Who Needs God

This book hit the spot for me: a believer who is not sure of the details of my belief and leery of organized religion. Kushner addressed all of the concerns I've been wrestling with on my own, specifically regarding the corruption, bullying, small-mindedness of many churches, including the common belief that only they have the truth and everyone else is on the fast track to hell. I have always been driven to find a religious community but, frankly, it's hard when you're a thinking person, and Rabbi Kushner offered reasons for both why the search is beneficial and how a person can reconcile herself with an extremely imperfect church without necessarily having to agree with or condone the imperfections. Why would a person do that? What's the benefit? He offered plenty of excellent points, and, mind you, without any overt Jewish bias. As a gentile, I really appreciated that. I also appreciated his view that the specific details of theology or doctrine don't necessarily define a religion or make it true or untrue. If it's helping people grow and change, it's true in an essential way that can't be proved factually or empirically. That was also Joseph Campbell's feeling: religions are a chosen manner of connecting to the great unknown, and, in that way, they're all true.

Regardless of your religious affiliation, or not, Rabbi Kushner provides thought provoking ideas for everyone. Not pushing the reader to believe, but offering reasons and options to believe. I would suggest to anyone, of any religious conviction, or lack of, looking to explore a few of the "why" reasons to believe. He leaves the final decision to the reader.

Harold Kushner is one of my favorite spiritual authors because his books are filled with insights delivered in an accessible, warm and personal manner. He is really quite profound, yet immensely accessible. I chose this book because I thought it might help me regain some kind of faith in some kind of God. It may not have done the trick completely, but I found it very helpful. A faith in God can be seen as something very practical, a perspective that enables us to see the world and others in a way that makes sense, inspires some trust, and enables a vision of the whole rather than confusing parts. Science and technology seem to scoff at mystery, -- at anything non-material, at anything that cannot be adequately dealt with by reason and experimentation. Yet in our heart of hearts we know that, as Kushner puts it, there is a "sacred fire" which we know is there. Latent, yes, but still available to us. The entire book was very worthwhile, but the final chapter for me was very special. As Kushner says, "...it is hard to grow a soul when you have lost the knack...." "...it is hard to regain a sense of religion, of sacred community , of being in God's resence once we have lost it."

Kushner creates an understanding for the existence of G-d that is both thought-provoking and inspiring. By taking a leisure and open-minded approach to an often troubling and problematic subject, he makes the rationalization of a higher being both logical, and easy to accept. Most important, Kushner makes us believe that we truly are not alone, no matter our individual circumstances. An eye-opening read for the secular, and religious alike. Words to live by. We shall never forget.