"Orlando Enrique Fiol" > wrote in message
. ..
> 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.

By the same token, nowhere is it demonstrated that the quality of life in
this world is diminished if you don't take communion. Or eat fish on
Fridays. Or on Christmas Eve. Or don't eat beef. Or... Or... See what I
mean?