism in mainstream society. In America, where tolerance and pluralism are central pillars of our society, it is a given that there is more than one way to be a Jew. In Israel, which heretofore has only recognized Orthodox Judaism, there are the Orthodox and Ultra-Othrodox (which account for roughly 15% of the country's Jews vs. 6% of Jews in America), there are emerging Conservative and Reform Jewish congregations that receive no State support, and then, of course, there is the vast majority of unaffiliated or so-called 'secular' Israeli Jews.
I suport a vibrant Jewish State of Israel that embraces religious pluralism-- and we can now score a major victory for the forces of pluralism in Israel, thanks to the Israel Religious Action Center ("IRAC"). The following excerpts are from IRAC's most recent weekly newsletter:
"In Israel, where there is no separation between religion and State, the government cultivates and supports Jewish life and Jewish institutions. From the beginning of the State, and in fact up until last month, the government of Israel had granted land and buildings to hundreds of Orthodox synagogues, but never to a Reform or Conservative congregation. Kehilat YOZMA, a vibrant and rapidly growing community in the modern suburban city of Modi'in, is the first in a group of young Reform congregations who will now, thanks to IRAC, receive synagogue buildings from the State.
The year 2008 marks the beginning of a change in the attitudes of the National Authority of Religious Services, the Ministry of Construction and Housing, and several municipalities with respect to the rights of non-Orthodox Jews. ... In 2008, at least four non-Orthodox congregations will proudly erect their synagogues with the help of governmental funds. This is the first time since the establishment of the State of Israel, that the State is funding the construction of non-Orthodox synagogues. This is a groundbreaking accomplishment which sets a precedent for future cases of similar background. Public funding is an irrefutable sign of recognition by the State, which indicates a desire, however restrained, to move forward towards reconciliation between the various streams of Judaism in Israel.
The importance of this event can not be underestimated - the transportable synagogue in Kehilat YOZMA is the very first non-Orthodox synagogue being subsidized by the state in all of Israel's history."
Babar Ahmed is a talented up-and-coming movie director ("Royal Kill") and the son of Professor Akbar Ahmed, who first taught me about the history of Islam at the Aspen Institute's Socrates Society. Babar recently spoke about Islam at a gathering in Palm Beach. The Palm Beach Post reported on his remarks:
"And so why are we seeing suicide bombings if Muslim history is so good?" he asked.
Because Islam is divided into three groups, Ahmed theorized, the conservative, the moderate and the extremist, the latter of which is "growing every single day."
In the aftermath of the Soviet Union's occupation of Afghanistan, Ahmed said, orphans were driven over the border to Pakistan, where they were taken in and educated by the most primitive tribal schools, run by illiterates who could not read or properly interpret the Koran.
"In driving the Soviets out of Afghanistan," Ahmed said, "the United States developed relationships with military dictators which continue to this day. That may have worked in the short term, but it left the orphans poor, desperate and angry, without any skills except how to use a gun."
The current movie, Charlie Wilson's War, makes the same point, he noted.
The solution, Ahmed said, is education, because the majority of Muslims are young. In Pakistan alone, he said, 40 percent of the population is under 16, and more receptive to radicalism.
"One half of the world's population is Muslim, Christian or Jewish," Ahmed said, "and if we don't start finding this common ground, we are going to be heading for a very turbulent century."
Babar is right on point. One of the few successful models of bilingual interfaith educational success in the Middle East is Hand in Hand in Israel-- the madrassas have a long way to go, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, and we can act to make sure that it is not on oncoming train...
An increasingly large proportion of American Jews under the age of 35 is becoming increasingly indifferent to and alienated from Israel. Why? Primarily because these people have not visited Israel.
According to a new white paper- Beyond Distancing: Young Adult American Jews and Their Alienation from Israel, by Steven M. Cohen and Ari Y. Kelman, “the erosion on Israel engagement has taken place over the entire age spectrum, from elderly, to upper-middle-aged, to lower-middle-aged, to young adult. … We see a pattern of shifting (declining) attachment to Israel stretching over 50 years, from those who are now 65 and older down to those in their 20s.”
Funded by the Jewish Identity Project of Reboot and the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, this paper’s conclusions are based on a survey of 1,828 Jewish respondents between December 2006 and January 2007 and focuses on non-Orthodox respondents.
What does Jewish American alienation from Israel mean? It means that the majority of American Jews under the age of 35 do not believe that the destruction of Israel would be a personal tragedy and do not talk about Israel to non-Jewish friends. Over 40% of American Jews under the age of 35 and almost 40% of American Jews under the age of 50 describe their level of Israel attachment as Low. 60% of the respondents have never been to Israel, and only 15% have been more than once. 48% of respondents believe that there is either a moderate amount of anti-Semitism in the U.S. today; 38% believe that there is a great deal of anti-Semitism in the U.S. today (62% believe there is a great deal of anti-Semitism in Europe today). More importantly, 47% believe that anti-Semitism will increase in the U.S. over the next several years (62% believe so in Europe).
Among the paper’s most important observations, intermarriage has an important influence on the distancing of American Jews from Israel. However “contrary to widely held beliefs, left-liberal political identity is not primarily responsible for driving down the Israel attachment scores among the non-Orthodox. If left-liberal politics were influential, we should see significant differences between liberal-Democrats and conservative-Republicans. The absence of such a pattern, and their inconsistent variations within age groups, run contrary to the assertion that political views are the prime source of disaffection from Israel.”
I am the son of a Holocaust survivor with a strong Jewish religious education, but I was largely indifferent to Israel for much of my life because I didn't have the perspective that you gain from actually going there.
