Friday, May 14, 2010

Hirhurim agrees with me!!!

I have been saying for a long while that an agnostic, and even a hard core skeptic, is not a kofer as long as he doesn't absolutely deny the existence of God. I heard this from R Yonah Reiss (head of RIETS) and other sources. And of course no rational skeptic (and all true skeptics are indeed rational) would ever deny categorically the existence of God, since that wouldn't be rational.

Now I see that Hirhurim agrees with me, quoting Rav Kook:

Chazal judged as a heretic only one who denies outright, i.e., one who reaches the opposite determination. This antithetical determination cannot possibly be found in Israel in any individual who is not an absolutely wicked man and intentional liar. For even the greatest wickedness can cast doubts only among the weak-minded. He who dares to say that he denies with certainty must be an absolutely wicked man, who is rightfully judged with all the punishments explicitly assigned to him.

And I agree with that. To categorically deny that any kind of "God" exists is not only irrational, but I think also indicative of a certain moral failing.

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