"Religion," writes Harold Kushner, "is first and foremost a way of seeing. It can't change the facts about the world we live in, but it can change the way we see those facts, and that in itself can often make a real difference." This paperback is directed to all those smart, sensitive, and caring men and women who feel a spiritual vacuum in their lives but are uninterested in joining a church or synagogue. Using illustrative material from the Psalms, Hasidic tales, and popular culture, Kushner discusses God as the author of moral standards. Individuals who view themselves and the world through the eyes of faith are not thrown for a loss in our world of ethical disarray.
Kushner sees loneliness as a major problem in American society for those who are looking for a place where they will be accepted and where they can grow with others in love. In chapters on prayer and dying, the author spells out the importance of gratitude and the courage to accept human limitation as resources of religious faith. He hopes that readers will see that New Age religion offers little more than an infantalization of the relationship with God and that the religion of fundamentalists runs out of energy with its emphasis upon fear and judging others. Although Who Needs God may not speak to everyone's needs, it offers ample testament to Harold Kushner's stout-hearted and clear-minded vision of faith.
