Thank You, Sister Chastity Dear Sister Chastity, Such a nice name, though a bit intimidating, the quality being so rare today. It is the mother's, not the father's Judaism that rules upon which children will be Jewish. The encyclopedia does not mention Mrs. Spinoza's choice of faith. Also, Baruch Spinoza was excommunicated by the synagogue for heresy. As he aged, unlike good brandy, he got worse.
All matter is conscious.
The human mind is a tiny particle of God's mind. God has no personality and offers no providence. A good man will love God, but not expect to be loved in return. The reason much of this sounds familiar is that progressive Christian writers and thinkers have been moving in this direction for fifty years or so. Please pardon me, Sister, if I have slipped and confused Spinoza with Savonarola.