Episodes
Wednesday Jan 10, 2018
Why Doesn't God Build Up Moses' Self-Esteem? A Discussion about God and about Parenting
Wednesday Jan 10, 2018
Wednesday Jan 10, 2018
As some of my recent podcasts have been lectures, I decided to mix it up by sharing a Torah discussion in which I raise a simple question asked by Mechon Hadar's Dena Weiss: At the Burning Bush, when Moses is too humble or scared to accept his mission, and Moses asks God, "Who am I to go to Pharoah?" why doesn't God say, "You're the one who killed an Egyptian to save a Hebrew from being beaten! You're the one who, with no backup or support, took on a large group of male shepherds to stop them harrassing the girl shepherds! You're the one who has made a life in a foreign land all on your own! You're the one born with supreme gifts!?" I ask our group, "If you had a child, wouldn't you point out how successful they've been in the past, that they have natural gifts and talents, and boost their self-esteem? Why does God handle it so differently?" As usual, I've edited out all participant answers (since they were not near the automatic microphone) but I've given summaries of each wonderful answer. (Note that several children participated actively! Wish you could have been there!)
Friday Jan 05, 2018
Friday Jan 05, 2018
This is my lecture to the World Affairs Club where they assigned me to present on the Influence of the Abrahamic Religion of Judaism on World Affairs as the first of a three part series on the influence of the Abrahamic religions. While the topic is problematic (how does "religion" cause "history?"), I address the essentials of Judaism, focus especially on the rise of fundamentalism in the last twenty years as a result of the internet, and consider how fundamentalism itself is a "modern movement with an anti-modern rhetoric." I also look at how seeing religion as the cause of, say, terrorism, fails to see the geopolitical context that leads to this phenomenon. I apologize for my voice fading when I faced the Powerpoint slides on the screen [and I am happy to share the Powerpoint with you --just email me]. I did not include the 1 hour Q&A session afterward in which I addressed the U.S. endorsement of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, my polemic against the Anti-Semitic and destructive BDS movement, the Arab-Israeli peace process, and whether the world would be better off without theism entirely. If you want the slides, just contact me and I'll send you the PDF.