What Do You Believe In?

An interesting question I get asked when people hear I am Jewish (New Jew) is what do Jews generally and myself believe in?  Well I believe in many things and have opinions on many things that are "X"-Files-ish.  From G-d to UFOS to Ghosts etc.  So let me answer some of the more interesting questions I have been asked by people here on the blog and out in the real world.

G-D

Yes I believe in G-d.  I am a convert who is an observant, Progressive Jew.  I believe that the Torah is the word of G-d. And I believe that the Universe came into existence by a Divine Creator.

HOWEVER - I do not believe the Torah is the LITERAL word of G-d as dictated by a Divine Being to a primitive and imperfect Man.  Personally, I believe that the Torah is a road map of better behaviour and a guide to improving ourselves as people so that we are better to each other.  But I do not believe that it is a LITERAL translation of the word of G-d.  NOR do I believe that the world was created in 7 days.  I believe that Evolutionary Creation is still miraculous, even if it took Billions of years.


UFO's / ALIENS

I believe in Extra-terrestrial life yes.  But from a logical point of view.  Everything in the Universe exists as 'more than one'.  Stars.  Galaxies.  Planets.  Comets.  Black holes.  There are NO singular entities in the galaxy.  So - it is an acceptable hypothesis that there is other life out there.  Plus, I am kind of hoping that the Vulcans will actually visit us one day and help us grow up :)


GHOSTS

Hauntings?  Not so much.  Spirits?  Yes.  I believe there is something beyond life yes.  Ghosts.  Spirits.  Energy.  Call it what you will.  But I do believe that there is a part of us that continues after our body ceases.  I don't know what that is.  It could be our mind - a collection of neural energy that leaves our body.  It could indeed be a soul.  I don't know.  But I have had experiences, and have had trustworthy friends who have had experiences that have me leaning towards there is SOMETHING beyond what we see.


REINCARNATION

Now this is actually a prickly one amongst Jewish scholars.  Our primary purpose here in life is to learn.  We are also here to "Heal the world".  Many argue that there are too many lessons in life that one can learn in a single lifetime and that we come back to continue our learning.  Only upon learning all that we can as humans do we then go onto the "World to come".  I also think reincarnation serves a karmic purpose.  You get to come back to do better.  And this appeals to the social justice advocate in me.  We should always attempt to do better.  By that I mean we should strive to live as humans who try to improve not just ourselves but also the world we live in and the lot of others we share the world with.


PSYCHICS

I am not a believer in those who say they can "tell the future".  I haven't seen proof of that.  However, I have sat in a room with someone who communicated with someone who is no longer with us, and the facts that were discussed during that conversation with no prompting - consciously or subconsciously - from me was downright scary.  I do believe there are people who can link from this world to the next.  I don't know what it is.  I don't know how it works.  But I and Bubb have had experiences with this that have proven to us that this is possible.


And the big question I often get.......

"SO IF YOU BELIVE IN G-D WHY ISN'T HE/SHE HELPING US?!?!?"

Oy vey - THIS ONE!!!!!  I don't know.  But I do know this. We were given the gift of free will.  We were given the gift of choice.  Perhaps, we are supposed to save ourselves first before anything else happens.  But I truly do not know.  Now if *I* was G-d, yes I would be interfering and interjecting every 5 damn minutes.  Probably a good thing that I am not.  But as beings of free will, perhaps the upside of that was given to us is that we have to take responsibility and accountability of what we do.  Good.  Bad.  Evil.  And the very worst - The Indifferent.  Suffering and loss is something that we have to be accountable for.  Not a Divine Being that may or may not exist.

So there you go.

Something a LITTLE different on the blog today.

Happy Halloween to all my USA friends.  I hope to celebrate with you next year ;)

Blessings and love always

Damien
xox