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2018-03-31 Sherwin Wine

Notes on:

video of Sherwin Wine (1928-2007) - a Jewish secular humanist

We all have 3 agendas:

Prudential - my happiness and well being
Ethical - arises from being in a group
Compassionate - focusing on one person, even at the expense of others

Humanistic Judaism - guide to making choices

chose an alternative you believe in - atheists shouldn't choose a theist group
do not hang in limbo - say it the way it is. You don't need theistic language
do not wait for the perfect choice
remember the individual - a problem with nationalism is collectivism, what have you done for the group? But, what has the group done for me?
rescue what is rescue able - ethnic identity requires language and clothing. Without these there is only race. "white" only emerged after ethnicity diminished following world war 2.
stop expecting magic power
don't play god - truth is social and derives from the empirical.
do not play the prophet - bad to think you have the truth, and are attracted to vengeance and utopianism
do not put Jewish survival first - if I have to become parochial for Judaism to survive, the price is too high. In particular intermarriage is not to be eschewed.
save all good things - why should I be Jewish? I love it. Good humor and defiance in the face of injustice.
value what you use - not the Bible before all other writings
touch the heart
be open, be human - love wisdom where you find it

What is the way? It is the way of courage.

From the interval where he talks of his experiences in Africa: The people there have a supernatural world view. They are surrounded by the spirits of ancestors and enemies and live their entire lives negotiating with them.