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Harold Kushner

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Author

The Resume

    (April 3, 1935-April 28, 2023)
    Born in Brooklyn, New York
    Conservative/Reconstructionist rabbi
    Best known for the book 'When Bad Things Happen to Good People' (1981)
    Also wrote 'When Children Ask About God' (1971), 'When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough: The Search for a Life That Matters' (1986), 'How Good Do We Have to Be? A New Understanding of Guilt and Forgiveness' (1997) and 'Overcoming Life's Disappointments' (2006)
    With novelist Chaim Potok, wrote the Torah commentary Etz Hayim (2001)

Why he might be annoying:

    He majored in psychology, then literature, before switching again to theology.
    His solution to the 'problem of evil' (if God is both omnipotent and benevolent, why is there so much suffering in the world?) was to declare that God was not all-powerful: specifically, God deliberately limited his power to avoid interfering with human free will.
    One could argue this merely changes the question to 'Is a God who deliberately limits himself in ways that ensure human suffering actually benevolent?'
    His views ran counter to mainstream Jewish theology, prompting his observation that his books were more popular with Mormons than Orthodox Jews.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was married to Suzette Estrada for 62 years.
    'When Bad Things Happen to Good People' was inspired by his feelings after his son Aaron died at age 14 from the genetic condition progeria.
    He was named 'clergyman of the year' by Religion in American Life (1999).
    He read from the Book of Isaiah at the state funeral of Ronald Reagan.
    He admitted, 'I don't know if I'm correct theologically.... What I do know is my book makes people feel better. It gives them back the ability to go to schul or church and pray and to believe in God.'

Credit: C. Fishel


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Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 59 Votes: 42.37% Annoying