Hello, everybody, I've Dennis Prego Welcome to my home. This is actually my home. This is completely unprotected It is by almost weekly fireside chats B, cause it's a good way to get to know each other, and especially, you know me because. You know, if you see me on one of the videos. Obviously it's something I read from what I wrote so it's me, but I wrote it, but there's nothing written here: amateur chance for me to also talk about a lot of non political things, because my radio show obviously is not only about that, but has to be on watching the news as well as. The other things that I care about anyway. Whatever the reason I'm glad you watching, a lot of people do- and I am very happy about it- welcome again to my home

So I'm going be really personal in the opening thoughts of this week, because this has been a very powerful and personally moving weak for me, since I was a kid and I mean about high school, I had a dream of taking the insights of the Bible. The world, because I had a very early belief that there was great wisdom and great moral guidance here and that people, even religious people, didn't truly appreciate how wonderful it was. And especially the first five books of the Bible, which are called among Jews, the Torah many non Jews, no, the were too, but that's that has a special role. King, it's alive devoted my life now beastly mom on the radio and not anywhere else but in courses

is on video too, one video of my courses, but they never. There was no internet when I began, for eighteen years, I thought verse by verse the first five books of the Bible, the Torah and half the people who came to the class were not jewish, even those at a jewish university. And the reason was very simple. I have a motto either. The Torah has something to say to everybody, or it has nothing to say to the Jews. The idea that it only speaks to juices is absurd. Like saying, I think I've given this analogy only of island, vitamin c is only good for Baptists. I mean it's events, an absurdity either it's good for baptism, it's good for everybody or not good for anybody. So I have, this is been the source of my understanding of life, and if you think that I, have a good understanding of life. Then you might want to know where I got it from an. I largely got it from these five books from the Bible generally, but especially these five book.

So finally, thanks to a dear friends, incredible efforts in making this happen, the first volume of my five volume commentary has just come out this week and it's called the rational Bible. And because the reason is that I use reason alone reason is my vehicle to God and to religion, so I dont ask anybody to suspend their their faculty of reason in what I have to say in this in this book.

Why this week was particularly moving was not just because it was published and its beautifully done. Regulatory, the publisher did it mean staggeringly beautiful job. It's into colors, it's extremely accessible in the weights presented as well, but the I was I I was shocked this week and it's rare in life. He get a pleasant shock of his shocks are not pleasant, but I got a pleasant shock. The book was the second best selling book in the United States on Amazon and the first number one in non fiction. I I didn't even imagine you know, sometimes you just that you have an imagined nation of something

wonderful happening, I never even imagined it. Part of the reason is by the way, is you'll find in my happiness book. I dont have expectations in life, so on constantly placed in a position of being grateful, for what happens as I expect nothing. So something good happens, war who oh, but this is beyond that, and it tells me a lot of things, but the thing most tells me as there's a hunger in this radically secularized western world in which we live centrally godless world in which many of you have been raised. For something deeper and transcendent an end, and it makes sense. Do you know that you are, if you're, under fifty, let alone under thirty five or under twenty you're, the first generation in history that was raised in essentially a godless world. Your education was gone,

of the society around you, the entertainment world but Amerika was not. America was was was deeply bible based country, and that's why it is. It became the greatest country than it did, and for those of you or not american, as nothing some American. I not a chauvinist. None of that stuff matters to me, any body could be wonderful in any country in their plenty, miss all Americans. We all know that nets, not the issue, but it became the country wit. When France gave a statue of liberty, they didn't give it to another country. They gave it to the United States because we stood for liberty and the found there's of America with deeply rooted in this book, the most famous, Symbol of the American Revolution by far there is

no other simple. This is the symbol is called the Liberty Bell, there's only one thing written on the Liberty Bell and it's a verse from the Bible from the Torah from the third book Leviticus. You shall proclaimed Liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants, and they got the idea that God wants us to be free from these books from the Bible, and especially from this Torah, these first five books. They were so immersed in it that Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, too, of the found of the United States of America. Jefferson became President Franklin was the best known american outside of the United States. They designed a seal of the United States, the great seal of the United States. You could see it on the internet

