Festival Of Faith (1957)

[Music] [Applause] [Music] and Jerry's top Galkin your food no where is that girl upstairs thinking her half she hardly I don't think said she wasn't hungry why doesn't she hurry we'll all be late Jerry where's your table manners you no wonder it's so difficult for me to get to the temple Brotherhood meetings on time class on this school teacher doesn't like us to be late stop gulping your food yet Susan you're making everybody late I'm sorry on my hair in stay in place you hardly had experience I'm not hungry you can fidgeting all morning what's wrong nothing she's being confirmed in three weeks she's a little nervous I think you've taken on too many weekend activities you look tired oh my they're reading to the blind once a week isn't tiring and as your work with a Girl Scout really mother the president of our temple sister who told me what good work you've been doing that was nice of her can we go now yes dad I'm sorry you're gonna be late ha we will be unless you hurry and get your books drive carefully 5 [Music] they're driving me crazy Susan you weren't worried about something does it show that much what's wrong boys are in trouble now well then what's the matter now folks nothing this morning at breakfast what was wrong but I didn't feel like telling Judy are you stirred by things in class here what kind of things well what we're learning I don't know what you mean take the Ten Commandments for example do you believe they were given to Moses on Mount Sinai Susan you're trying to say I don't believe it that's what I'm trying to say another way we're told the world begins in fact I'm skeptical about a lot of things we're told in religious school and Confirmation only three weeks away what brought this on don't you ever question anything I mean well just because someone says something to you does that mean it so then what are you turning it to an atheist who is the name theist good morning my girls it's time for class to begin we talked about it in there will someone tell me what chivalrous means bill festival of week and why does it have his name Judy because it's seven weeks after Passover yes that's why it's also called Pentecost which means 50 days after Passover what else is chivalrous called festival of the first fruit at the spring that's right but there's something more important Judy she knows the festival of faith the anniversary of the day on which the Ten Commandments were given yes a festival of faiths and remember what I told you in Judaism faith is not blind obedience it's based on understanding series in the heaven you were some questions yes I have man talk plainly certainly you know we always speak our mind in confirmation class it's always seek the answers to questions in the temple by asking and studying I just can't believe the 10 commandments given the way the Bible says oh well for the moment let's say you can't does that make the Ten Commandments less important they're the foundation of our civilized society Susan why do we celebrate service at confirmation time I remember what you said we confirm what the Israelites affirmed at Sinai yes that was the beginning of their spiritual maturity that's why she was also means gross but rabbi what I'm talking about is the conflict between science and religion is it really a conflict when science says the world began one way and religion says it began another way Susan the purpose of the creation story is not to tell you how the world was made but to bring home the fact that the world is a unit and that all men are part of one family Roth aye isn't it true that many of the leading scientists have themselves expressed their belief in God certainly science strengthens our faith in God science tells us that everything has a cause shall we say only thing the world without a cause is the world itself shall we say that there's no order or plan nature and a knife I guess not [Music] Susan you're a million miles away dad will you answer a question frankly for me well I'll try do you think I'm a religious person of course I do why do you ask sometimes I don't think I am you don't why not this morning I I told the rabbi that I was skeptical about many things we learned in class and what did the rabbi say but that was understandable at my age and that he encouraged it a good answer the rabbi said we research Frances through asking and studying but can a religious person have doubts of course my dear doubt at the beginning of understanding when we start with doubt we go on to investigate and finally discover what truth is good beginning to understand you ask if you're a religious person how can you deny it when for so many Saturdays you've given up your own enjoyment to read to the blind and to help the Girl Scouts isn't it religion in action but then why do we need organized religion because the good things that religion seeks to accomplish require group operation and cooperation if we want a better world we must work with others to bring it about isn't that right I think so dad [Music] Oh God and father at this hour confirmation service our hearts are filled with joy and thankfulness to thee grant that the good seed we sow may ripen into a harvest of righteousness and truth amen we hear thy confirms what our forefathers affirmed on that Sinai but we will happen in obey these Commandments the moral teachings of our sin and of all mankind I am THE LORD thy God thou shalt have no other god but me thou shall not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy honor thy father and thy mother thou shalt not murder thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not steal thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor thou shalt not covet today we link ourselves with our ancestors in the great drama that took place on that Sinai centuries ago since then the Ten Commandments have served as the inspiration for the great charters of human rights including the Declaration of Independence [Music] she causes the car to dedicate ourselves to the service of God not in blind obedience but seeking how I can best use the power that God gave us amen the Bible challenges these Commandments were written on tablets of stone now let us join with our forefathers and these components in the resolve to write them upon the tablets of our hearts to serve as a guide to righteous living for all mankind [Music] may the Lord bless thee and keep thee may the Lord let his countenance shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee may the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace on it [Music] Oh