Over the weekend I was once again reminded why I could never become a Christian even that way would be much easier and much more socially acceptable – myself and the doctrines of Christianity are in conflict in several levels, in those important levels.

I have never understood the need for missionary work, the need to come and almost claim that your belief system is wrong and that you can’t honestly be happy if you believe in a different way and to different things than they do.
That the salvation is only in them…

I don’t need to be rescued from anything, my life is as it is because of the choices I and others around me have made. I am not afraid of dying and going to Hell because I don’t believe that there’s such thing – as what G-d who’s claimed to be forgiving and just could send one’s “children” to such place for the rest of the eternity just because they were what they are: imperfect humans?

Missionary work… As a person who born to non-religious family I have always been missionaries’ favourite prey: a pagan, sinner, impure soul to be saved.
I have always despised people who come to me and say what should do, who judge my way and my decisions. To be honest I have always felt like being raped when some missionary comes to preach about The Only Right Way.
Some could say that it’s just denial, that I should accept Jesus to my heart etc., but how could I? I believe in one G-d and my simple mind can’t understand monoteistic religion with at least two god figures: G-d and Yeshua of Nasareth (think of it, how often Jesus is referred as G-d?). Neither I can digest aspect of G-d’s son or favourite son. In my world either no one is or we are all, and this is actually what I believe that Jesus meant by being “son of G-d”, children of G-d.
Jesus… he was a human and his mother was just a young woman and not a virgin, son of Joseph. I can believe that Jesus was a wise man, someone who wanted to modernize Judaism, not start a new religion or be a G-d.
But then, I am just a pagan and I base my opinions on the things I have heard and learnt during my life.

The fact is that three “book religions” (Christianity, Islam, Judaism) share the same G-d, the commentary just differs. And I believe that all those thousands of gods in this world are all reflections of same entity and therefore just as correct than mine.
And to claim that G-d actually cares about to which religion you belong to is just a bad joke: we look for religion because we want to belong to something and claim that ours is better than our neighbours just because we want to be right – because we are afraid of being wrong.

I believe that G-d is just and fair, as much as one can be revengeful. We were created to One’s image anyway.
This also means that I don’t need Satan, and devil for me is just the evil in all of us. We born pure and we have given the ability to choose how we live our lives – and we can change our way at any point. It is all about the way you act, the way you think…. and really meaning what we do.
As previously asked: what G-d would judge newborn based on one’s parents’ deeds?
That would be one sadistic G-d indeed.

This is one of my favourites and it reflects my views on the basics of actually almost any religion:

Man came to rabbi Hillel saying that he would convert to Judaism if Hillel could teach him the whole of the Torah in the time he could stand on one foot.
Rabbi Hillel replied
: ‘What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your fellow man. That is the whole Torah; the rest is just commentary. Go and study it.'”

Sin and sex

One thing I could never understand in Christianity is the idea of child being born from sin, being born as a sinner and if the child dies before it’s christened it’ll be doomed to Hell for the rest of the Eternity.
As if G-d in all one’s wisdom decided that sex is how human beings reproduce (in general) G-d wouldn’t consider it as a sin and even less would judge completely innocent human being (the baby) because one’s parents may have sinned – otherwise one could say that G-d is one badly twisted entity.

I am aware that by saying that I actually do the same thing I despise in fundamentalists, who say they know what G-d meant with something and are therefore permitted to judge other human beings to the purgatory.
As I see it that if anything is a sin. Claiming to know what G-d has had in mind when creating something. Anyway, that is not the topic for today.

Sex. Fun thing, great way to relax, create deeper bonds (*grin*) between partners and, of course, to reproduce. Both Judaism and I agree.
Sex between committed (/married) couple is not a sin, but actually recommended!
What makes me like Judaism even more is that marital sex is wife’s marital right, not husband’s and woman can file for divorce based on lack of sex (of course she has to be reasonable). And husband has to think of his wife when he’s booking a business trip, as you’re not allowed to keep your wife “starving” too long…
Birth control is allowed (exclusing condoms, but there’s also this thing called reasoning), abortion is allowed, even required if pregnancy or giving birth would risk mother’s life.
Most important of all: you are allowed, actually you are encouraged, to enjoy your sexuality and share it freely with the person you love without the need of being afraid being struck by lightning because you are an evil sinner… 8)

I know there are people who don’t understand why I have to mix up sex and religion, but for me it’s obvious: craving for both come from my soul and heart, and they both feed my soul and heart – and I could never identify myself with a religion which has differing views with mine in any area of life. And let’s face it: sex is important.

Shabat shalom (in advance).

Whys and why-nots

Admittedly one of the reasons why I have been standing in this cross road so long is my family: when I take the first step on that path there is no return and nothing will be the same.