You know what it was. It was the exodus the Jews leaving Egypt because they said just as the Jews left, Egypt. We left Europe to be free. That is how power our full. These ideas were in these founders, and now you are raised. I bet most young people today, I'll bet most kids it that at Stanford Yale you name it doesn't matter where cannot identify Kane enable, but a lot of you can't do. This was unheard of. I promise you ninety eight percent of Amerika. Gains a hundred years ago would have not only identify Kane, enable they would have told you the entire story. The Bible, was the one book. If, if a family in Amerika had a book, it was the Bible, Abraham Lincoln the great President, the emancipator of slaves, Abraham Lincoln, had one book on his nightstand, and he said he read it

releasing all night. He didn't go church almost ever, but he read this book the Bible every night. What we? U dont, get in college. Or high school or elementary school now is wisdom. Wisdom matters was, it is much more important than knowledge, then not the same thing That is what is life about minds me. I said something on the radio yesterday that I actually life. So I I committed to memory, allow people say all we we don't need religion will science will guide us. That is so unbelievably foolish. And I said the following on the radio yesterday I sense sir Ireland is a moral idiot. Is science doesn't tell you right from wrong science has as it is. Fleetly, oblivious to whether you murder, rape, torture, it doesn't matter site doesn't care sciences and teach you right from wrong? It teaches you want

Adams compose a water molecule. That's very important, Science is great. If it's used for good things, it could be used for horrific things obvious. It's completely morally neutral science can replace religion. Religion It tells you what is right and wrong science, TAT, you? What is that's not the same thing? What is and what is right and wrong or not the same thing. What teaches you? what is right or wrong? What teaches you the meaning of life, not science, It's not scientists fault. It's like it's like asking a barrack, outta drive you to work, Barracuda, don't drive just the way? It is that, right now, because you get driven along, never been driven by a Barracuda. Now man any right lighter. Oh, my God, help fell. Oh ok, anyway,

That's very important! Next time you hear science, I ensigns science is great right, you're, not get a cure for cancer from the Bible. I agree, but I'm not going to get right and wrong from science you're not going to get. What is the purpose of life from science sciences? Tell you anything about that, there's! No wisdom in science, these knowledge in science, okay, so the please. This is why this is so important Hope you will read this considered it. It's meant to change your life. It's not meant to convert you to anything, I'm not asking people to convert to Judaism or to Christianity or or even to faith in God, just read it, you decide what you want to do with your life, but it's got a lot of stuff in here. That's that that will help your life Joe They thought it a rational, but I will then I really do hope. I hope you'll read it because

We're in trouble it's why we're in trouble. We ve lost our way in many ways. Ok, Those are some thought now to your questions are right. Question time owner was get this owner by press it again. Ok I gotta Stephanie, twenty nine in Saint Paul Minnesota, high Stephanie D. Many advice for personal keeps wavering on religion. How do you find a constant faith in God? Is it just supposed to come? Naturally, does come to me naturally, that's why I spend so much time teaching the stuff. This is why, at the approach of most religious people has not been my approach, the you know have faith. Have faith have faith. I never have said that once

the people here are reasons to take God seriously reasons, not faith, faith, faith, faith, faith is nice but reason it is powerful. So that's why I call it the rational Bible. That is my approach. What does the other part of your question on? Second, we get rid of it. Every did. Got back on what magic you have any advice for personal keeps wavering on religion. Everybody waivers. Many people are not waver atheists every person who believes waivers. Why not? When I see when I see or hear about it, you know baby born with terrible deformities. You don't think I am whereas God, of course, I do every effort,

thinking religious person, waivers here's something that preparing the next book on Genesis coming up next year. This is exodus the second book. First book is Genesis. Do you know the name is real, which is the name of the hebrew people or the jewish people in the Bible, the Man named Jacob has his name change to Israel. That's where we get Israel from the children of Israel or the Hebrews or the Jews you know. What is real means. It says so in the book I d make this up struggle with God. Yes, Ma Am L is God S. Role is to struggle with not amazing, the name of of so to speak gods, people a struggle with God. It is complete. Legally! Ok to struggle with God. What is not ok is not to struggle, is to be an atheist and too but to be an agnostic and say it doesn't matter it matters, so strong,

