Eva Week 3- My Feelings About Judaism

     I consider myself agnostic. In the past, I may have said I was atheist, but that is just immature of me. Judaism has always been somewhat forced upon me, whether it be having to go to a Jewish day school, or keep kosher, or follow Jewish rules set by my parents. Especially in middle school, when I gained a more meaningful understanding of myself and my surroundings, I have almost wanted to deny Judaism just because of how angered I felt about not being able to decide how I would practice it. Nevertheless, I have gone through my denying-all-Judaism rebellious tween phase to what I hope is a higher understanding of how I feel about religion.

     I do not necessarily believe in the idea that a god exists and that we should get close to them by praying or following some arbitrary set of Jewish laws from the Torah. I also despise when Judaism causes tension between those who practice it differently and argue about what makes someone a “better Jew.” With that being said, I like how religion brings my family together through holidays and traditions. The main issue I face is the balance between following Jewish practices for my family and doing what feels right to me. 


     I make a big point of saying that I am agnostic and not atheist, but why is that important to me? I do not believe that god exists and there is no way of proving they do, so I cannot be a religious believer. With that rationality, there is no way of proving that God does not exist which means I cannot be atheist. So the only possible option is to be agnostic. 


     I have been discussing mostly negatives relating to religion and being forced to learn about Judaism, but I am appreciative of some aspects of this lifestyle. I am grateful that going to a Jewish school has given me (what I think is) a higher perspective on religion as opposed to those who aren't forced to constantly contemplate the place of religion in their lives. In addition, I am always equipped to argue with others that have extremely rigid perspectives on religion. 


     Judaism is complicated and so are human beings. My Jewish journey is far from over and I hope my view continues to shift as I get older.





Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 12, 2022 at 2:05 PM

    I'm glad that you're comfortable in how you define yourself now :) Judaism is difficult to detach from because of the ingrained culture around it, and spending most of your life with people telling you how to practice it can be suffocating. Thank you for sharing!!!!! I resonate with this blog post

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 14, 2022 at 3:23 PM

    I feel very similar to you. I don't believe in a G-d, however I do enjoy the parts of Judaism that bring together my family.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Johny IounatanovDecember 10, 2022 at 4:44 PM

    Although I disagree, I respect your perspective on the religion and it was interesting to read about it.

    ReplyDelete

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