A break: Religious Musings

First, and in keeping with the theme of this post, a short prayer: Dear higher power, I know that I should not be writing blog entries from my mom's computer, but I left my laptop at home. Please give me the strength of memory to remember to logout of this account before leaving. Ever your faithful supplicant, RS.

Now that that's over with...

As I have mentioned before, I am a Jew, and as most of you probably know, we are now entering into the Days of Awe or the Jewish High Holy Days. This is a time when your Jewish brothers and sisters are supposed to contemplate the wrongs that they have done over the course of the year and to ask forgiveness from friends, family, and God for their sins. While I am typically a pretty bad to mediocre Jew, this is one of those Jewish things that I take pretty seriously. I think it is useful to look back over your wrongs and ask for forgiveness. I think it is also useful to have a time to forgive. 

I'm having a problem this year, though. For some reason this year more than in years prior, I am confronting the nature of my life as a "sinner." Personally I don't see my lifestyle as very sinful. I am kind, caring, generally helpful, and dedicated to my work and study. This doesn't change the fact that many of the activities in which I enjoy engaging are "sinful" according to religious dogma. In case you didn't catch it yet, I'm referring to The Sex. I enjoy sex. Currently I'm not enjoying very much of it, but that's a different story (will this month PLEASE just end already.) I do not feel the need to beg God for forgiveness about my sex life. I am quite ethical sexually, and I try my best not to hurt people. So what do I have to apologize for? For pleasure? That is so stupid.

But it doesn't change the fact that I am a sinner and this is the time of year to change that. The whole effect of this is heightened when I'm standing in front of a synagogue of people beating my chest to punish myself for my sins of arrogance, betrayal, causing others to sin...What am I supposed to do? Just ignore that rather large part of my life? 

I have no answers for this. Do you? 

I leave you with some sexy God-Poetry:

1. I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
2. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
3. As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
4. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
5. Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.
6. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
7. I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.
8. The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
9. My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.
10. My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
11. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
12. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
13. The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
14. O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
15. Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
16. My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.
17. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.