Going with. God is completely understandable who we struggle But everything meaningful most people struggle with their parents right and we it's not a perfect analogy. What rattle struggles sort of life, sometimes husbands and wives struggle. I mean I read about it somewhere in my own diary. Ok, all right, little dark! You were there or cabin divorce, but I am very happily married. Right, let's see here. Where are we ok, Anna a six long island, New York, I Dennis Anna a newly engaged for context? We both love you. Work and our conservative in Catholic. I again what would be most important lesson to carry forward into our marriage man I you know what first of all you should read,

oh you're married already, those who do not marriage and Reba Tawny Internet somewhere. It's easy to find just put in Dennis Prager questions to ask before you marry and I had a two part column that I wrote many years ago questions people should ass. I told you to my house thy, even know which dog that is, he barks if there is a mosquito that flies by us anyway, he's a basket home. That's what they're loan for. You should read that it's got questions that people should ask before they get married now that you're married. What is that? say what you engaged? Oh, yes, read this! That's right! This is perfect. It's for you. Questions you should ask before you, Mary and it'll help it'll, either solidify your engagement or our ended. I got a fair number of emails from people who ended there their relationships before marriage because of the answers that they gave to these questions.

So there's if there is a lot to go forward. What what method What else did you ask? Let's see most important lesson to carry forward into our marriage? You know what that there is no most important. There were many. Fourthly, should share values. Obviously they should be chemistry here you ready see. I'm am always wondering just other little kid you watch this cause I have to. I have adult themes. I don't have bad language, but I have a dull themes. I think people should bury if they three things have to be involved in you're in your commitment or your desire. Your traction to this other person, your brain, you're a heart in your sexual part. They don't have to.

Thirty, thirty thirty or thirty, three three thousand three hundred and thirty three to be more precise. No, but they all have to be there. It could be fifty thirty, twenty, that's fine, but if can't none of them could be zero or or next to zero. All three have to be involved in in helping to create a good marriage. That's one thing: a sharing values is another, but here is my favorite question. When I, when I meet people or framework is what cigars you smoke. Not my favorite question is: do you enjoy each other? That's a big one! You can love each other and not enjoy each other. That's a very important part of life.

Ticket to you enjoy by the way same with you with friends. Do you enjoy your friends? So it's a it's a big. It's a big deal, it's not the only deal, but if it should be there, so good luck or a Jack seventeen Manhattan Beach, California Prager force. Thank you jack. What he thought. The recent Palestine in peace. Unquote, protests who is to blame for the quorum court, nonviolent uncoiled, violence, well, rock Hamas wants to destroy. Israel. Is not an opinion, this is They they live for that its most westerners cannot understand this. That amount. The Palestinians and many other Muslims, tragically in the Middle EAST in particular, and not just the Middle EAST. Iran is not necessarily the Middle EAST, the most powerful idea

of their life, the an amazing focus of their existence, Is to annihilate Israel, most people in the West, or is this is so foreign to their mentality that they can't relate to it you mean you live to destroy another country, that's right! That's what they live for. Hamas is completely uninterested in building hospitals in employing its youth in building schools. Has no into it. Has one interest annihilate Israel? That is the only interest of Hezbollah in Lebanon. That is the only interest of many Palestinians the only interest of the iranian regime that everything else is secondary in life there. No parallel to that in the world that people are animated by a desire to destroy a country. Israel is the only country on earth targeted for annihilation, gotta. Think by the way

In and of itself is an interesting question. Why only one jewish country on earth in it's the only country targeted for annihilation, read my book why the Jews? It explains that, but that's another issue, okey doke, Finally Jonathan Eighteen in California, we has no city for his very big, too said California. Amidst all the political talk and work, What do you do to stay level and maintain joy in a profession often associated with their utility? Well, actually it it. It is work. My book unhappiness. I don't. I hate sounding like I'm up promoter of my books, but one might get to do it.

