Evolving Religion

Evolving Religion

“God is One” and “Tikkun Olam – repairing the world “ are the two Jewish tenants are that have influenced me the most. They remind me that everyone and everything is part of God and we are all here to make the world better . Making the world better is clearly very subjective, but there is something very soothing and exciting about understanding that we all share the same goal. Even when our idea of a ‘better world ‘ may be wrong, showing and realizing why it is wrong is improving the world.

Evolution is a fact everyone takes for granted. People are at the top of the food chain. There is no reason to believe that evolution has stopped. In fact, I am amazed at all the unbelievable wonderful advancements science and technology have made in my lifetime. I am writing part of this blog flying 34000 feet over the Atlantic using an iPad. We are able to clone animals, create new plant species, harvest solar energy and cure many diseases. People are developing robots and humanoids that may someday become homo sapiens successors. It’s extremely exciting to think that we are creating tomorrow and that we are actively involved with the evolutionary process.

Our ancestral religious leaders deserve immense credit for devising stories, poems, songs, prayers, and other art forms all aimed at helping people live a happy, healthy and fulfilled life. They did so in ways that people of an era could understand and accept. Attributing good things to gods and bad stuff to devils and creating constructs of heaven and hell were brilliant ways of convincing people to live the 'good life.' Religion has evolved as people have. I truly appreciate that Reform Judaism, for example, gives me the opportunity to view 'commandments' as ways of appreciating what we have rather than a rule set by God. Keeping the Sabbath, for instance, can be viewed as a way of taking one day a week to truly appreciate family and friends and all that we have.,

Religion must evolve more. In an era when we can instantaneously connect with anyone anywhere in the world, too many people feel lonely and disconnected. In an age when all the news from across the globe is immediately at your fingertips, too many people feel overwhelmed by all the information that bombards them constantly. In an era when true differences of opinions can be found, too many people hear and read only what they want to hear polarizing us as never before. We need religious institutions to define new mores. What are communities, both in-person and online? Can/should social halls be used as work hotels for people who no longer commute to work but feel isolated working from home? Can there be new traditions for online communities that foster a real sense of togetherness? Can there be modern mores about how we help each other? Can/should religious institutions start small businesses under their purview that provide personal assistant services or elder care? In our new gig economy, many people are now working as independent agents. Can/should religious institutions provide healthcare plans and retirement plans and saving plans that employers used to provide? Can/should religious institutions new traditions using new technology? For example, can we remember people who died by visiting their online memorial website on their yahrzeit? Can we have congregants add to their legacy by adding to their web page on their birthdays?

For many of us, this is a wonderful time to be alive. Religious institutions can make this a wonderful time for many many more people. I have no doubt that religious leaders know how. Go! Go! Go!