To bash or not to bash, that is the question

Rav Aaron Shechter, Rosh Yeshivah of Chaim Berlin, calls Science & Torah reconciliation 'stupid'.  Harry Maryles calls this video clip 'depressing', though what's even more depressing is Harry's next line: 'That people are willing to ignore or deny their own minds betrays the intellectual honesty that is the hallmark of Jewish thinking.' It's mind boggling to me that the Modern Orthodox can look at the extreme intellectual dishonesty and blatantly obvious religious bias of their Chareidi counterparts, but think they themselves are immune. I often think that on this issue, the Chareidim are actually less intellectually dishonest than the Modern Orthodox. 

On the other hand, I was reading a philosophy book this weekend, which made the point that skepticism about reason and knowledge has a long and distinguished philosophical tradition, going back to the ancient Greeks, and that many philosophers over the ages have said don't worry too much about true and false, but rather worry about right and wrong, good or bad. In other words, don't worry (about the truth, since it's unatainable), just be happy. And there is something to be said for that, since people who are sure they have found the truth, whether atheists or fundies, can be quite scary.

On the other hand, where would be without evidence and reason? How can we argue against Holocaust deniers, for example,  if we ourselves are not scrupulous about historical truth? On the other hand, life is short and seemingly meaningless, so if a religious fantasy life keeps people happy and slightly more moral, then why not? So I probably shouldn't bash the MOs, even though they deserve it. On the other hand, just like its ok to kill civilians in Gaza for the greater good, surely it's ok to bash religious fundies for the greater good - an end to religous fundamentalism. On the other hand Jewish religious fundamentalism is fairly harmless (except in Itamar, Hebron and Ramat Bet Shemesh). On the other hand, it's a slippery slope to atrocities once you can believe in absurdities. On the other hand only Fundamentalist Christianity and Fundamentalist  Judaism have the balls to fight Fundamentalist Islam. On the other hand, maybe if we all focused on evidence and reason Fundamentalist Islam wouldn't exist in the first place. On the other hand, people seem to need to believe in something, better they believe in harmless strains of religion rather than something which could be far worse. On the other hand, we should strive to evolve to a better state than that. On the other hand, there's not much chance of that happening.

Ouch. My brain hurts. Maybe I should take my cues from the Rosh Yeshivah and bash away. Or maybe I should bash very, very softly. Or maybe I should just change the subject already. I'm not sure. But one thing I have decided - I'm no longer looking to construct a brand new theology, there are plenty of those out there, from Louis Jacobs to Sherwin Wine, no need to re-invent the wheel. I guess all I am after is seeing if the big tent of Orthodoxy can accomodate people who commit to Halachah but don't believe anything much. I think with some creative hashkafah it probably can, and my reasons for wanting that are purely personal. Where there's a Rabbinic will there's a hashkafic way I always say. 

But Gil & company don't seem to want to do this. Gil writes that 'he would object strongly to a prophetic DH believer being in an educational position within Modern Orthodoxy'. ROFL. The names I could name! Gil will sure have a lot of objecting to do. But don't worry, I'm not about to out anyone. It's really not worth it. Life is short, I think the most important thing is to celebrate life in the most positive way, stand up for truth and justice, and mostly be happy. If people want to live a religious fantasy life, and they're not hurting anyone, maybe we should just let them be. Of course we certainly shoudn't promote it, but maybe we shouldn't try to tear it down either. 

Or maybe we should? Tzarich Iyun Godol.