I decided that whenever the liturgy said any name of God, I would take “God” to mean “all that exists and is good, including all that is good in humanity and all that is good in myself.” When I thought of it that way, I found that I actually did believe in virtually the entire service.
A few years ago, the rabbi at services said that because so many of us end our religious education sometime as children, we never get the chance to move beyond the notion of God as an anthropomorphic old man with a beard, essentially, when doing so is part of having a more adult conception of same. I think it's true -- that too often humans of all faiths talk about God as just an ultra-powerful human-like being.
When I began thinking of God more as a sort of power or presence in the universe -- and/or as a sort of internal voice (with thanks in part to Friends meeting for that), this whole religion business began to be something I could connect with a little bit more, for all that I'd be hard-pressed to tell anyone what, exactly, I do believe.
One thing I like about Judaism is it doesn't demand any certainty of belief, though. Took me a while to realize that, too.
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Date: 2009-09-30 04:18 pm (UTC)A few years ago, the rabbi at services said that because so many of us end our religious education sometime as children, we never get the chance to move beyond the notion of God as an anthropomorphic old man with a beard, essentially, when doing so is part of having a more adult conception of same. I think it's true -- that too often humans of all faiths talk about God as just an ultra-powerful human-like being.
When I began thinking of God more as a sort of power or presence in the universe -- and/or as a sort of internal voice (with thanks in part to Friends meeting for that), this whole religion business began to be something I could connect with a little bit more, for all that I'd be hard-pressed to tell anyone what, exactly, I do believe.
One thing I like about Judaism is it doesn't demand any certainty of belief, though. Took me a while to realize that, too.