Theology
According to Sarah Glidden, Hartman says he is not Liberal or Left, but "I am a religious Jew." Here is a quote from her graphic novel, from her attendance of one of his lectures:
"Many Jews are mistaken about what it means to be observant. I want to clarify tonight that a rule-based religious life is nothing compared to a true worship of God. Real spirituality can never be achieved simply by following a set of laws… It's not enough just to read the right prayers at the right time… The Torah speaks of how the enslaved Jewish people escaped the oppression of the Egyptians. Amazing. But how do we justify that the Torah also tells us that this kind of treatment is acceptable for non-Jews, that you may treat a misbehaving Arab slave with rigor? These are ancient laws written by men. But those who are truly pious, who truly love God will surpass this with wisdom and sensitivity. The law allows it, but you must go beyond the law to find God. If you remain within the law, you are a pagan! These are laws that must be stricken from the Talmud, laws made during wartime to justify acts against their enemies. Unless we have the courage to change these ugly laws, we are destroying our own faith. The difference between Jew and non-Jew does not exist. We are all members of the human condition. If you are a religious Jew, a Doctor, on seeing a Palestinian injured on the side of the road, you should not have to think about whether or not to help him. He is the same as you. Some people say I am part of the "Liberal Left." I am no such thing; I'm a religious Jew, Dammit! Why should caring about your fellow man be labeled Left-Wing Liberalism? As a Jewish State, Israel should be leading the protests of the atrocities in Darfur. We pray for two kidnapped Israeli soldiers. Beautiful. But why can't we pray for one million Africans? We must get out of this Family Mode. The Law is a compromise for those who cannot hear the universal language. It is not the Ideal. Halachah is only the beginning…"
Read more about this topic: David Hartman (rabbi)
Famous quotes containing the word theology:
“... the generation of the 20’s was truly secular in that it still knew its theology and its varieties of religious experience. We are post-secular, inventing new faiths, without any sense of organizing truths. The truths we accept are so multiple that honesty becomes little more than a strategy by which you manage your tendencies toward duplicity.”
—Ann Douglas (b. 1942)
“Only men of moral and mental force, of a patriotic regard for the relationship of the two races, can be of real service as ministers in the South. Less theology and more of human brotherhood, less declamation and more common sense and love for truth, must be the qualifications of the new ministry that shall yet save the race from the evils of false teaching.”
—Fannie Barrier Williams (1855–1944)
“A theology whose god is a metaphor is wasting its time.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)