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Minority Religions in a Democratic Republic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2015

Ze'ev W. Falk
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Extract

The religion of our father Abraham was the religion of a single believer. He was, as described by Thomas Jefferson, a sect of one person calling for recognition by the overwhelming majority. But even his descendants remained a tiny majority among the population of the area; they were aware of being a small people (Deut 7:7) in danger of being absorbed by the Canaanite culture in the neighborhood.

The danger of acculturation was felt not only from the majority, but equally felt from other minority cults and religions (Num. 33:55; Jos 23:13), whose religious practices set a negative example for Israel and its religion. The rule prohibiting any participation in foreign cults and marginalizing religious minorities in Israel's society (for example, Exod 34:11-17) presents itself as a conditio-sine-qua-non in the covenant with the God of Israel.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Law and Religion , Volume 12 , Issue 2 , 1995 , pp. 447 - 454
Copyright
Copyright © Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University 1996

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References

1. Compare Lev 18:3Google Scholar; Gray, J., The Legacy of Canaan (Brill, E.J., 2nd ed, 1965)Google Scholar.

2. Compare similar arguments in the United States: Thiemann, Ronald F., Religion in Public Life: A Dilemma for Democracy 3 and literature quoted at 16 and following (Georgetown U Press, 1996)Google Scholar.

3. Indeed Theodor Herzl's State of the Jews was to leave matters of religion in the private sphere. However, David ben Gurion promised the Orthodox party an establishment of Jewish religion in the future state.

4. Compare Thiemann, , Religion in Public Life at 74 and following (cited in note 2)Google Scholar.

5. Though the Orthodox interpretation of rabbinic law is not mentioned expressis verbis, it is enforced by virtue of the de facto exclusion of non-Orthodox rabbis from the Chief Rabbinate, from the Rabbinical Courts and from local rabbinical office.

6. No similar data are available about the secularization process in other religious communities, but a similar tendency exists there as well, though not at such a rapid rate.

7. The government was therefore empowered to prevent the free import of non-ritual meat for consumption by Jews.

8. Lately, a growing proportion of young couples have made use of this possibility, even where the rabbinical authorities are willing to perform their marriage.

9. A bill of the Government, creating a separate Jewish-Qaraite Community and its independent religious jurisdiction, never became law.

10. Lately, the President of the Supreme Court, Aaron Baraq, expressed his preference, in cases of conflict, of Israel as a democratic state rather than Israel as a Jewish state. Other justices of the Supreme Court are of a different opinion.