My Basic Principles on Life (draft)
by Benjamin Fleischer
Humans are biological creatures subject to the same fragility other matter is endowed with.
Belief in God is irrelevant to the functioning or understanding of the world. i.e. If everything is from God, then 'what God does' is defined as 'what we perceive is happening', a tautological definition. If nothing is from God, then the God-idea is only good insofar as it is used to further aims which promote peace and happiness among all human beings and their environment. If God has free choice, then s/he is only a more powerful human being whose existence is yet to be proven since one man's miracle is another man's tragedy. e.g. Being saved from a disaster isn't a miracle if you must therefore interpret the disaster as a divine judgment or 'mysterious ways' with respect to others. Hence, there is no ultimate justice and there is no ultimate judge, only...
Our relationships with others are the most important thing in our lives
Seek happiness, but not at someone else's expense.
Disclaimer: While my beliefs might change, these are the pluralistic principles which I expect to continue feeling relevant. I cannot altogether give up prayer or religion as I have received them, though neither am I satisfied with their current form. I think they fill a definite need for many people and that in itself gives them value.
"While most peoples' opinions change, the conviction of their correctness never does."
From Robert Redford's "The Natural"
"We lead two lives: the one we learn from and the one we live
with."
Questions, Comments, Corrections? Email <bfleischer@nyc.rr.com> with the subject 'Ask the Rebbe'.