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Note: Rabbi Harold Kushner is the author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, along with numerous other books addressing the relationship between religion and lived ad- versity. He served as the congregational rabbi at the Temple Is- rael of Natick for over twenty-five years. Gregory A. Prince cofounded Virion Systems, Inc., a biotech company dedicated to the prevention and treatment of pediatric diseases. He is the au- thor of David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormon- ism as well as several other books on the history of the priesthood.
Interviewee: Rabbi Harold Kushner
Date: November 11, 2013
Place: Temple Israel, Natick, Mass.
Interviewer: Gregory A. Prince
Prince: Let's start by considering the question of how religions un- derstand themselves in relation to other traditions. I think if we had enough data points we would probably f ind that most, if not all religious traditions at some point in their maturation process either said, "We are better," "We are the best," or, "We are the only." I think that the ones that I would consider more mature have softened those stances.
Kushner: Yes, due to reality.
Prince: The Mormons immediately populated the top one and have been ver y reluctant, or incapable of vacating it.
Kushner: My take on that was that to say, "Our religion is the best" is like saying, "Our baseball team is the best." It's not a statement of fact; it's a statement of loyalty.
Prince: Yes, and "My family is the best."
Kushner: Yes, right. "My mother is the best cook." It's not factual.
Prince: My mother was-I don't know about yours.
Kushner: My mother was a ver y indifferent cook, but I loved her food anyway. It's not a statement of fact, but it's a statement of identity.
Prince: And you would hope that that is the expression of their identity. You would hope that any group, be it religious or other- wise, doesn't think that it is mediocre.
Kushner: Yes. I think what we want people to believe is, "This reli- gious system works for me."
Prince: Yes.
Kushner: It doesn't have to mean, "It's better than your system." OK. Let me start with the disclaimer that the ideas you are about to hear...