[1010RD]

While I do like the idea of lowercase letters for those who have abandoned their religious ideals, you are mind reading and in grave error at least as regards me.

Next time you find some FReeper snidely implying that Jews are to blame for communism/progressivism/liberalism you ping me there. I really want to see that.

Much of the intellectual tradition of communism came from rabbis questioning the faith. That much is true, but these were atheists with Jewish mothers.

[rmlew]

Much of the intellectual tradition of communism came from rabbis questioning the faith. That much is true, but these were atheists with Jewish mothers.
Few communists were divinity students, Jewish or Christian. (Stalin and my great-great-uncle are exceptions to the rule) Did some Jews, who had a Jewish education in Europe, leave Judaism for an antisemitic ersatz religion? Yes. But these were not rabbis.

There is something Jewish about wanting to immanentize the eschaton (ie, hasten the coming of the Messiah). There is the Jewish tradition of gathering the sparks to do this through justice. In former Jews, this drive persists. They no longer have a religious eschaton, but a secular socialist vision or a perfectible world.