Like the idea that religion is the cause of most wars (see my earlier blog), the idea that there is a conflict between religion and science is often presented by well-intended, educated individuals as a self-evident fact. This comes from the assumptions that being religious means that one...

As a rabbi, I am often asked to define the word "God." And as a person whose life is centered on knowing God, I've attempted to give thoughtful responses. But I've discovered that my attempts, which are given with the intention of reducing misunderstandings, usually produce the opposite results, and...

At one of the Republican presidential primary debates, viewers were invited to present questions to the candidates via YouTube. One questioner was an intense young man who held a King James Bible. He asked, "How you answer this will tell us everything about you. Do you believe every word of...

I have a confession: At times I have been a liar. I have deliberately said things that I know to be not true, usually to avoid embarrassment and chastisement, or to impress others. I have been particularly prone to exaggerations, in the hope that my exaggerations will make the story...

There seems to be a belief that "faith" is the rejection of the world as it is; a retreat in to fantasy and wishful thinking. As Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, "Faith means not wanting to know what is true."

Although it has become common to think of "faith" in this way...

Without God there is no objective morality.

In one sentence, this summarizes the "Moral Argument" for the existence of God. Along with other classic arguments -- the ontological, teleological, cosmological and experiential -- this seeks to present a philosophical argument that proves the necessity of God. And like the other...

There are many common misconceptions about religion that are often taken as unquestioned facts, such as the idea that religious people are inherently anti-science, that a literal reading of holy texts is the "true" religious stance, that faith is incompatible with reason, and that all religions claim to posses sole...

In response to my recent blog, "Why the Universe Obviously Has a Creator (and Why Some Atheists Refuse to Even Consider It)," a biology professor from The University of Chicago, Dr. Jerry Coyne, wrote two blogs on his website, titled: "Wacko Rabbi Tries to pwn Biology and Physics", and "Crazy...

A common question that frequently arises in the conversation about the existence and nature of God is, "Who created God?"

This is often presented as an insurmountable dilemma, or as a question that may never have been pondered by the "faithful." In truth, though, this is an ancient question that...

Throughout recorded history the majority of humanity has seen the existence of a Creator, Who intentionally brought the Universe in to being and sustains all life, as an obvious truth.

This truth does not stem from any doctrine or belief system, but it is at the heart of all...

Rabbi Eric Yoffie -- for whom I have tremendous respect and admiration -- recently wrote an unfortunate blog titled "Religious But Not Spiritual." In it he wrote,

I hate spirituality, at least as it has come to be used in these contexts. Spirituality is a weasel...

Do you love yourself?

This question may feel like gooey self-help silliness, or the manifestation of a narcissistic culture. After all, isn't one of the problems today that people love themselves too much, and love others not enough? Isn't self-love the root of greed and abuse, and doesn't loving...

All Rabbis hear variations on the following questions: "How can anyone believe in God after the Holocaust? How can a supposedly loving God stand back and let such a horrible thing happen? How can you reconcile the death of even one innocent child with the existence of a just God?"...

Much has been written and said about the Occupy movement. Whatever your perspective, though, we can all agree that greed and corruption in the financial system need to be identified and fixed. I trust in the natural balance of our great country and the power of human goodness to enact...

I love religion.

I love the holy texts, the rituals, the art, the histories, the practices, the mystical teachings and the sacred spaces. I love religion, while very aware of its obvious dangers and limitations, because for the last 15 years religion has provided insight, intellectual growth, friendships and...

As most of my fellow bloggers have experienced, there are readers who seem to scan our writing in eager search for something to disagree with -- often ignoring what is actually written. My last blog, "What Does it Mean That The Jews are God's 'Chosen People," which I...

The Jews are God's Chosen People.

No doubt this statement causes an emotional response. There are few concepts in religion that are more emotionally loaded and more misunderstood. If you are Jewish, the idea of "Chosen People" probably feels very uncomfortable -- perhaps as an offensive, divisive, or outdated claim...

Since his death, a quote from Steven Jobs' famous graduation address to Stanford in 2005 has been flying around the Internet:

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people's thinking....

Since his death, a quote from Steve Jobs' famous graduation address to Stanford in 2005 has been flying around the Internet:

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't...

Over the last few weeks I have received several mass emails with similar messages:
"In the spirit of the month of Elul -- the time when we ask for forgiveness and prepare for repentance during the coming Holy Days -- if I have in any way harmed or offended...