Walter Meyer writes:

>I really know nothing about Mahler's religious beliefs.  It is quite
>possible that, though ethnically Jewish, he had none.

I'm skeptical that religious belief is the controlling element.  There's a
very strong cultural, social, and emotional connection that also applies.
I don't have a religious bone in my body, but I could never forsake my
heritage except to protect the lives of loved ones.

Perhaps the controlling element is simply - dump the religion to get a
better job.  I don't know how an individual would delude him/herself to
reach that conclusion, but humans are very adept at conjuring up reasons
to justify "lowering" themselves and calling it something else.

Well, nobody's perfect, and perhaps as his life moved on, Mahler might have
had some internal regrets.

Don Satz
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