After listening to a drawn-out Christian discussion on faith vs works, Rabbi Adl–stein made three sharp points that I still remember. First, that faith goes nowhere to gaining heaven. According to Judaism, each person is rewarded according to his deeds. Second, how do we know what is right and wrong? Judaism’s detailed legal code provides answers. Third, because there’s much more to this life than gaining after-life, Judaism concentrates on how to live each day, balancing the competing demands of family, work, friendship, education, play and worship.
In reply to a Pastor’s insistence that only faith in Jesus Christ brings salvation, Rabbi Ad–rstein told the story of a Protestant minister from Canada who flew to Israel to provide Adolf Eichmann (the architect of the Holacaust) with last rites. Met at the airport by reporters, the minister said that if Eichmann confessed his sins and took on Christ he would be saved. And what about Eichmann’s six million Jewish victims? If they died as Jews and without taking on Christ, could they too be saved? The minister replied with a pithy “no.”
Rabbi Adl–stein’s story made clear to me what I’d always felt - any system that makes beliefs more important than behavior will lead to evil. And he showed me a masculine approach to religion. The rabbi didn’t get angry at people’s differing theologies as much as he got angry at evil - gratuitous human cruelty.
At the time I perceived most religious men, particularly the pastors with all their talk about love, faith and relationship, as effeminate. Most of the guests on Religion on the Line, for instance, were nice but weak. But Prager, Rabbi Ad–rstein and Dr. Russell Roberts showed me that real men can take religion seriously.
Absolutely one of the main reasons I am a Jew. Yes, mom’s mom was a Jew so I’m “technically” a Jew anyway but I had to choose it. I appreciate it. Luke puts it out there pretty well.
JimmyC
