Thursday Three: Beliefs

Terry writes this week:

I realize many of you come here bright and early every Thursday in order to play America's Most Popular Parlor Game, the Axis of Weevil Thursday Three, but in a break from the usual routine, today's T3 will be hosted by famed Long Island archivist and bowling guru, Skinnydan.:

Blessings Upon Thee, T3

Crap. Crap crap crap.

Forgot I was supposed to come up with T3 questions.

I know it was supposed to be about religion.

Think, THINK!

(You know, I believe I've had school-related nightmares like this.)

Fortunately, I should be able to meet those fine Possumblog standards, even at this late hour.Here goes:

1) Are you now a religiously committed person, and have you always been one?
2) Did you come to your faith on your own, or are you simply continuing traditions instilled by your parents/grandparents, etc. (For the non-believers, feel free to describe your absence of faith in the same vein)
3) Have you ever abandoned your faith and its teachings for any significant period of time, or in any significant way?

So be ye Christian, Mohammedean, or Son of Abraham, feel free to answer in ye comments or on thine own blog. Zoroastrians, Arianists, and Wiccans are on their own.

1)Sort of and no. We sporadically attend services, send our children to Hebrew school and have a nice Sabbath dinner with homemade challah every Friday, however we don’t keep kosher. Before I converted to Judaism I really did not have much religious commitment. I enjoyed Christmas with my family, but that was about it.

2)As I mentioned above, I have converted to Judaism. My family is nominally Unitarians and has been from many generations (If fact, my mother was a bit disappointed when they merged with the Univeralists). Converting to Judaism was not a big stretch for me. I already did not believe in the divinity of Christ and I enjoyed the richer heritage that Judaism offered. Both religions value free thought and I found that Judaism was a better fit. I came to learn and appreciate my new religion through my then boyfriend Larry. He never asked or expected me to convert, but he and his family was delighted that I did. My own family was very supportive of my decision and I am very lucky to have such a wonderful support from both sides. The best indication that I ever got that I made the right decision was when my friend Meryl said I was meant to be Jewish.

3)In regards to my former religion it would be a resounding yes, since I up and left it. In regards to my current, no not really. As I mentioned before we don’t keep kosher, but I do try my best to be the best person and Jew that I can.

Those were some mighty big questions and I have answered them to the best of my ability.