Subscribe
Subscribe to receive new posts:
Available Now!
When Judaism Meets Science
Posts Tagged ‘vaccine’
Rabbi Geoffrey Mitelman Explores “When Judaism Meets Science”
RABBI GEOFFREY MITELMAN is the Founding Director of Sinai and Synapses. There he seeks to bridge “the religious and scientific worlds, offering people a worldview that is scientifically grounded and spiritually uplifting.” Believing that “we need both religion and science as sources of wisdom, as the spark for new questions, and as inspiration and motivation,” Sinai and Synapses provides “tools and language for learning and living to those who see science as their ally as they pursue personal growth and the repair of our world.” These tools include “classes, seminars, lectures, videos and writings, [which help] create a vision of religion that embraces critical thinking and scientific inquiry, and at the same time, gives meaning to people’s lives and helps them make a positive impact on society.”
Rabbi Mitelman’s interview of author Roger Price concerning the latter’s new book, When Judaism Meets Science, covers a wide range of topics, including COVID–19, public health, and fake news, vaccines and kashrut, and artificial intelligence and a Jewdroid. Running about twenty–five minutes, without commercial interruption, it can be seen and heard here: https://sinaiandsynapses.org/multimedia-archive/when-judaism-meets-science/
When Judaism Meets Science can be purchased from various etailers, including Amazon, and also from the publisher, Wipf and Stock.
A Nice Jewish Shot: Why Vaccinations are Kosher and Required
Let’s face it. Sometimes you can deny certain established scientific truths and it does not make much difference. You can, for instance, believe that the Earth was created about 6,000 years ago and life as we know it will still go on. OK, maybe Jon Stewart and certain professors and pundits will make fun of you, but as the little redhead Annie always reminds us, “the sun’ll come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar, that tomorrow there’ll be sun.”
If, however, you deny the safety and efficacy of approved medical vaccinations designed to prevent harmful, debilitating, even deadly diseases, such as polio, measles, hepatitis and tetanus, your belief may well make a great deal of difference to you, your family, your community and, indeed, all of humanity.
And yet, there are those who for a variety of reasons refuse to inoculate themselves or their children, or both, even when established governmental authorities require such action. While it is tempting to stereotype all such persons as undereducated or acting out of ignorance, some are not. Aside from the rare situations based on the medical condition of the child, some people object to a particular vaccine or procedure. Others have broader religious, philosophical and personal beliefs that militate against inoculations. (See, e.g., here and here.) Some even may be part of an otherwise socially conscious community. read more