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At the Intersection of Science and Religion, Black Lives Matter
by Sharon Turnoy
With the progress that has been made on the Human Genome Project, science can now answer some questions theologians have asked for centuries.
I am not a Bible thumper by any stretch of the imagination. I come from a Reform Jewish upbringing (I say “upbringing,” rather than “Jewish community,” because no other Jews were around) and identify with Reform Judaism’s culture and moral values. However, I have so little faith in the little I can see that it’s hard to manufacture faith in anything I can’t.
With this inability to experience or exercise this thing called “faith,” what is most helpful to me is scientific evidence of the truth or falsehood of beliefs people hold, especially when those beliefs have shaped or are still shaping national and international policy and attitudes.
Who Has a Right to “Own” Israel?
The question of who “owns” or has a right to own Israel combines political policy with religious beliefs. One recent surprise for me was finding out that a slight, but consistent, difference in DNA exists between Sephardic Jews, who originated in Spain, Africa, and the Middle East, and Ashkenazi Jews, who came from Europe and Eastern Europe.