That first step is the first step on my way to “born again” (that is how Judaism sees conversion) and it’s the last step in the path formerly known as my non-religious life.
And, no matter how cruel it may to sound to most, in certain ways my parents cease to be my parents.

When I convert and choose my Hebrew name I won’t be daughter of  $MYMOTHER, but bat Sarah (some sources claim bat Avraham, some bat Avraham v’Sarah and some bat Sarah) (who, by the way, was also a convert).
When they die I am not allowed to observe the laws of mourning even if I wish to do so.
But, to be completely honest, as I see it it is not cruel, it’s also a form of religious tolerance. As no matter how soothing it would be for me it would be wrong-doing for them – I acknowledge that things which are important to me may not be that to them.
As they will still be my parents I am to committed to respect them no matter how much I may disagree with them.

I am afraid of the anti-semitic tendencies my parents seem to have, and if I hadn’t already parted ways with my brother I would be afraid of his views too. Only person who I trust not having issues with the conversion is my sister, but she has been through conversion-of-a-kind herself, so I think she understands that some things need to be done even you don’t know what they will cause.

The Power of Speech

The main reason for my confrontations with my fellow human beings has always been in my appreciation for the power of words. I have always felt respect towards the meanings, the correct usage and the unconditional nature of words (once you say them they are out there and you can’t stop them, you can’t take them back).
Words can start wars, end them, make someone love you and break their heart. Words can cause genocide, words can end it. Nothing is impossible if the words are right.

There is not a consensus on the matter, but it is widely accepted as a religious fact that Universe itself has been created through speech… How’s that for power?

I have been making research on basics of Judaism on and off for few years, and until now I had never knew how alike mine Judaism’s views and my views are regarding words and their strength. (JewFaq: Speech and Lashon Ha-ra) (I use the term Judaism’s view even though the whole aspect is not as simple.)
This is not first time when I realise how close my personal views are with basics of Judaism, those personal views of mine which have evolved during my life, before I knew anything about Judaism.
These little things convince me that I have only one option and that is to step on the rocky road and keep on walking, to reach what feels right, but also scares the heck out of me. That is one of the reasons why I keep this blog. I believe in power of words and I know that I need to arrange the words out of my head and in front of me to see them, to understand them… Because I need the strength words have.

It’s late (or rather it’s early) so I leave you with an old Hasidic story.

A man went about the community telling malicious lies about the rabbi. Later, he realized the wrong he had done, and began to feel remorse.
He went to the rabbi and begged his forgiveness, saying he would do anything he could to make amends. The rabbi told the man,
“Take a feather pillow, cut it open, and scatter the feathers to the winds.”
The man thought this was a strange request, but it was a simple enough task, and he did it gladly. When he returned to tell the rabbi that he had done it, the rabbi said,
“Now, go and gather the feathers. Because you can no more make amends for the damage your words have done than you can recollect the feathers.”
(Source: JewFaq)

It’s coming back

As I said in my previous entry I lost my light after I lost the man I loved…

Fast forward about 11 months…

Some days ago I bought this. I have spent last nights by fighting with vampires who are not afraid of cross, but Sh’ma.

I have made a decision: I keep this summer as free of commitments as possible and concentrate on my own spiritual growth.
I can say I am sure what the outcome will be, but being analytical and having the need to reason everything I want to be sure that this is what I want, not what someone in my past asked me to be. So, this blog will probably have occasional entry about analysing my religious views and the religion which feels like home. Or rather, following rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s views, to find a family which I belong to, to extend my own family – and possibly return to my roots (being a person with a surname which also used among Jews (and is Hebrew – also)).

If I decide to continue on this path I will go back to Hebrew lessons in autumn and contact the rabbi – either local, if local congregation has one, or find a rabbi who is willing to guide my conversion even we may not ever meet.

Rabbis are supposed to dissuade person seeking conversion thrice, so that will also be learning experience for me: I am not very good with disappointments, even I know they are part of the path.
And when rabbi accepts my request to be guided through conversion process I’ll begun to seek for a Jewish partner, as, if you can’t share your values with one you love can you be really loved?

Human beings and their beliefs… and singledom with minority’s beliefs.

They say they accept you, they say they try not to convert you, but still they talk of silly habits of your religion, still they preach about Christ.
How stupid they think I am?

Honestly speaking I miss that blessing I had in last spring, as it was never an issue that I believe in what I believe in… he just loved me. And with his love he was real Christian, allow me to say that he was, and is, a better Christian than those who preach about their Lord and saviour. He’s a better Christian, or a believer, than those who visit their temples and read their holy scriptures like Devil reads a Bible…
If someone is a man of G-d he is, as in the end religious tolerance seems to be so rare, too rare, quality in human beings…

I admit, after we crashed, I lost my light for a while. I did ask from G-d why it happened, and G-d never answered to me. And I wondered what I had done, what I had done to have to live trough it.
I have come to a conclusion that there is a meaning: he gave me hope for human kind, he changed me for the better. And he is, still, a blessing.

