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<p>Reuvain Meir Caplan's comment on Slifkin on FB:</p>
<p>
<blockquote type="cite"><span style="color: rgb(29, 33, 41);
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float: none; background-color: rgb(246, 247, 249);"><span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It's funny how Rabbi
Slifkin writes in such a fundamentalist way in lack of nuance,
yet criticizes such fundamentalism. He describes the two
approaches as being the ONLY approaches available besides his
own. I agree that both approaches described are bad, but I
also think it is wrong to assume that the third option
mentioned is the only other way to go. After all, if a Mormon
experience filled someone with religious inspiration/beauty,
is Rabbi Slifkin saying one should be Mormon???! (obviously
not). I think that a better approach is to actually deal with
the issues. If we truly believe that Torah is from HaShem,
than there has to be an answer to these problems in either the
interpretation of Scientific evidence (or lack thereof), or in
understanding the Torah itself (including such things as the
idea that Chazal used the science of their day). This is what
I was hoping this group could assist in. We need orthodox
Jewish scientists who are expert in the field under discussion
to be able to objectively say what is a matter of
interpretation of results versus indisputable observed fact.
Some of (and I emphasize some) the so called "pseudo-science"
approaches are not that bad as they show an alternative
interpretation of the scientific findings which does not
contradict the Torah. No one should ever claim that such
arguments "prove" anything, only that they show that the
"science" does not dis-prove the Torah. This removes a
"barrier of belief" and allows rational modern individuals to
be able to approach Torah seriously. If the schools do not
have OJ scientists on hand (which they don't) than they should
teach these issues a'la RYGB and describe every opinion, why
that opinion thinks they are right, where to go to find more
info, and who to talk to. No hiding anything and no making
things up.</span></blockquote>
</p>
<p>Craig Winchell's comment there:</p>
<p>
<blockquote type="cite"><span style="color: rgb(29, 33, 41);
font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;
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-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(246,
247, 249);"><span>I found it tragic that he took 2 laughable
books and felt the need to argue against them. He should
fight those deserving of the fight. Let those who still have
standing fight the good fight against these books and the
philosophies behind them. By mak</span></span><span
style="color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: helvetica, arial,
sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant:
normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;
line-height: 16.08px; orphans: auto; text-align: start;
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;
background-color: rgb(246, 247, 249);"><span><span>ing it his
fight, when he himself has been discredited (improperly or
properly), he is guaranteeing that his argument will not
be taken seriously among those who have the power to
change the Jewish world. As it is, there are plenty who
would pooh-pooh these books and those who believe they
represent a legitimate view of the world.</span></span></span></blockquote>
</p>
<p>My comment there:</p>
<p>
<blockquote type="cite"><span style="color: rgb(29, 33, 41);
font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;
font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal;
letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16.08px; orphans: auto;
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white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important;
float: none; background-color: rgb(246, 247, 249);">He picked
two strawmen and skewered them. Big deal. </span><br>
<span style="color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: helvetica,
arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;
font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; line-height: 16.08px; orphans: auto; text-align:
start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space:
normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important;
float: none; background-color: rgb(246, 247, 249);">Don
Quixote tilting at the windmills.</span></blockquote>
</p>
<p>KT,</p>
<p>YGB</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 8/1/2016 12:32 PM, saul newman via
Avodah wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAL-SJcvG7JbnG59ujFyL=XGXsmCkZ3x+37SSuY6ULO1E0shAiw@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">r slifkin here
<div><br>
<div> [ <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.rationalistjudaism.com/2016/07/strengthening-emunah-via-denying.html?utm_content=buffer35a29&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer">http://www.rationalistjudaism.com/2016/07/strengthening-emunah-via-denying.html?utm_content=buffer35a29&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer</a>
] </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>argues essentially that the teachers of emunah are using
invalid arguments.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>is anybody writing / teaching with methods that are not
assailable? </div>
<div>or is it that in a hermetically sealed environment
these types of arguably flawed posits are sufficient? </div>
<div> is it even possible to teach in an irrefutable way ,
or will there always be a 'ta shma' on any type of proofs
one tries to bring?</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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