i would never presume to say what is and is not productive in a religion i
am not a participant in, Lee
"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.
>
> Orlando