I am still an atheist. But I have even more faith in the possibility that just one person, trying to do a little good, can make a difference in the world.
Jennifer. I read your post prior to leaving for Israel, and noted in a comment that I had a very similar experience with Judaism as you did growing up. I later married a Jew who was slightly more devout than I was, but had actually been Bat Mitzvah’ed in Jerusalem when she was of age. She had resolved, and I was on board, with doing the same for our children. My first trip to Jerusalem was when our older daughter had her Bat Mitzvah. I can say, like you, I did not become more religious as a result of the experience, but I did become more connected to Israel. The place blew me away. In fact, I think I was just as amazed in Bethlehem as I was in Israel. And, it was as much about the observation of the devotion of people to their religion (all three) as it was about the structures, or even the history.
One of my favorite pictures that I took was of the people heading down to the manger site in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Every color, race, gender, dress, etc. of person waiting to go through the entrance seemed to be equally intense. Our guide in Bethlehem was a Palestinian Christian (Jews not permitted since it’s an Arab city).
One other point I’d like to make. Like you, my ancestors came to the US from Eastern Europe well before the Holocaust. I had no knowing connection personally to anyone who perished in Europe during WWII. So, the Holocaust history was as much about man’s inhumanity to man as it would be to a non-Jew. But, I wanted to learn more about what caused all these Jews (like your and my ancestors in Eastern Europe) to come to the US and other parts of the world (including Israel). There is an amazing multi-part podcast by a guy named Daryl Cooper (aka MartyrMade) called Fear and Loathing in the New Jerusalem. Now that you’ve been there, I am confident you will be immersed in the history of the pre-War (WWI) times there. I encourage you to check it.
Raised but not practicing Catholic here. Being raised in a “religion” with loving parents set my moral compass. Appreciate history of all religions and quite simply live by the ‘Golden Rule’.
Although you need to give yoga a second chance. Great exercise for old guys like me. If/when there is a ‘mindfulness’ time, you can be thinking about anything- your next article topic, what you want for dinner, or nothing at all, that’s my go-to. Thanks for the trip to Israel!!!
"I am still an atheist. But I have more belief in the notion that good triumphs over evil. And I have the utmost faith in the possibility that just one person, trying to do a little good, can contribute to that aim and make a difference in the world."
I sincerely wish you would stop speaking with my words. Then again, please don't stop. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for being honest and vulnerable. I'm pretty much the opposite of your POV -- faith has been an important part of most of my life. But I'm glad to read your perspective and understand the alternative viewpoint a little better.
It’s ok that you did not have a religious epiphany, perhaps seeing the goodness in acts of kindness and love performed by all manner of people is enough. For me, that is where I find God most often.
My wife and I had a similar experience visiting Israel in 2015 ... although we're not atheists, we're more your typical suburban secular Jews. It was an amazing trip, everyone should visit Israel at least once ... you spend time walking on land that has been fought over for centuries and you get some perspective.
One thing I would say about believing generally ... when people say things like "I try to do the good or right or moral thing" ... those ideas are only relevant in context of something, and the something that has defined what they mean historically has been the basic tenets of religion. For better or worse.
I think you would have been one of the righteous 0.5 % because you stood up for public school kids even though it cost you your professional life in a job you earned and loved. You experienced the indifference and silence due to fear of the 99% who would not speak out against what the other 0.5% haters did to you. You continue to use your voice and your pen to stand up for the secular beliefs that form your bedrock. That’s important and many will remember you for that in the end.
"The lady doth protest too much". It seems every time you reveal the fact that you do not believe in g-d you state you are Jewish simply by birth, but not in practice. And claim the reason is because of the divisiveness of religion. But I think what you miss is the fact that you are basing your opinions on how HUMANS other than yourself interpret g-ds teaching. Maybe you should actually read the teachings of g-d yourself to determine whether he was preaching division & hatred. Humans are not perfect, we have flaws, even when it comes to how we interpret the will of g-d.
I love you, Jennifer Sey. I suppose it is because loving myself is probably what makes me tick, and you make me feel comfortable that I'm not alone, in thought and in deed.
Thanks for mentioning that the non-religious divide people into good and bad as much as religious people do. Belief in God and prayer to connect to my inner self is why I am alive. So many non-religious trans allies and cross-sex ideating individuals have dictated the manner in which I should jump or hang to my death, when I state simple truths about my ex-husband making secret plans to take exogenous estrogen, deceive me of his whereabouts, spend the family food budget on his handbags and shoes and then claim to be "mother." I converted to Judaism (his family's faith) before getting pregnant with our two sons. He accused me of "using religion to alienate our sons" when I was simply practicing his family's traditions with our sons. If you don't believe in the "hell" of someone else's religion, ignore them when they say you might end up there. My ex-husband, as far as I'm concerned, is in one of the rings of Purgatory, endlessly trying to perform "female" as he ages into the old man he actually is. Here's a little tidbit about "Sophie" Steven Cook, the D&I advisor to Crown Prosecutorial Services, recommending that women like me, who are trying to preserve family money for the children's expenses, are actually "domestic abusers." I call Cook's alphabet soup world the ludicrous hell.
