Our Beliefs, Values, and Identity
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Humanistic Judaism offers secular Jews a philosophy of life that
integrates the value of Jewish identity with a belief in the importance
of human reason and human power. It declares that reason, rather than
faith, is the source of truth, and that human intelligence and
experience are capable of guiding our lives. It offers an opportunity
to practice Judaism in ways that are consistent with our humanistic
outlook.
Humanistic Jews understand Judaism as the human-centered
history, culture, civilization, ethical values and shared fate of the
Jewish people. Encompassing many languages and a vast body of
literature, art, dance, music, and food, Judaism is much more than a
set of religious beliefs and practices. It is the cumulative cultural
and historical experience of the Jewish people.
Humanistic Jews discover their Jewishness and derive their
Jewish identity, values and teachings from the lessons of those
cumulative experiences. These include not just the ancient events of
Biblical times but the current events of our own time as well. Indeed,
the experiences of our own times, particularly the Holocaust and the
rebirth of the State of Israel, along with the personal sagas and
journeys of our own families, occupy a central part of our Jewish
consciousness.
Humanistic Jews regard classical texts and traditional
teachings as valuable sources of learning and inspiration, especially
as they record the history of the Jewish people and offer lessons based
on that history. These texts, however, are not accepted automatically
as authoritative and are treated with the same dispassionate scrutiny
that we would use to examine any sources of learning. Because we live
in a pluralistic culture, we also recognize that no one people has a
monopoly on truth and that we can draw worthy lessons from teachings
other than our own.
Humanistic Jews preserve those aspects of our Jewish
traditions and culture that offer a meaningful connection to our
people's past. We practice Judaism in ways that are relevant to our
lives and are compatible with our humanistic values. We celebrate
Jewish holidays and life cycle ceremonies as cultural expressions of
the cycles of nature and human life and of events in Jewish history.
Using language that conforms to our humanistic approach, we feel free
to adopt traditional observances that we find meaningful, to adapt
others, and to create new forms that meet the needs of present and
future generations.
Humanistic Jews affirm that we have the responsibility to
shape our own lives. We also teach that we are responsible to one
another. And that we need one another: to celebrate our joys, to endure
our sorrows, and to become partners together in making the world a
better place for all people. And so we form communities, like The City
Congregation, to share in these common purposes and goals.
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