[Avodah] theologically motivated?

[Toby Katz]

 In Avodah Digest, Vol 36, Issue 63 dated 5/24/2018  "Rich, Joel" <JRich at sibson.com> wrote:


Subject: [Avodah] theologically motivated ?

>> From "Scalia Speaks" : "The religious person, the truly religious person, cannot divide all his policy preferences into those that are theologically motivated and those that proceed from purely naturalistic inclinations. Can any of us say whether he would be the sort of moral creature he is without a belief in a supreme Lawgiver, and hence in a Supreme Law?"
Me: how would you answer this question? How would an atheist? What would be an acceptable answer for a religious person to give if asked at a judicial confirmation hearing in the US? In Israel? <<
KT
Joel Rich
 >>>>>

[Just found this old post from May in my "send later" folder, long neglected!  Here is what I meant to write then, always timely]
There is no constitutional requirement, no legal requirement, no ethical requirement and no logical requirement for each individual to erect a wall of separation between church and state in his heart and mind.
As a sociological matter I note that there are certain Modern Orthodox Jews or YU types who suffer from what I have called bifurcated minds.  They hold two mutually exclusive sets of beliefs and values, one set for chol and the other set for kodesh.  You see a lot of that in Teaneck and in Hollywood, FL.  But the bifurcated mind is, as I say, not at all required to be a good citizen of the United States or to be a good judge or a good legislator and certainly not to be a mensh.
To give specific examples of what I mean, the bifurcated people are "personally opposed" to abortion and gay marriage but take it as a point of pride to be in favor of legalized abortion throughout nine months of pregnancy and in favor of legalized gay marriage.  The bifurcated people are opposed to teaching anything in the public schools about the origin of life or the origin of the universe that even remotely smacks of a Designer or anything other than random chance.  They are opposed even though in one half of their minds (the Shabbos half) they do believe in a Creator.  But this must not be even hinted at in public school or in the university or any public space, oh no!

--Toby Katzt613k at aol.com
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