Now, something happened today, something you may deduce from the first lines of this entry. That something made me think about how likely it is to find someone who’s not only intellectually, emotionally etc. compatible, but who accepts me. Really accepts me and those silly habits and odd ways to worship…

Or maybe I should just grow that wart on top of my nose, convert and stay alone for the rest of my life. At least I’d avoid all the fuss with religion… but I still can’t believe that in 2007 religion can be such an issue to intelligent, civilised individuals.

G-d forbid us.

Ah well…

I fell in love with man who’s baptized as Catholic – but isn’t very religious based on what I know of him.
I don’t know should I be worried, but I’m not a tad worried about that.

And fact is that he loves me as I am. When you find someone like him you don’t actually think anymore will religion be issue or not.
At least I don’t. And I don’t actually think it makes me any worse person than I am. I happen to believe that things happen for a reason.
And this lucky accident… we never meant to fall for each others, but we did. We who have so different backgrounds, we who come from so different parts of the world… we met in last place of cyberspace where you could think of finding someone who complements you.

Maybe I’m delusional, but I don’t believe in coincidences.

Family issues

I’ll write an open letter to my family. I’ve to. I want to make them understand what I’m doing and why I’m doing it.

At this moment I don’t get any support from them, or that’s how it feels like. And what makes it worse: it seems to me that my parents have some antisemitic tendencies…

I’m just so tired of their ignorance and unwillingness to ask or look for information.

Soul – some thoughts

We, human kind, are odd in our ways of living.

G-d gives us ability to such a beauty, such purity, genuinity that our little mortal minds can’t even understand it.
We get such a great gift… and what majority does with it? They ruin their gift, choose that easier way just because they want to be “normal”.
I can’t say that I don’t understand their solution. I do understand it. Anyway we have been given this thing called free will (and therefore I shouldn’t whine about this) and we all just act according to that.

I’ve never been worried about life after death, and still I can say I’ve lived relatively good life, treated my fellow humans like I’ve wanted them to treat me.
In fact we had this “joke” in my family that we, non-religious bunch, seem to have higher morals than most people who claim that they live according to high morals.
Of course it’s in eye of the beholder. According to some my life is example of immorality.

Anyway, what I ment to say was… we born to be good. We born pure. We get free will… and what we do with it?
Act like ******s towards our fellow humans, hurt everyone who disagree with us, hurt others before they can hurt us and then we run as fast as we can so we don’t need to live with the consequences.

Just to be “normal” we ruin greatest gift we’ll ever get.

And do you knwo what is the funny part in this? I’ve always thought like this. Even when I was atheist. I’ve always loved aspect of soul.

What I really want from my life?

It’s an interesting question as I’m not sure.

Ok, in fact I do know what I want, but problem is that I have to choose – though at this phase of my life I have to figure out what is what I want. What I really want. Just not to hurt myself, or anyone else in the future.

I know what I want. I know what I can take and what I can do. But I don’t know am I ready to pay price it may take.
Even I know I have to. Being happy with your life, being contented takes it’s toll, no matter how much I dislike it.

And I know that in the end I want following things:

  • become what I really am
  • convert to religion which has felt good (which has felt right) many years
  • to learn
  • to have a Jewish family, and Jewish children, and teach them beauty of it all
  • to be contented
  • to be loved as myself
  • have a partner who accepts my religion… no, to have a partner who shares my religion

…and never regret.

This may mean (I don’t want to say “It’ll mean.” even I know it might be so, and it’s not that improbable in the end…) that I have to forget my stupid images of love which conquers all and accept that in the end I just can’t be completely happy with a goy.

Sounds harsh, I know, but fact is this:

  • I don’t want to force anyone to live against their religious views (or lack of them) because it’d be strictly against my morals.
  • I don’t want to live life without my G-d, without my religion.
  • I don’t want to wonder am I religiously intolerant if I want to celebrate Shabbat and other holy days – because as I see it: in family everyone celebrates and rejoices at the same time. Family shares.

Is it a family if we don’t share our love? Is it a family if I can’t be me? Is it a family if my partner can’t be him?

No, it’s not.

There’s also one thing I know: I want to be buried in a Jewish cematary when I die. I’m still young, but that’s important to me. And I want to be buried like a Jew, because I’ve never confronted as much respect towards dead as Judaism has.

I want to have that beauty in my life. It just hurts me so much to know that I have to make really big decisions because of it.

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