When Being Jewish is Enough
Let's get this out of the way: I'm Jewish. Not particularly observant, can't speak Hebrew or Yiddish, but I can make a mean brisket and I've always been proud to identify as Jewish. Having grown up in some homogeneous places like Newfoundland, Canada and Wiesbaden, Germany, I am not unfamiliar with my religious preference being in the minority. But now I live on the east coast of the United States, a true melting pot if ever there were one. And we have our first African-American president and soon-to-be first Latina Supreme Court judge. So why am I even bothering to talk about being Jewish?
In the past several weeks, I've opened my front door to well-dressed people -- men and women, Black and white -- whose sole purpose seemed to be to talk to me about Jesus. When I pointed out to one couple that the lovely cylinder over my front door is a Mezzuzah signifying that I'm Jewish, the woman exclaimed, "Yes, that's why we were sent here!" One gentleman informed me that he needed to tell me about the "real" Bible, not the version "you people" use. And on more than one occasion I've been solemnly informed that I am heading straight to Hell. It can't be because of my well-manicured lawn so I'm guessing it has something to do with my religion.
One of my earlier Huffington Post-ings received a comment asking, "Where are your Christian values?" Earlier this week I was copied on an email that was about me, but not intended for me. It referred to me as a "non-believer." At first, I was confused since I am certainly not Godless. But eventually I realized that it meant I don't believe in Jesus as a savior. How distressing. Shouldn't we be united by our common faith in something larger than ourselves? Why is it necessary for me to hold the same beliefs as those knocking on my door to find salvation in the afterlife? Why, in this day and age, where faith can be so hard to come by anyway, is that not enough?
Mutual respect for one another's beliefs should be foundational in the U.S. It is what keeps us from turning on one another as we've seen happen in other corners of the globe. It is what binds us as Americans and neighbors. My Judaism is no threat to anyone; your Christianity doesn't threaten me. But I am not interested in being converted, or educated at my front door or being labeled in a negative way. One piece of my religion that has always resonated with me is "tikkun olam" which means "repair the world." Maybe we should all focus on repairing and less on tearing down.
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I think that if you have a problem with specific people of a certain religion offending you, then you need to take it up with them, individually, rather than use your privilege of writing in the Huffington Post to moan and groan about it, publicly. Your intention here is pretty clear, and this is to shed a negative light on Christians, by complaining about the actions of a few.
Tamar, you aren't in Wiesbaden or Newfoundland anymore. Get some street smarts and don't open your door to strangers. Do you know what a home invasion robbery is? Install a peephole or similar device on your door. A 90 year old woman was murdered by a young man claiming to be a magazine salesman in our suburb several years ago. Welcome to the USA.
"Mutual respect for one another's beliefs should be foundational in the U.S.....it is what binds us as Americans"
Frankly, the assumption that lies at all heart of all religion is that all others are fundamentally, irrevocably wrong and that yours is correct. At best [from the standpoint of a believer] other religions are seen as hopelessly deluded. At worst they are deemed an intolerable perversion used as a Devil to drag the unwary to hell. You can imagine how this doesn't help formulate a culture of tolerance and civility, and is a perfect recipe for violence and persecution.
"Respect" does not bind us as Americans. Respect implies that you favor something or believe it laudable. How could one "respect" a faith they believe to be so grossly mistaken? What binds us as Americans is a commitment to certain base values such as free speech and secular government. I do not "respect" the views of those who believe women are lesser than men and view them as properly, nor do I feel someone who believes in slamming planes into buildings in the name of a Allah deserves anything except contempt. I could sit here listing the absurdities and the immorality of religious beliefs, but I'm sure you can think of more than enough examples yourself.
The concept of "respect" has shielded the religious from criticism of their uncountable depravities throughout history. I realize you expressed that you "had no wish to be converted", and I don't wish to impose, but I do strongly recommend the writings of Richard Dawkins or Sam Harris on this subject of "Religious Respect" which they treat at length in their more recent works [The God Delusion and Letter from a Christian Nation/The End of Faith, respectively] Again, if you can't be bothered I will summarize the argument as best I can, though I lack both their eloquence and their lucidity.
[Apologies for the jump, =p curse you HuffingtonPost Word-limits and your punishing of my long-windedness ]
Walter, maybe you are unable to respect somebody that you believe to hold a mistaken belief, but I assure you that others are capable.
no, mistaken beliefs are tolerable, however the unwillingness to consider new evidence or examine things in a rational manner is not. Beliefs that are so grossly illogical that they are absurd deserve scorn, not "respect". Surely you wouldn't suggest we "respect" someone who did not believe we revolve around the sun? Or someone who denies the holocaust?
Tamar, a basic premise of historic Christian belief (modified in recent decades by the Catholic Church and some Protestant denominations, but sill normative) has been that an individual cannot enter the kingdom of G-d without accepting that their messiah is (chas v'shalom) G-d himself, and that he came and died for that person's sins. Thus their "great commission" to go out and convert the world.
As an Orthodox Jew, I know it to be an absolute tragedy for the world and for the individual if they succeed in converting a Jew to their religion. But as an American, I am bound to respect their right to try, as dictated by their religious convictions.
As far as I can tell from this one post, you have not articulated any conviction that it is a tragedy for the individual or the world if they succeed in converting a Jew---you just would prefer that they not knock on your door. If I, holding the position that I hold, am bound nonetheless to respect their right to try, why is it so difficult for you to do so?
Just to clarify, recognizing their right and obligation to preach doesn't mean that you obligate yourself to listen. Respectfully tell them you're not interested and close the door.
