I put on my robe and ranting hat
(with apologies for stealing the title line from Dale).
Well, given that I'm actually not pissed off right now, this is less of a rant and more of an essay on the particular ways in which people are asshats.
Went to the Jewish American History Museum this morning. Since they are in the process of building a new site for it, the current one is just the museum shop and a "here is the process of building a museum" kind of display. Most were questions to get the public involved.
One was a series of potentially controversial questions about the state of Judaism in America today. One, naturally "Does intermarriage pose a threat to Judaism?" Many people put yeses, noes and maybes. One of the yes explanations was nearly painful to read. It suggested that intermarriage of non-Jews with Jews constitutes a spiritual holocaust.
Pardon? Offensive on several levels:
1.) It suggests that a Jewish person will subvert his/her identity into that of his/her partner. Sure, this happens, but by no means is it 100%. In an ideal mixed faith marriage, there should be a lot of communication between the individuals. More so, I think that a person should support his/her partner's spiritual life. If one chooses to believe in God and act out that faith, it is the most intimate, deep relationships a person can have. A partner in marriage should support that relationship, whatever the outward expression of it is.
2.) It implies that people who intermarry are on the same moral level as Hitler. The Holocaust didn't just screw with Judaism; the whole world lost out. What knowledge, talent, and individual genius was lost? In the 6 million people that the world lost, there could have been people who would have bettered the world, or laid the seeds for that betterment. Hell, if a person was going to simply live the rest of his or her life as a reclusive old jerk, he/she should've had that chance to at least show the rest of their community how NOT to live.
So, until a mixed faith marriage results in the major fucking up of the whole world...Fly: this shit does not.
3.) It certainly insults the people who actually suffered the living hell that was the Holocaust. After their suffering, any kind of wedding between any individuals would've been something to take his/her mind off what they went through. Sometimes, I wonder if people who make cheap references to Hitler and the Holocaust realize what they're doing. If anything similar is ever going to happen again, it first has to be cheapened and made meaningless. And any group in society can be made a scapegoat.
4.) Lastly, it's also a veiled "think of the children!" argument. True, if I marry Dale and we have kids, they will not automatically be Jewish. They would have to convert. A) is that a big deal? If a kid has to work for something in his/her life, they're not being done a disservice. B) what the hell business is it of anyone else how we would raise our kids? C) doesn't that invalidate a child's right to choose his/her religion (once of an age to understand the issues)?
Honestly, I've metabolized all the angry chemicals by now. I still think it is a sad, offensive, and cheap shot that insults more people than just those getting married. It's not so much that the disapproval is the problem. I don't care who disapproves of which marriage; that is someone's own business.
But really. Find a new phrase. "spiritual holocaust" is just proving what a jackass you are (you may notice that I refuse to capitalize it...that's 'cause it's a bullshit comparison).
Besides...Dale and I connect on levels that neither of us could have dreamed of before meeting each other. Thus far, it would seem, religion has not been a big problem for us. I'm certainly not going to give up the best thing to happen to me because we *might* have a problem. We'll fight, of course. I'm sure some of them will be rip-roaring, knock-down, drag-out arguments. But why give up something so amazing? Anything good is worth fighting for and we'll just have to fight through our problems and differences. We might even *gasp* come out as better people afterward! The HORROR!
Well, given that I'm actually not pissed off right now, this is less of a rant and more of an essay on the particular ways in which people are asshats.
Went to the Jewish American History Museum this morning. Since they are in the process of building a new site for it, the current one is just the museum shop and a "here is the process of building a museum" kind of display. Most were questions to get the public involved.
One was a series of potentially controversial questions about the state of Judaism in America today. One, naturally "Does intermarriage pose a threat to Judaism?" Many people put yeses, noes and maybes. One of the yes explanations was nearly painful to read. It suggested that intermarriage of non-Jews with Jews constitutes a spiritual holocaust.
Pardon? Offensive on several levels:
1.) It suggests that a Jewish person will subvert his/her identity into that of his/her partner. Sure, this happens, but by no means is it 100%. In an ideal mixed faith marriage, there should be a lot of communication between the individuals. More so, I think that a person should support his/her partner's spiritual life. If one chooses to believe in God and act out that faith, it is the most intimate, deep relationships a person can have. A partner in marriage should support that relationship, whatever the outward expression of it is.
2.) It implies that people who intermarry are on the same moral level as Hitler. The Holocaust didn't just screw with Judaism; the whole world lost out. What knowledge, talent, and individual genius was lost? In the 6 million people that the world lost, there could have been people who would have bettered the world, or laid the seeds for that betterment. Hell, if a person was going to simply live the rest of his or her life as a reclusive old jerk, he/she should've had that chance to at least show the rest of their community how NOT to live.
So, until a mixed faith marriage results in the major fucking up of the whole world...Fly: this shit does not.
3.) It certainly insults the people who actually suffered the living hell that was the Holocaust. After their suffering, any kind of wedding between any individuals would've been something to take his/her mind off what they went through. Sometimes, I wonder if people who make cheap references to Hitler and the Holocaust realize what they're doing. If anything similar is ever going to happen again, it first has to be cheapened and made meaningless. And any group in society can be made a scapegoat.
4.) Lastly, it's also a veiled "think of the children!" argument. True, if I marry Dale and we have kids, they will not automatically be Jewish. They would have to convert. A) is that a big deal? If a kid has to work for something in his/her life, they're not being done a disservice. B) what the hell business is it of anyone else how we would raise our kids? C) doesn't that invalidate a child's right to choose his/her religion (once of an age to understand the issues)?
Honestly, I've metabolized all the angry chemicals by now. I still think it is a sad, offensive, and cheap shot that insults more people than just those getting married. It's not so much that the disapproval is the problem. I don't care who disapproves of which marriage; that is someone's own business.
But really. Find a new phrase. "spiritual holocaust" is just proving what a jackass you are (you may notice that I refuse to capitalize it...that's 'cause it's a bullshit comparison).
Besides...Dale and I connect on levels that neither of us could have dreamed of before meeting each other. Thus far, it would seem, religion has not been a big problem for us. I'm certainly not going to give up the best thing to happen to me because we *might* have a problem. We'll fight, of course. I'm sure some of them will be rip-roaring, knock-down, drag-out arguments. But why give up something so amazing? Anything good is worth fighting for and we'll just have to fight through our problems and differences. We might even *gasp* come out as better people afterward! The HORROR!