January 24, 2020, 12-1

We began our Study Group discussion last week with a consideration of some questions posed in Rabbi David Wolpe’s Why Faith Matters:  Do each of us have “a specific call from God? . . . what is God calling [us] to do?” (p. 212).  Most of us agreed to having a “calling” (and many of those callings involved making the world a better place).  Few of us indicated that the calling came from God but rather from an inner voice, from an inclination inspired by our parents or other role models.   We then turned our attention to Chapter 3 and the question of whether religion causes violence.  We all seemed to agree that Wolpe made a cogent case for his thesis that “The majority of human conflicts in human history have controlling motivations that are not religious.”  We were a bit less certain with Wolpe’s implication that aggression was somehow built into our human nature and that religion was a powerful force for curbing human tendencies to behave selfishly or violently.

This Friday, we’ll briefly continue our discussion of the above with some attention to Professor Huston Smith’s claim the man is by nature religious.  We’ll then turn our attention to Chapter 4 of Why Faith Matters, “Does Science Disprove Religion?”  Issues brought up in the book’s Study Guide (pp. 214-215–can science co-exist with religion?  Why are some people so determined to deny the possibility that God exists?  Does believing in God help science make more sense? –will help focus our discussion.

Our informal discussion group meets every Friday from 12-1 in the CBI Library.  All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous noon study group discussions. Why Faith Matters is available on a variety of internet outlets.  If you have questions, please contact Jay Jacoby at jbjacoby@uncc.edu.

Unless you’ve been out of the country for the last several weeks, you probably know that there’s some pretty important proceedings taking place in our nation’s capitol. In the 230-year history of the American presidency, only two sitting presidents have been impeached. President Trump may well be the third. The historicity of the proceedings, however, pale in comparison to real underlying battle. This is not just an investigation to determine whether impeachable offenses occurred; it is a tug war between strength and morality, and it’s as old as humanity itself. Join us this Sunday as we look at the dynamics of accountability from a Jewish perspective. More specifically, we will consider one very particular confrontation involving Rabbi Shimon ben Shetach and King Yannai. “Why is a king of Israel “not judged” [Mishnah Sanhedrin 2:1]? Because of what once happened.”  Intrigued? Wait until you see how many parallels there are between this 2,100-year-old Talmudic tale and what is happening now in our country. To see how the story unfolds and to unlock the universal lessons it holds, join us this Sunday at Archetype Brewing (the former Habitat Tavern, 174 Broadway St., Asheville). Rabbi Justin will help us understand this epic power struggle between the executive and legislative branches of ancient Israel. This program is free and open to all. Differing opinions are not only welcomed but encouraged. Non-alcoholic beverages are available, there is ample parking in the Moog Music parking lot off Bordeau Pl. Looking forward to seeing you there!!

Join us on the last Sunday of the month at Archetype Brewing (dowtown north) for a refreshing and often provocative discussion over a pint (or two) of great brew. Each month, we take on a new topic – often ripped from the headlines of today’s news. We spend the first 45 minutes wrapping our arms around it, defining it, dissecting and analyzing it from various viewpoints. Then we spend the rest of the time discussing it from Judaism’s point of view.

• What’s Judaism’s take on universal healthcare?
• Would Moses walk the streets of Chicago today packing heat?
• Is it okay to punch a white supremacist?

Torah on Tap gives us a chance to learn, vent, share and, most of all, understand what 4,000 years of cultural development, debate and dialogue has to say about some of the issues that confront us today. Torah on Tap is free and open to all. Varying viewpoints are not only welcome, but encouraged.

In addition to drinks, Archetype also offers small, locally-made bites available for purchase, including Poppy Popcorn, Asheville Pretzel Company pretzels, and Hickory Nut Gap Farm meat sticks. Plenty of parking in the rear.

See you there!

