Q&A: Working in a Nonprofit that Assists People Leaving Religion
Working in a Nonprofit that Assists People Leaving Religion
Question
Hello Rabbi Abraham,
As part of an assignment in my social work degree, I am dealing with nonprofits that help people leaving religion integrate into the secular world. I came across a few ethical and halakhic questions on this subject, and I would be glad to have your help.
A. From a halakhic standpoint, is it permitted to help Haredim who leave religion integrate into secular society? That is, to help them emotionally and financially, and to mediate for them with various institutional authorities.
B. What is their halakhic status? Are they regarded as "captured infants," as ruled by the Hazon Ish, or does that status not apply to them?
Thank you. I would appreciate elaboration and sources.
Answer
A. Why not? If you do not help them, will they suddenly go back to being religious? Beyond that, the choice whether to be secular is the person's own (there are also people who leave the Haredi world and become religious but not Haredi). When someone falls into distress, you are only helping him manage. That is no different from helping an ordinary secular person in distress. It is like a psychologist wondering whether to help a homosexual person. Obviously yes, because we are talking about a person in distress. He is not helping him become homosexual. He already is, and the help is only to deal with his difficulties.
B. In principle, yes. The status of a captured infant does not depend on knowledge but on worldview. If a person thinks that the Torah does not obligate him, he is a captured infant. Of course, among them there are those who leave because of impulse rather than worldview, and those are not captured infants. But in my opinion this is irrelevant to the obligation to help them, because you are not helping them become sinners (I assume that even if you do not help them, they will not return to the strength of Torah observance).
Discussion on Answer
A. The rule of "lowered but not raised" does not apply nowadays, and certainly not to a captured infant. But even aside from that, in our generation there is no one who knows how to rebuke properly.
B. ??
B. "It is like a psychologist wondering whether to help a homosexual person."
Why does a homosexual person need help? He is a normal and healthy person, according to the non-straight position.
I was not talking about the orientation itself. There are many gay people who need help in order to live with their orientation and with the pressures put on them because of it. It has nothing whatsoever to do with homophobia.
By the way, I have already written several times that even the claim that a gay person is ill or requires treatment has absolutely nothing to do with homophobia. That is a value judgment.
Tell me, are you serious??? If someone looks at reality and sees in it (whether rightly or wrongly) that there are gay people who go to therapy, is he homophobic???
A., are you Michael-phobic?!
A. What about the rule of "they are lowered but not raised"?
B. Is the Rabbi homophobic?!??