I first visited Israel in early 2002 and have now been there 11 times. Going there has completely changed my perspective about the importance of the State of Israel. Today I am actively involved in direct philanthropic initiatives in Israel that promote religious pluralism. I care deeply for Israel while being highly sensitive to the country’s many faults and contradictions. I care about preserving the Jewish State of Israel in the face of great challenges, and I respect the deeply passionate people who make the commitment to live in Israel, even though I may not share their social or political views.
If you are a Jew who is indifferent to or alienated from Israel, you should visit the country and see for yourself why it is the center of so much global controversy. Don’t be a bystander in this developing story. The Business Leadership Council of the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation is leading a business professionals Mission to Israel next April 30—in my view, this is a great opportunity to gain a new perspective on Israel and on your Jewish identity.
Many people are asking this question today and not finding any satisfying answers. To my surprise, Maimonides answered this question concisely 800 years ago.
Kenneth Seeskin's analysis of Maimonides' positions on religious fanaticism and false prophets is profound and refreshing:
"... Maimonides had firsthand experience of religious intolerance. He knew that Jewish people are not immune to to ignorance or superstition. His answer is that our prime criterion for deciding who speaks for God is truth (Guide 2.40). If we are presented with a body of law which inculcates true beliefs, which encourages intellectual growth and critical reflection, which makes sound recommendations for personal health and social harmony, then, and only then, do we have a basis for believing that the message may be divinely inspired. So the criteria for deciding who is a prophet are just as rigorous-- indeed, more so-- than those for evaluating expertise in other walks of life. . . . only the most extraordinary individuals have the right to claim that they speak for God. And the only way they can earn this right is to provide both a vision and a rational defense of it. . . . the more a person asks us to make leaps of faith, the less likely it is that he or she is carrying a divine message."
Maimonides' approach is so basic that it is novel: Question the messenger. Raise the credibility bar. Ask yourself if the message makes sense and if it is in harmony with moral absolutes.
Seeskin continues:
"God does not want people to starve themselves, torment themselves, take vows of celibacy, or endure physical deprivation. What He wants are honest dealings with our fellow human beings, moderation of the passions, respect for the poor, the sick, the widow, the orphan, and the stranger, rest on Sabbath, and in general a life in which we grow to our fullest potential."
Maimonides has been criticized by some as being an elitist, and he is certainly not popular among ultra-Orthodox Jews (or among fanatics of any brand). In my view, these critiques fall far short.
I strongly agree with the view that not everyone can be a prophet, just as not everyone can become a brain surgeon or a semicondutor designer. In Maimonides' philosophical construct:
"True prophecy is instructive; it teaches us about God and calls us to our highest moral ideals and aspirations. It is founded on a thorough understanding of the universe and human efforts to grasp the principles thatr underlie it. A person ignorant of those principles, whose only claim on our attention is an intuitive feeling or dreamlike image, cannot speak for God. Allow such people to determine our religious practices or beliefs and we are certain to get chaos."
Why does this seem so reasonable and yet sadly true in the context of current global affairs? It is because unscrupulous people continue to manipulate religion to their will for power. Unfortunately, these manipulators are not held to a higher standard of accountability. Why? In my view, these answers have more to do with the weaknesses of man than the weaknesses of religion and the shortcomings of faith.
Kenneth Seeskin's Maimonides: A Guide for Today's Perplexed, was first published in 1991.
I admit to having a particularly eclectic reading list this summer. Here it is, in no particular order:
Al Gore's The Assault on Reason is an important, factually supported indictment of the Bush Administration. A must read, regardless of your political affilation.
Three books on Maimonides:
Kenneth Seeskin's Maimonides: A Guide for Today's Perplexed, is a clearly written, relatively short monograph that ties together some of the key themes in The Guide for the Perplexed-- such as why literal iinterpretation of the Bible is not only senseless, but is contrary to G-d's intention. Yeshayahu Leibowitz's The Faith of Maimonides, and David Bakan's Maimonides on Prophecy. If you are into Maimonides (yes, there are a few of us who aren't Rabbis), philosophy, or general deep thinking, you will enjoy these books, which were recommended to me by a new friend who is a Maimonides expert.
In the "I wish it really was fiction" category, I read, in one extremely long sitting (while flying across the country) Khaled Hosseini's powerful A Thousand Splendid Suns. This novel takes you through 30 years of Afghanistan's chaotic history, as experienced through the personal tragedies of several families. The novel combines factual historic detail with an emphasis on the abrogation of women's rights under Shar'ia as applied by the Taliban. I agree that it is better than The Kite Runner, which I also devoured and found disturbing and enlightening.
On the lighter side, for the fisherman in you, there is Sex, Death, and Fly-Fishing, by John Gierach, who is the great scribe of all that makes trout-fishing a religion, as opposed to a recreational sport. What do I mean by that?
"The wool sweaters and millar mitts came off shortly aftrer the sun was up, and we were squinting and sweating by nine-thirty when the Callibeatis mayfly spinner fall should have started, but wouldn't. Not in that heat and piercing sunlight. That's why we were up so early in the first place."
Comprende? If not, don't read this book.
And finally, for paperback Ludlum-style mystery lovers who also enjoy a religious conspiracy that ties together the Holocaust, Pope Pius XII, professional assassins, the Mossad, Bernini, and the Jewish Ghetto in Rome, read Daniel Silva's The Confessor-- it's actually quite good.
Looking back at this reading list, I can see why I don't feel that I rested much this summer.
James Beldock, whom I have known for years from the Aspen Institute's Socrates Society and, more recently, from our investment in ShotSpotter, has posted on his blog about the thread in On Faith's Guest Voices about Irshad Manji and Project Ijtihad-- his comments are worth reading.
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