There are no doubt a multitude of reasons and any number of them can be at play at any one time.

Simplistically stated, ego is often at the core.
This can show itself many ways.

When you want to be number one, not number two, you need a reason.
So you look for one.
"If G-d says to kill this or that, ah, He is cruel and vengeful! I don't have to listen to him!"

You stated a good one. A lack of understanding.
So ask. Get some understanding.
People who want to understand, will ask.
People who prefer not to understand, so as not to be number two, they prefer the ignorance and package it as some kind of progressive intellectualism. Which further adds to the ego.

We can't rule out simple mindedness. Naivete. Complete cluelessness. Like while dictatorships around the world vie for nuclear power, America's new foreign policy is, "Can't we all just get along," and sitting back and waiting for the nirvana to engulf the evil.

Another reason would be preconceived notions or misapplied emotions. As soon as they find a "bad" word or concept attached to an entity they immediately reject that entity.

Similar to what you said, some people think that G-d just needs to operate at their grasp of reality and of right and wrong. They wouldn't even consider that maybe G-d might have a better handle on the world and its reality.

Again, these are all simplistically stated. Sounding very black and white but often many of these thoughts aren't even on a conscious level and with us humans, often many factors are at play at once.

The last liberals the world ever saw were the Egyptians who sat Joseph's brothers down and fed them meat even though they despised meat eaters. Genuine liberals tolerate the opinions of others.

Today's faux liberals do not tolerate any other opinion and if one exists it has to be squashed.


Last Edited By: Rabbi Daniel Mon, 1-Jun-09 01:45:23. Edited 1 times.