TakingITGlobal - Panorama - Religion....bad?

Published on: Nov 23, 2002

Topic:

Type: Opinions

https://www.tigweb.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=807

I want to keep this short...so here it is. Religion is said by some to be too easily corrupt...its practioners use faith to justify clearly immoral acts. A story should easily suffice in making my point. I found this in Esther Jungreis' book "A committed Life”: A heretical Jewish soap maker approached a Rabbi and said: "Rabbi...if Religion is so good, why do so many 'religious' people do bad stuff?" The sagely scholar pondered and suggested a walk in the park. After viewing several children dirty themselves in the sand the Rabbi turned to the soap maker: "what's the use of soap makers...look at all of these dirty kids!" Dumbfounded the soap maker looked at the Sage....the Rabbi explained: "Judaism is like soap making...just because its followers don't use it doesn't make it bad...the 'followers' don't use it and gives faith a bad name."

In Judaism we have a word for this...it's called a "chillul Hashem"....desecration of the name. When someone does something that makes that faith look horrible is tragically seen as indicative of that entire faith...our storied Sage says no way...go to your park and see for yourself.

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by chrisopher rawlings
Published on: Nov 23, 2002
Topic:
Type: Opinions
https://www.tigweb.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=807


I want to keep this short...so here it is. Religion is said by some to be too easily corrupt...its practioners use faith to justify clearly immoral acts. A story should easily suffice in making my point. I found this in Esther Jungreis' book "A committed Life”: A heretical Jewish soap maker approached a Rabbi and said: "Rabbi...if Religion is so good, why do so many 'religious' people do bad stuff?" The sagely scholar pondered and suggested a walk in the park. After viewing several children dirty themselves in the sand the Rabbi turned to the soap maker: "what's the use of soap makers...look at all of these dirty kids!" Dumbfounded the soap maker looked at the Sage....the Rabbi explained: "Judaism is like soap making...just because its followers don't use it doesn't make it bad...the 'followers' don't use it and gives faith a bad name." In Judaism we have a word for this...it's called a "chillul Hashem"....desecration of the name. When someone does something that makes that faith look horrible is tragically seen as indicative of that entire faith...our storied Sage says no way...go to your park and see for yourself. « return.