I don't even know how that's possible, considering as Orthodox Judaism is specifically halakhic.

But yeah, "not liking organized religion" is just a code word for "I like getting warm, fuzzy feelings from religion, but I just have no interest in those pesky technical laws".

Well, David Bentley Hart has spoken against organised religion.

 I think there is a difference between organised religion used as a pejorative by new agers who don't want any rules or boundaries or effort in their spirituality, and in the sense of bureaucracy. ​I think many traditional believers, including myself (I am not sure where I stand so far as a religious tradition is concerned at the moment), are sympathatic to less stress on on the bureaucracy and institutionalised hierarchy (though this is not the same as less stress on priests as such).

I must say I do have some misgivings about the sheer institutionalised and bureaucratic weight that the post-Hildebrand papacy has sometimes taken on. Even the Catholic Church itself has often had those who were less concerned with it organisation, in this sense, from St. Benedict to St. Francis to William Langland.
 
Personally, I tend to strongly believe in the importance of sacraments, liturgy, shared traditions, initiation, and the role of the spiritual master and order, but I am in two minds about the role of organised religion in its more institutionalised and bureaucratic sense. In Christian terms, I think there is much to be said for the spirituality of the first millenium compared to that of the second. It would hard to glimpse, to my mind, a deeper spirituality than that of the British isles, especially in its Celtic parts, between about 400 to 900 AD.
 

ArmandoAlvarez wrote:

Just from the sentence, I don't think any judgments should be passed.  Depending on the background, for this statement, the person's reasoning could range from "The clergy around me are too interested in the letter and not the spirit of the law," "the clergy around me are too interested in increasing membership and my synagogue's finances and not enough with helping us be good Jews," or any of a number of legitimate (if true) complaints.  Or as you say, it could be just an unwillingness to live with structure.

 
Or it could be that for the person in question, congregation and clergy are disorientating factors, destructive of structure rather than constructive. There are people who genuinely thrive spiritually in solitude.

On the other hand, there are fundie literalist sects who call themselves (true) Christians while they call all other denominations (evil organised) religion.

So, yes, the statement by itself can mean anything. This is a basic truth in the philosophy of language: No context, no meaning.

Interesting question. I made a decision not to proceed with Confirmation as an Anglican; but then my family was not religious and certainly not churchgoers; in fact I think my father was pretty inclined towards atheism, or at any rate very sceptical about religion. But subsequently I found I had an interest in spiritual enlightenment; I found many of the popular books on Eastern philosophy as a teen, and also became interested in mystical religion. So that's what I have pursued, via a couple of University degrees, now through an association with Buddhism. But my practise is still by and large solitary and self-directed.

However through all of that, I have come to a much deeper understanding of Christian liturgy and spirituality. When I last went to a Catholic funeral I found the service very moving. I feel very, how should we say, friendly towards Christian teachings nowadays, although I don't feel drawn to going to church. And I think there are a lot of people with similar feelings - post-secular as much as post-religious, but not part of an ecclesiastical church.

Last edited by quotidian (8/31/2015 3:24 am)

I don't dislike organized religion. I said as much. I am, in fact, the very opposite. I find organized religion an impressive and worthy historical accomplishment that's usually worthy of more respect than the singular person who insists on going their own (often half-assed and lazy) way while still professing membership.

Last edited by iwpoe (10/23/2015 1:54 am)