I'm going to deny it by work very hard on the issue of happiness. One hour of my show every week since one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine is called the happiness hour electron happiness. I given this a very serious lot of serious thought. Happy that the founders of America, in their genius life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in the declaration of independence. I don't know if any other country has pursuit of happiness and its founding document. This is something I love it. One of the many things I love about the founders of of this country. It's good to pursue happiness; it's not good to pursue fun, it's not good to pursue excitement, but it is to pursue happiness. So in amateur art there is an art too, to being happy too tough world. We live in and in my profession, you're a hundred percent right every day, I'm reading about

terrible things in America and in the world, and I work to maintain a happy disposition. I do so. I I look for happiness outside of the newspaper and on find it. There and anyway, if I get down what good will it do? I'm going to do my listeners any good. It's not going to do me any good at sucking to do my family any good That's why I think we have a moral obligation to have a happy disposition. It brings joy to others by the way. If you have a happy disposition, you bring people into your life. You know a lot of people have no friends. This was a revelation to me since I've always had close male friends

It's been a revelation to me, but I learned it through. My radio show how many people call up and say Dennis. I just don't have any friends- and I was talking to my friends. Doktor Stephen murmur was a psychiatrist that you see, ally and private practice in L, a brilliant man, good man, and he pointed out there is a correlation. Happy people tend to have friends. So this there's a selfish reason for you to pursue happiness. You're probably draw more people into your life, so he it's a vicious cycle. This is how life works cycles. Life is filled with cycles. Happy people bring friends into their lives. Friends bring you happiness, so you get more happy and get more friends and more friends and more happy unhappy. People tend not to attract people than the fewer friends. They have the more unhappy they get the more unhappy they get, the fewer friends they have since another

to have a happy disposition in the end to end to work on it. So I work on it, but your right hand in both of the most pressing part, is when I, when I see what's happening in American, I see what's happening in our universities, the closed mindedness and the the ease with which people just call people horrible names

I'm gonna be speaking of Columbia University next week on now what they will. I be them something to be in Philadelphia and will be in New York and will be a North Carolina Wednesday, so when's names being at Columbia University, where I tenant graduate school the first time on going back, I think maybe I went back once I remember, and this such a battle to try to get a place for me to speak, because I'm come conservative so that all this hate, these hate filled students and teachers just protest. If, if a conservative come it's- and these are bad trends in America, call people- you differ with fascists. In white supremacist and NEO Nazis,

what does is cheap in the battle against real NEO nazis. That's what it does so anyway. Yeah I work on. It is a very valid question: how we do it on time, every body pretty much what what how much time we ve been on how long nobody knows I have three wonderful bright people here I told Let me know what it's a half hour and nobody knows how much time it's yet anyway, I don't want to overburden you with time. We have five to go till we hit the we hit thirty minutes, so I can take yes and I'm getting mixed signals. Okay, this is really funny. This proves it's not scripted. So not elegant it. This is so unsophisticated. It could only be odd scripted.

Be that as it may look, I I I gave you a lotta heavy duty stuff to think about the these fireside chats mean a lot to me. That's why, with all the things I'm doing, I try not to miss them. So. Until next week. Please, So do read my book, the the irrational Bible it sir. I promise it'll affect your life. It's that the the outpouring of one eye for through for all of my life and its its It's important in an age where meaning is at a premium. And I'll, see you next week in those of you at Columbia. I'll see you, I hope Wednesday and until then thank you so much for watching. I'm Dennis Prager bye, bye.