In political terminology, this is putting a “negative spin” on religion, really negative. Technically speaking in the case of Catholicism (Christianity generally), we are not CREATED sick but rather we made ourselves sick by sinning against G-d (original sin of Adam and Eve). According to Judaism, however, even this is not correct. We may have disobeyed G-d by sinning but we do not pass on that original sin from one generation to another. On the contrary, we are born with the potential for goodness. Still, we must safeguard against our human tendency toward the potential destructiveness caused by selfish behavior in regard to both ourselves and others. (Selfishness is not regarded by Judaism as necessarily destructive; in fact, aggression can be beneficial toward our survival at times.) But neither Christianity nor Judaism considers human obedience toward G-d as “groveling” as a “slave” might do toward his “master.” On the contrary, following and practicing the commandments is a means of enriching our lives by making us more aware that our freedoms entail responsibilities toward one another, and not merely acting based on individual impulse designed to achieve the goals of pleasure, security, reward, and so on. In other words, the Law compels us to think before we act by taking into account what effects our behavior may have on the safety, security, health, happiness, and well-being of ourselves and of others. The Law consists of things that we might not have even been aware of using our own human reason, and thus adds a further moral dimension to the human consensus toward behavior in the service of all participants. Unlike (some aspects of) Christianity, Judaism does NOT believe in the superiority of natural law; indeed following our natural instincts can often lead us astray. That does not mean we should abandon human instinct, reason, judgment, interpretation; however, we should be cautious of our human limitations to perceive the best course of action in difficult situations, and take into account the wisdom of our ancestors when we confront the challenging situations of life.
