The Jewmanist

Where do we get our creativity and inspiration from? It’s different for everyone. As a teen, I began writing (I also drew and painted some). I wrote many poems railing against “the system”. I wasn’t 100% certain what I even meant by that at the time. Yet I think it had something to do with what I could easily refer to as the Expected Steps of Life that are pushed on us by religious institutions, political figureheads, and our families. After childhood we’re all pushed towards college, then the must-have job that you hate, get married to the first warm body (of the opposite sex) that hangs around for a few months, have 2.5 kids, buy a house, and mess up your kids in a similar fashion that your parents did to you (to a lesser extent if they’re lucky). Continuing the job you hate while saving for a retirement you so you can finally enjoy your money and spouse. These steps are all a part of the “American Dream” and must not be done out of order!

As some of you may know, I moved from Los Angeles to Miami not too long ago. I grew up here so I’m no stranger. It’s almost eerily familiar. One of my main motivations for moving out west was my degree in Film Production (U of Miami, 2003) and it was much better served out there. As much as I loved (and still do) the art of making short films and other related media, I think I may have preferred to study motion graphics or web design. Still, the experience and journey is worth it every moment.

To all those struggling with doubt and/or nonbelief, I would suggest Ebonmuse’s wonderful post. In efforts to bridge those in between, those who considers themselves “agnostic” (which, in essence, everybody is), and those who don’t know what to consider themselves.

This post isn’t for confirmed atheists, nor for confirmed theists. It’s not for people who’ve already made up their minds, one way or the other.

No, this post is for the seekers, the in-betweeners, the tormented doubters. It’s for the uncertain agnostics, people who aren’t certain what they believe; it’s for people who feel like they no longer belong in their church, but don’t know of an alternative; and it’s for people who are experiencing a full-blown crisis of faith and don’t know where to turn.

He offers various resources (i.e., why those ugly stereotypes are exception, not the rule) for those who stumble upon his post via web search:

[Image credit: Steve Rhodes]

That’s right. I said it. Hero. Dr. George Tiller went to work everyday, terrified. Anti-choice sites listed his name, address, where he shopped, where he went to church, and any other information they could gather. Tiller constantly received threats (and has been shot before), but still he continued to do his job in a bullet-proof vest while taking other major safety precautions. You can see below just how bad it is:

According to the Jewish perspective, you get your “soul” once you pass through the cervix, which explain me perfectly– I was a cesarean. On a more serious note, though, it is viewed as a necessary evil and the women’s life is always viewed as a priority to that of the unborn fetus.