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Because I cannot imagine being converted to anything as a result of a knock on the door, I didn't discuss that aspect of it. You're right -- I would prefer that they not knock on my door or hold up signs as I go to temple on High Holy Days or do anything else that forces me to even for a moment become part of a debate that I don't willingly choose to engage in. It's rude, it's annoying and cannot be equated to a child selling Girl Scout cookies door to door or even someone trying to convince me to hire him to trim my trees. The fundamental difference is that it is one person declaring his or her moral rightness and my lack of it. I'm glad you respect their right to try. Give me your address and I'll send them to your door.
"The fundamental difference is that it is one person declaring his or her moral rightness and my lack of it."
Can't the same be said of any group that is trying to convince people of a cause, either by distributing literature door to door or by holding up signs on the freeway? They're convinced, and trying to convince others, of the moral rightness of their position and the moral wrongness of those that disagree with them.
If PETA is protesting outside of KFC, do they thereby force all the customers to become part of a debate that they don't willingly choose to engage in? It seems that those who are convinced that PETA is wrong and those that agree with them will go about their business, and only those that are undecided will perhaps "become part of the debate."
If you're convinced that they're wrong, then it shouldn't bother you so much. As I said above, you can just politely tell them you're not interested and close the door. If it's their tactics that are bothersome, then that's another story, but your statement (quoted above) seemed to be aimed at the content on their message, not their tactics.
You think I haven't had them knock on my door?
Hi Tamar,
You are nicer than I am-- also Jewish--but not a believer. I went through Katrina-- the inspectors from FEMA were all proselytizing the victims. Mine, named Steve, was very nice-- then he said "I am taking off my FEMA hat-- I am a Christian-- a Born-Again" I went into performance mode- I said " I can tell you are a Christian because you are compassionate-- but can you really tell me that Bush in Wash is compassionate? After the nelgect you have seen in New Orleans? No, and if I were the Anti-Christ I would not come down lookiing like Osama Bin Laden-- I would come back talking the talk-- but not walking the walk-- I would come down as G.W.Bush--
Tamar, You stated that so well. Here in the southwest, I am living in a pit of knee-jerk religious and political conservatism where the in-bred and often poorly-fed knock at my door with the intent of showing me the right path. I find it extremely disrespectful and very sad that people are sometimes so brainwashed that they can't imagine that I don't want what they want. I generally just say "No" and "Goodbye". But there was that one time when there was a small boy of about ten years in tow and I just asked him if he was going to play baseball today with the other kids. His expression was awful: startled, frightened, confused, and I realized this was not a windmill for me to joust with. I want religious freedom for everyone, but not when it includes child abuse, the subversion of a child's budding intellect.
Tamar, thank you for your post!, I think it begins an interesting discussion to the extent that it inadvertently betrays one of liberalism's (small-state or welfare-state!) central paradoxes.
You seem to presuppose that the Christian is bound by some kind of ethical imperative to care about your comfort and whether or not you "feel like" being educated more than his or her own absolute convictions, and I would challenge that presupposition. In other words, the Christian's belief and your own are both equally groundless. (Or, perhaps, their "grounding" can only be determined through the kind of engagement you suggest that you'd rather avoid).
I am by no means saying that we should not always RESPECT and LOVE one another and finally UNITE behind the common aim of "repairing the world," but I am saying that what the position you suggest above neglects is the possible necessity of disregarding my neighbor's interests in the name of what I hold to be the absolute truth. Or something.
As an atheist, one thing I can say, that I appreciate about people of the Jewish faith, is that they never come knocking on my door, to try to convert me!
Okay time for me to confess Tamar that I have used the Jewish faith as a scapegoat from these same well dressed door knocker.
I was raised Catholic, of the Irish Catholic variety. Now consider myself more of a zen christian as in.
love one another. BTW "tikkun olam" is beautiful.
Anyway, when the Jesus peddlers or Mormons or whomever knock on my door, I have in the past used the line, "we're Jewish. Haven't we been persecuted enough?"
So forgive me for calling myself a Jew. I just can't resist a great line.
Peace on ya or "tikkun olam!"
Bill
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Bill, thanks for making me laugh first thing in the morning. What a great line -- may I borrow it from you?
I have been lucky to be female, gay and Jewish. If I had not had the experience of being an outsider, I would have less empathy for other outsiders. It has been hard at times, but without those experiences, I would be a complete jerk.
Margot, after reading your post, I felt compelled to try and convert you. Please consider becoming a member of the male persuasion. It's been great for me! ;-)
Tamar, what a lovely piece of writing. And so timely. Just the other day, a woman sitting next to me referred to people in her neighborhood as "those people." When I asked her who "those people" were, she answered, "The Jews." I then introduced myself by my married name: Feldman. It made me sad for days. But reading your thoughtful essay does quite the opposite. Thank you!
Thank you for another wonderful, thoughtful blog. If more people felt the same way as you, the world would be a much more peaceful place.
Israel is really repairing the world of the Palestinians, huh? Why aren't moderate Jews in this country speaking out against the treatment of the people of Gaza? The right-wing government of Israel shows no tolerance of Palestine whatsoever.
We've all been approached by overzealous fundamentalist Christians at one point or another. Fortunately, they are a small minority in this country.
By the way, your immaculate lawn has nothing to do with making your points.
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My lawn has more to do with my points than your comments. I don't see where Gaza and the entire Israeli nation have anything to do with what I wrote. And I'm not about to speak out on behalf of moderate Jews in the US -- sort of beyond my scope of responsibility. Ummmm...th
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