Ellen K. > wrote:
>I vaguely remember that Protestantism's big innovation was the "faith alone"
>idea, sounds like that's where you are comfortable. Normative Judaism is
>about how one lives in *this* world, not about getting into "heaven", but
>the "how one lives in this world" includes many concrete aspects of everyday
>life in addition to the very important more abstract ones like the way one
>treats other people.

Nowhere is it demonstrated that the quality of life in this world is diminished
if you kindle a fire on shabat or give God thanks without first eating bread.
These are man made laws with no practical or spiritual basis other than the
pleasure in dictating to observant Jews how they should live.

Orlando