Buddha vs. Spinoza
Ethel Jean Saltz
I don't know anything about Buddhism. Even so, I can't figure it out.
How can Rabbis study Buddhism with such enthusiasm and revile Spinoza?
be-Ahavah ve-Shalom, Ethel Jean of Creekbend,
MAC-NIET-SPIN-GAL,Khai Y'all, C-O-H-N, ADTR, 0389A.G.,
Trinity=Torah(Ethics)+Ne'eveem(Sociology)
+Ketuveem(Multimedia)
Trinity=Periodic Table of Elements
+Direct Current Circuits+Electromagnetic Spectrum
Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan/Miami Platform
mailto:nie...@airmail.net
Joseph Hertzlinger
Who's doing the half-time show?
Matthew Saroff (Remove 123456. to reply)
nie...@airmail.net (Ethel Jean Saltz) wrote:
>I don't know anything about Buddhism. Even so, I can't figure it out.
>How can Rabbis study Buddhism with such enthusiasm and revile Spinoza?
Hi,
My knowledge of Spinoza and his "Excommunication" is
limited, but a couple of points:
Spinoza was excommunicated by a community that had
probably never seen a Buddhist. I have read (no primary sources)
that his excommunication was done primarily because the community
was worried because his writings had drawing strong condemnation
from Christian authorities, and by excommunicating him, they were
attempting to avoid reprisals.
In terms of Buddhism, I don't know of any Orthodox jews
who follow it, though the study of comparative religion is
certainly possible. Among the less observant, there are some who
have come to Judaism through Buddhism, but unlike some other
religions, Buddhism is very non exclusive, and does not have to
challenge the unity of God.
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Ethel Jean Saltz
Matthew Saroff (Remove 123456. to reply) wrote:
> My knowledge of Spinoza and his "Excommunication" is
> limited, but a couple of points:
> Spinoza was excommunicated by a community that had
> probably never seen a Buddhist. I have read (no primary sources)
> that his excommunication was done primarily because the community
> was worried because his writings had drawing strong condemnation
> from Christian authorities, and by excommunicating him, they were
> attempting to avoid reprisals.
>From what I read in the Encyc. Judaica, there were a few "upstart" Jews.
A Prado also said similar things as Spinoza, and apologized on the same
day that Spinoza was excommunicated.
I don't think they were afraid of what the Christians would think
because the Encyc. said that Spinoza discussed the Bible with a
free-thinking Jesuit priests and that made them angry. I think it is
identical to the situation that exists today in Israel between the Chief
Rabbinate and all the free-thinking Jews of the world. All you have to
do is see the anger I receive on this NG when I quote TaNaK from the
GOOD NEWS Bible.
I'm glad that Spinoza conducted himself similarly to Galileo, and kept
right on reading and thinking and writing. I think the current debate by
sociobiologists on the unity of biology fits right in with Spinoza's
ETHICS. I also firmly believe that only a Jew could write ETHICS. I've
not yet read his Political Theology Treatise. But I don't think that is
required. I think ETHICS stands all alone. I also firmly believe that
Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan was influenced by Spinoza, who himself, was
influenced by such as Menasseh Ben Israel (Encyc. Jud.). If Israel would
officially embrace Spinoza as part and parcel of its various
intellectual traditions, I think it would influence the entire world of
religion. It would also make for a lively debate of the Subject:
Buddha vs. Spinoza.
The point of my debate is how can any Rabbi, no matter how freethinking,
go outside Judaism to embrace other culture's ideas, and thus give them
good press, when they won't touch Spinoza, a REAL JEW, who could be a
global influence, if the same Rabbi's exerted as much energy publicizing
him? In fact, before we have ecobabble, I prefer Spinoza-babble, because
it would automatically provide an environment for ecobabble.
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