God Can be Found in the Golden Mean

"Is the Left a Threat?" asks Murray Friedman (below). Yes, I say, it certainly is. And so is the Right.

If our Torah teaches us anything, it's moderation.

The Left preaches disdain for matters of the spirit; all is material. The Right glorifies the spiritual, but reserves the material as the inalienable right of its adherents. The Torah tells us to connect the material with the spiritual in the service of God.

The pagans glorified the human sex drive; the Church reviled it as "Original Sin." Judaism views both its pleasure and procreative potential as a gift from God to be treasured in its time and place.

Some folks revel in spirits. Some religions, like Baptist and Islam, forbid them. Judaism uses them to sanctify the Sabbath and holy days.

The Nazis considered the Jews to be Commies. The Communists considered us to be Nazis. Is this surprising? It shouldn't be.

As a people, we've always thrived in the Center. When the extremes begin to assert themselves, look out.