I published “Wasted Prayers,” with trepidation, concerned some readers would feel insulted and offended. To my surprise, the reactions were overwhelmingly positive.
Readers “got” exactly what I hoped they would. “Selfish” petitions to an almighty power to intervene on our behalf are wasted words. The value of prayer lies in it as an expression of hopes, values, thankfulness and caring that can inspire individuals and communities to act for the good. It is through human actions based on our aspirations and wishes, not supernatural intervention, that the world is changed for better or for worse. Ideally, we imagine what a good and loving God would do and, if we can, we follow His example by acting on our better, “godly,” natures.
I received traditional Jewish religious training as a child and attended religious services each Saturday morning as required by the curriculum. In synagogue I found myself bored with the repetitive invocations and readings. The thing that made attendance bearable was the wonderful sermons providing moral lessons through interpretation of scripture or vignettes taken from Jewish folklore, and writings of scholars and historians.
What I took away from these was a clear sense of what it means to be an ethical person, how we should conduct ourselves in such a way that if God were watching us, He would approve. Jews believe we are God’s agents on Earth and what happens here is not His doing, but our own. God blessed us with our lives and with the capacity to make choices. He’s done his part. For this we praise and thank Him by living godly lives, making ethical choices.
To be sure, God of the Old Testament, if you take it literally, often took a hands on approach. The great flood, sparing Daniel in the lions’ den, the plagues on Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea for example. But in more recent times He’s given up on that approach. Or, we could say, Judaism has evolved and modernized beyond the superstition that was universally embraced in the ancient world and continues to dominate many religious groups.
Contrast this modern Judaism with the fundamentalist Christian concept that we prostrate ourselves before God pleading for Him to grant our wishes. We have no power. How God chooses to act is what causes things to happen or he “speaks” to us and tells us what to do. (always– coincidentally?—exactly what we wanted to do.) In short, God is a dictator before whom we quiver and tremble. We put all our hopes on Him rather than on ourselves. Further, whether we do good or evil has no bearing on our fate for God has a “plan” we can’t understand. As long as you kiss up to Him, you are forgiven all and any sins. Bow to me, He says, and I’ll eventually make it great for you through my great plan.
This explains in part why evangelicals support Trump. To them he is god-like. He poses as being all knowing and all powerful, and he promises to fix everything to their advantage without revealing the process he would employ. He just has some mysterious “plan.” Bow to me, he says, and ye shall be blessed.
This is their idea of how things should work and that is why they would welcome a Trump dictatorship which they naively believe would be to their benefit. They mouth platitudes about equality and freedom, but they seek a world in which they are free to suppress minorities and to impose their beliefs on others, a world where everyone is equal but, a la “Animal Farm,” they are more equal.
Jews are overwhelmingly democrats because the values and aspirations of the Democratic party are in sync with their philosophy of life. Nowhere better is this exemplified than in Jewish humor.
Regarding equality, the joke goes that Jake runs into Hymie and asks him, “Have you heard the new cantor? He sings like an angel.” “Big deal,” Hymie replies, “If I had his voice I’d sing just as good.”
Regarding authoritarian rule, the joke goes that four rabbis have a weekly golf foursome. They argue the fine points of the Talmud between holes. One always disagrees with the others and is voted down “three against one.” One day the one rabbi gets frustrated and calls on God to give a sign that he’s right. Thunder rolls in the clear blue sky. “So what,” the three say, “it’s just a little thunder, not God.” Lightning strikes a tree a few yards away. “So what,” say the three, “lightning and thunder go together.” Finally a voice booms out of the heavens, “HE’S RIGHT!!!” “See? “ says the dissenter, God agrees with me.” “Big deal,” reply the threesome, “So now it’s three against two.”
This fundamental difference between Jews and non-Jews in how they view prayer and God’s role in our lives is one of the factors underlying their opposing attitudes toward authoritarian government.
An Author's Inner Mind 