I know liberalism is unpopular in frum [religious] circles, and I know there are good reasons for it. Israel is number one, of course, but then there are matters like abortion and gay marriage.
I salute the author for being open, and for giving me an occasion to formulate Klinghoffer's Law, based on my experience of hearing many people's personal stories:
Jews who return to Jewish tradition often become more politically conservative, sometimes stay as they were, but almost never become more liberal. This is a strong indication that the natural political stance of a believing Jew is conservative, not liberal.
I suspect a similar dynamic could be identified among Christians who have experienced a renewal of or return to faith. I bet it's also true of Reform and Conservative Jews who were previously less committed. If true, this poses a major challenge to liberals who see their religion as supportive of their politics.
Think I'm wrong? Let's put it to a test. I invite readers, Jewish and Christian, to share their own experience. Did your spiritual recommitment translate into changed political views?
If so, how? My hunch is that we will find few if any cases where religious involvement translated into a leftward movement across the political spectrum, but many cases where it translated into enhanced conservatism. Again, if you think I'm wrong, and if you think you can prove it -- not with insults, please, but with examples -- go right ahead.
If your experience fits my proposed Law, please also let me know.
In my own memoir about teshuva, or spiritual return, The Lord Will Gather Me In, the political element was among the most controversial. My current book, How Would God Vote?, goes into detail about why Torah's politics are so conservative.
The argument in a nutshell is that conservative views on a variety of issues (though not all) are linked by a common insistence on personal responsibility, an emphasis that pervades Torah, especially as understood by the great modern Orthodox sage, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch.
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Your Name
May 11, 2009 11:50 AM
Three out of three. (Kevin didn't answer the challenge.)
You'd better call some of your uber-conservative friends and have them post their stories for some balance, David. Your "law" seems preposterous. As usual.
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In response to "Your Name" and the above statement. Your position is based on a small, anecdotal sample. To truly know if the Klinghoffer law is valid or not one would need to take a census of tens of thousands of people to prove or disprove this law. I admire David for reaching out and asking others for their anecdotal experiences knowing full well that readers whose life experiences contradict David's "law" will be quicker to weigh in on this forum than those whose life experiences concur with it.
David, I have to wonder if its a return to religiion that makes one more conservative (if that is what happens) or if its becoming more conservative that causes one to return to religion. I guess we'll never be certain without a large sample. In either case, it is my opinion that the God of the Bible is a pretty conservative God. Still, I wonder where He would come down on issues like immigration.
I do belive that God is very much interested in personal responsibility. Even in passages such as II Chronicles 7:14, the call for "My people" to humble themselves, and pray, etc., are actions that ultimately can only be taken by individuals. So many times we read of Israel (or Judah) turning away from God and suffering as a result, while there was always a remnant that remained faithful. Again, an individual choice.
I guess I haven't really helped on the small anecdotal sample. Sorry. :-)
"To truly know if the Klinghoffer law is valid or not one would need to take a census of tens of thousands of people to prove or disprove this law."
No, Steve, I would not "need to" do any such thing.
Surely the formulator of a proposed "law" would need to do that. Otherwise, it isn't a "law", it's a hunch. Much like Rod Dreher's many wild 'guesses', 'hunches' and 'feelings'. Empty air. Hollow electrons. Amounting to not much more than a hill of bad beans.
I was raised "Jewnitarian" and have become a more observant Jew, though certainly not an Orthodox one. My liberal politics haven't changed at all. However I must admit that sometimes the conservative bent of many Jewish institutions, particularly in regards to Israel/Palestine issues, has made me feel uncomfortable and sometimes unwelcome.
And I know of some cases of Protestants and Catholics where increased religious observance and/or religious fervor has led to folks becoming way more liberal or even radical. Have you ever heard of liberation theology? Have you heard of Dorothy Day, or ever met any of the folks active in the Catholic Worker Movement? I met very religious Catholics in Central America who may have been socially conservative on some issues but were way left-wing on economic issues.
Interesting that the only topics chosen here are Gay Marriage and Israel, I will expand, and Arab affairs
While I am sure that both of these are on the left - I am unsure how any one religious JEwish or otherwise can be anywhere but against anything to do with homosexuality.
what about
religious freedom especially if we are talking about Israel?
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