Jennifer. I read your post prior to leaving for Israel, and noted in a comment that I had a very similar experience with Judaism as you did growing up. I later married a Jew who was slightly more devout than I was, but had actually been Bat Mitzvah’ed in Jerusalem when she was of age. She had resolved, and I was on board, with doing the same for our children. My first trip to Jerusalem was when our older daughter had her Bat Mitzvah. I can say, like you, I did not become more religious as a result of the experience, but I did become more connected to Israel. The place blew me away. In fact, I think I was just as amazed in Bethlehem as I was in Israel. And, it was as much about the observation of the devotion of people to their religion (all three) as it was about the structures, or even the history.
One of my favorite pictures that I took was of the people heading down to the manger site in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Every color, race, gender, dress, etc. of person waiting to go through the entrance seemed to be equally intense. Our guide in Bethlehem was a Palestinian Christian (Jews not permitted since it’s an Arab city).
One other point I’d like to make. Like you, my ancestors came to the US from Eastern Europe well before the Holocaust. I had no knowing connection personally to anyone who perished in Europe during WWII. So, the Holocaust history was as much about man’s inhumanity to man as it would be to a non-Jew. But, I wanted to learn more about what caused all these Jews (like your and my ancestors in Eastern Europe) to come to the US and other parts of the world (including Israel). There is an amazing multi-part podcast by a guy named Daryl Cooper (aka MartyrMade) called Fear and Loathing in the New Jerusalem. Now that you’ve been there, I am confident you will be immersed in the history of the pre-War (WWI) times there. I encourage you to check it.
Raised but not practicing Catholic here. Being raised in a “religion” with loving parents set my moral compass. Appreciate history of all religions and quite simply live by the ‘Golden Rule’.
Although you need to give yoga a second chance. Great exercise for old guys like me. If/when there is a ‘mindfulness’ time, you can be thinking about anything- your next article topic, what you want for dinner, or nothing at all, that’s my go-to. Thanks for the trip to Israel!!!
"I am still an atheist. But I have more belief in the notion that good triumphs over evil. And I have the utmost faith in the possibility that just one person, trying to do a little good, can contribute to that aim and make a difference in the world."
I sincerely wish you would stop speaking with my words. Then again, please don't stop. Thanks for sharing.
😂
Rabbi Hillel said: "He who saves but one life - saves the world entire"
One person doing good in the world is engaging in "tikkun olam" - this gives a profound meaning to our lives
Thank you for being honest and vulnerable. I'm pretty much the opposite of your POV -- faith has been an important part of most of my life. But I'm glad to read your perspective and understand the alternative viewpoint a little better.
It’s ok that you did not have a religious epiphany, perhaps seeing the goodness in acts of kindness and love performed by all manner of people is enough. For me, that is where I find God most often.
Enjoyed your reminiscences of your visit to Israel. I
think you stated the heart of the matter: one person doing good.
I reached that conclusion myself earlier, and it really helped me to understand what being human is- focused on family and community.
After that, because of that, maybe, I found a thread to something bigger, but I can’t put it into words. It made all the difference in my life.
Welcome home!
My wife and I had a similar experience visiting Israel in 2015 ... although we're not atheists, we're more your typical suburban secular Jews. It was an amazing trip, everyone should visit Israel at least once ... you spend time walking on land that has been fought over for centuries and you get some perspective.
One thing I would say about believing generally ... when people say things like "I try to do the good or right or moral thing" ... those ideas are only relevant in context of something, and the something that has defined what they mean historically has been the basic tenets of religion. For better or worse.
Jen,
I think you would have been one of the righteous 0.5 % because you stood up for public school kids even though it cost you your professional life in a job you earned and loved. You experienced the indifference and silence due to fear of the 99% who would not speak out against what the other 0.5% haters did to you. You continue to use your voice and your pen to stand up for the secular beliefs that form your bedrock. That’s important and many will remember you for that in the end.
Thanks Jen - excellent...
Anyone who is not moved by your interesting and beautiful post needs to check for a pulse!
"The lady doth protest too much". It seems every time you reveal the fact that you do not believe in g-d you state you are Jewish simply by birth, but not in practice. And claim the reason is because of the divisiveness of religion. But I think what you miss is the fact that you are basing your opinions on how HUMANS other than yourself interpret g-ds teaching. Maybe you should actually read the teachings of g-d yourself to determine whether he was preaching division & hatred. Humans are not perfect, we have flaws, even when it comes to how we interpret the will of g-d.
I love you, Jennifer Sey. I suppose it is because loving myself is probably what makes me tick, and you make me feel comfortable that I'm not alone, in thought and in deed.
i love that feeling! Happy to provide it for someone else!
Thanks for mentioning that the non-religious divide people into good and bad as much as religious people do. Belief in God and prayer to connect to my inner self is why I am alive. So many non-religious trans allies and cross-sex ideating individuals have dictated the manner in which I should jump or hang to my death, when I state simple truths about my ex-husband making secret plans to take exogenous estrogen, deceive me of his whereabouts, spend the family food budget on his handbags and shoes and then claim to be "mother." I converted to Judaism (his family's faith) before getting pregnant with our two sons. He accused me of "using religion to alienate our sons" when I was simply practicing his family's traditions with our sons. If you don't believe in the "hell" of someone else's religion, ignore them when they say you might end up there. My ex-husband, as far as I'm concerned, is in one of the rings of Purgatory, endlessly trying to perform "female" as he ages into the old man he actually is. Here's a little tidbit about "Sophie" Steven Cook, the D&I advisor to Crown Prosecutorial Services, recommending that women like me, who are trying to preserve family money for the children's expenses, are actually "domestic abusers." I call Cook's alphabet soup world the ludicrous hell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgI0NJMnTbg&t=2s