attitude shift (fulfilling a request...)

[cellio]

Some of my attitudes, political and social, have shifted a bit in the past several years. I think some of this is related to religious changes, but only related, not really caused by. I am not and have never been a member of the religious right.

I didn't know the word "libertarian" until sometime during college. It's a pretty good characterization. I've long been offended by the economics of liberals and the "we know best" agendas of conservatives. (Obviously, I am generalizing here.) I have long been annoyed, in particular, by the agenda of liberals on "social issues" like welfare and social security. I believe that as far as governments are concerned, this is a purely private matter. Voluntary charity, not coerced taxes, should fund programs for the poor, and each person should be responsible for his own retirement planning (and will likely do a better job of managing such funds, because it's in his best interest).

So I'm against taxes for anything beyond necessary infrastructure, for states' rights, against gun control, for personal choices (school, abortion, sexual behavior, etc), against the war on [some] drugs, for personal responsibility and accountability, against the idea of minimum wages, and so on.

None of that has really changed, but Reform Judaism (at least in the US) is chock-full of people who make FDR look like Atilla the Hun, so I notice conflicts more. (This seems to be the dominant political theme in Conservative Judaism, too, at least locally. I can't speak to other movements.) Locally, it's just taken as given that you're voting for Democrats, that you'll happily sign gun-control or anti-capital-punishment petitions, etc. At our congregation there is a "social action committee" that tends to organize these kinds of campaigns. (I gather that this is not unusual.) And some of them don't take subtle hints like my not coming to the table to sign the petition, and when they pester me I have to politely shoo them away. (An oneg shabbat is not the time for a heated political argument, unless both people are in it for the sport of it -- in which case it probably won't be heated.)

But this same committee has done something good, and that is that they've given me the motivation/opportunity to put some of my beliefs about personal decision-making into action. I do believe in supporting good causes, after all; I just think that I should decide what I support. So I've given money to appropriate charities for as long as I've had an income with which to do so (and, more recently, am tithe-aware), but I never did anything more. But, working with people at my synagogue, I've actually helped build a house with Habitat for Humanity, gathered and packaged food for the Food Pantry, helped clean up public parks, and stuff like that. I still don't do a lot, I'm afraid, but it's something. I think contributing both money and sweat is good. I am blessed to be in a good economic situation so I can compensate for lack of sweat with money, and not everyone has that option. But the key is doing something, not how you do it.

I think this has led me to become a little more compassionate than I was. I still don't think the federal government should be running social programs, but I do pay a little more attention to these issues looking for ways to help other than via the government. I even give money to beggars more often than not, which is a change.

There are also areas where I didn't care before and now do. Most of them have to do with foreign policy, which should surprise no one. I have long held isolationist tendencies, which I think is consistent with my outlook elsewhere. No one died and made the US the world's police force.

Increased interest in mid-east politics is, of course, closely tied to increased religious involvement. That said, though, once again I find myself at odds with many members of my movement who think that terrorists should be appeased in the vain search for peace. I kind of wonder when Israel is actually going to finish a seige or a lockdown, rather than getting the world mad at them and then not carrying it through to show results. As long as the UN is anti-Israel anyway, you may as well starve out Arafat and the criminals who were holed up with him, right? What did the last two weeks accomplish?

Some things haven't changed; I still think the US meddles in the affairs of other countries way too much, and that we are wildly inconsistent depending on what the other countries involved can do for us (duh). I mean really, if we're claiming the moral authority to bomb Kabul and Baghdad, the exact same logic should compel us to also bomb Ramallah. But we won't do that. (Nor am I advocating it.)

So I guess, when all is said and done, my views of what the government should be doing haven't really changed, my personal interest in some subjects has increased, and my personal awareness of what I can do as an individual to help those around me has increased. I wonder what the next decade will bring.

Comments

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Our politics have some large similarities and some large differences :) But, that's not what this reply is about.

When I was growing up the big debate in my church was between voting Republican to support those who'd 'clean up society', ban 'baby killing', 'defend children from the homosexual agenda' and so on, and voting Democrat to support people who 'support civil rights for Black people and immigrants' (the population of my church). The broader milieu of my denomination was Republican.
Finding myself disagreeing more and more with the politics being preached from the pulpit (for example, I wanted to shake people and say "don't you see how the War on Some Drugs leads to the asset seizures and police harassment that plagues us?") probably pushed me away from my church more than I've credited it, come to think of it.

More importantly, I wanted to praise you for putting your money, time, and hands where your mouth is. :)

A.

Awareness

[lefkowitzga.livejournal.com]

The key phrase for me in your discourse referred to "tithe awareness." It is always good, whether religion, politics, or social action, to be aware of needs/conflicts exist, what is out there that we can impact, and what fits with our personal philosophies. I applaud your continued exploration of these topics and your actions to carry them out.

The 'sound-bite' of my personal outlook is a responsibility to support the community as a whole, which I think I carry out in different but not totally incompatible ways than yours. We've had discussions in this vein before.

As for the money versus time and sweat contribution, I applaud your willingness to go beyond a monetary donation. I also have worked through my synagogue for Habitat for Humanity and cleaning up the parks, etc. It is extremely rewarding in a manner totally different from making a donation.