Fundamentalism

[debka_notion]

I think back in high school I wrote something about the perils of fundamentalism. I really don't remember what I wrote, but it's probably still online on my geocities website. It's funny to think about- that (asI think I mentioned recently) my mom looks at my religious outlook, and pretty much sees something fairly fundamentalist. And in some ways, I suppose that she's right, from a secular viewpoint. I can't see it myself though: I can't see someone who is gender-egalitarian as a fundamentalist in Judaism, especially not someone who is more than willing to compromise about Torah MiSinai (the belief that the Torah was given complete from G-d to Moses on Mount Sinai, and that hte entire Oral Law was also given at that time), even if the latter idea is one that has Plenty of backing in traditional sources. Maybe that says something about the current state of Jewish theology as much, or more so than it does about my own beliefs and behaviors, but I always did see fundamentalism as something based on belief, not behavior. But perhaps that is because it's a term I first learned as associated with Christianity, which deals far more strictly and detailedly(as far as I can tell) with theology in comparison to practice than observant forms of Judaism do. I do wonder if, by that definition, one could call someone who is completely non-practicing, but believes in Torah MiSinai a fundamentalist. Yet that seems to miss some part of the package as well.

Comments

[shirei-shibolim.livejournal.com]

There are actually traditional sources that say the oral law was derived logically from the written law. You just don't hear about them much these days.

Besides, being a fundamentalist Conservative Jew means you have to believe that Moshe Rabbeinu wrote the driving teshuvah. :)

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know. There are perfectly traditional (well, I *think* it's kabbalistic, so as traditional as kabbalah can be considered, which depends on your view point, I suppose) sources that suggest that the only thing given on Mt. Sinai was an aleph. But you don't hear much about those these days either, darn it.

I like that one...