Erin on Religion

I’m sure that no one is surprised to hear that my religious upbringing is remarkably similar to that of my sister. And like Kathleen, I’ve spent my whole life oscillating between periods of religious observance and periods of, well, let’s just say less observance. I’ve always felt that religion should be there for me. It should be a comfort.

I, too, now say that I was “raised Catholic” because I believe that religion is fundamentally designed to help people define their morals and mores. Religion imbibes in you a sense of right and wrong, respect (or in some cases, a lack of respect) for other people and other ideas. I find it unbelievably arrogant that some religions honestly teach “we are right, and you are wrong.” And just as religion guides your life, it must guide your political beliefs. And this is why I left the Catholic Church. I cannot subscribe to religious dogma that contradicts my political beliefs. I “gave up Catholicism for Lent” one year when I realized that I was ashamed to practice a religion which, in my opinion, does not practice what it preaches.

For much the same reason, when Owen and I began practicing Judaism at home, I began to fall in love. We rarely go to services (although we’re trying to go more regularly), but I look forward to every Shabbat. For us, Shabbat is normally a nice, leisurely dinner and a chorus of prayers. It is time to take a break from work and celebrate with your family. It is time to catch up on how the week has gone, and to look forward to the next week. Each Friday, as we light the candles, I’m proud to have finally mastered the Hebrew, and even more proud that I take the chance to think about what these blessings mean.

I think those of us who cling to liminal spaces—those of us who depend on remaining “Jew-ish” because we can’t commit ourselves quite yet—are practicing what we preach. Quick to absorb, but slow to embrace a change in religion that matches the values we were raised with, and we want to raise our children with.

This piece first appeared as a comment on In the Interest of Utter Confusion.