January 24, 2020, 12-1

We began our Study Group discussion last week with a consideration of some questions posed in Rabbi David Wolpe’s Why Faith Matters:  Do each of us have “a specific call from God? . . . what is God calling [us] to do?” (p. 212).  Most of us agreed to having a “calling” (and many of those callings involved making the world a better place).  Few of us indicated that the calling came from God but rather from an inner voice, from an inclination inspired by our parents or other role models.   We then turned our attention to Chapter 3 and the question of whether religion causes violence.  We all seemed to agree that Wolpe made a cogent case for his thesis that “The majority of human conflicts in human history have controlling motivations that are not religious.”  We were a bit less certain with Wolpe’s implication that aggression was somehow built into our human nature and that religion was a powerful force for curbing human tendencies to behave selfishly or violently.

This Friday, we’ll briefly continue our discussion of the above with some attention to Professor Huston Smith’s claim the man is by nature religious.  We’ll then turn our attention to Chapter 4 of Why Faith Matters, “Does Science Disprove Religion?”  Issues brought up in the book’s Study Guide (pp. 214-215–can science co-exist with religion?  Why are some people so determined to deny the possibility that God exists?  Does believing in God help science make more sense? –will help focus our discussion.

Our informal discussion group meets every Friday from 12-1 in the CBI Library.  All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous noon study group discussions. Why Faith Matters is available on a variety of internet outlets.  If you have questions, please contact Jay Jacoby at jbjacoby@uncc.edu.

January 24, 2020, 12-1

We began our Study Group discussion last week with a consideration of some questions posed in Rabbi David Wolpe’s Why Faith Matters:  Do each of us have “a specific call from God? . . . what is God calling [us] to do?” (p. 212).  Most of us agreed to having a “calling” (and many of those callings involved making the world a better place).  Few of us indicated that the calling came from God but rather from an inner voice, from an inclination inspired by our parents or other role models.   We then turned our attention to Chapter 3 and the question of whether religion causes violence.  We all seemed to agree that Wolpe made a cogent case for his thesis that “The majority of human conflicts in human history have controlling motivations that are not religious.”  We were a bit less certain with Wolpe’s implication that aggression was somehow built into our human nature and that religion was a powerful force for curbing human tendencies to behave selfishly or violently.

This Friday, we’ll briefly continue our discussion of the above with some attention to Professor Huston Smith’s claim the man is by nature religious.  We’ll then turn our attention to Chapter 4 of Why Faith Matters, “Does Science Disprove Religion?”  Issues brought up in the book’s Study Guide (pp. 214-215–can science co-exist with religion?  Why are some people so determined to deny the possibility that God exists?  Does believing in God help science make more sense? –will help focus our discussion.

Our informal discussion group meets every Friday from 12-1 in the CBI Library.  All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous noon study group discussions. Why Faith Matters is available on a variety of internet outlets.  If you have questions, please contact Jay Jacoby at jbjacoby@uncc.edu.

January 24, 2020, 12-1

We began our Study Group discussion last week with a consideration of some questions posed in Rabbi David Wolpe’s Why Faith Matters:  Do each of us have “a specific call from God? . . . what is God calling [us] to do?” (p. 212).  Most of us agreed to having a “calling” (and many of those callings involved making the world a better place).  Few of us indicated that the calling came from God but rather from an inner voice, from an inclination inspired by our parents or other role models.   We then turned our attention to Chapter 3 and the question of whether religion causes violence.  We all seemed to agree that Wolpe made a cogent case for his thesis that “The majority of human conflicts in human history have controlling motivations that are not religious.”  We were a bit less certain with Wolpe’s implication that aggression was somehow built into our human nature and that religion was a powerful force for curbing human tendencies to behave selfishly or violently.

This Friday, we’ll briefly continue our discussion of the above with some attention to Professor Huston Smith’s claim the man is by nature religious.  We’ll then turn our attention to Chapter 4 of Why Faith Matters, “Does Science Disprove Religion?”  Issues brought up in the book’s Study Guide (pp. 214-215–can science co-exist with religion?  Why are some people so determined to deny the possibility that God exists?  Does believing in God help science make more sense? –will help focus our discussion.

Our informal discussion group meets every Friday from 12-1 in the CBI Library.  All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous noon study group discussions. Why Faith Matters is available on a variety of internet outlets.  If you have questions, please contact Jay Jacoby at jbjacoby@uncc.edu.