Here is something about monotheism.....there must be something good about the book if religious person can come to such conclusions.
I guess maybe some people look for the wrong things...which always brings the issue back to the man not the religion in many cases...
Also burning synagogues or churches is not very pluralistic i think.
Quote:
The Torah, based on the core of the teachings of Moses, rejects ancient ideas that had formed the basis of the religions of both Mesopotamia and Egypt. In their place, it substitutes new, revolutionary concepts concerning the understanding of the nature of God, the way in which God is worshiped, the role of the priests, the understanding of the nature and importance of human beings, the specific laws that govern daily life and the structure of society, and the importance of morality as opposed to ritual. Who was responsible for all of that, if not Moses, under divine inspiration? He was a great religious innovator with a broad view of the world and of humankind, and a vision, perhaps too utopian, of what a godly society should be.
The Torah is a revolutionary book that even now, some 3,000 years later, has not lost its radical flavor. It is a document that shattered old myths and formulated social laws, thus revolutionizing the concept of what an ideal human society should be. It was, and remains, one of - if not the - great humanistic documents of all time, freeing us from forces of darkness and foolish beliefs, and revising ancient laws in a liberal and humane fashion.
It teaches that humanity is one, as God is one. That magic and superstition are falsehoods. That humans are responsible for their actions and have the choice to do good or evil. That poverty and deprivation, slavery and hatred are evils that must be eradicated. That the earth is not ours to destroy. That love of others is a divine command.
I know of no other ancient or modern document that is so concerned with the welfare of the needy, with those who have no power. It boldly proclaims that God is their defender and protector. No society has come even close to achieving that vision. A society based on the principles of the Torah would revolutionize the world.
Rabbi Reuven Hammer is a former president of the Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative/Masorti Movement, and author, most recently, of "The Torah Revolution: Fourteen Truths that Changed The World" (Jewish Lights ).
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In my opinion politicized religion is a problem not religion itself because this is when religion becomes a tool not philosophy.
Again im atheist so what do i know....i can listen to Dawkins comedy and pretend that i'm smart though.
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