Last year I took the first steps towards converting to Judaism; also last year, I abandoned my attempt. It was partly that I find it hard to stick at any discipline, being bone-idle and highly hedonistic (for instance, I was only a lesbian for six months), and I realised that Judaism was such an extraordinarily complex and rich religion that I would really have to commit to do it properly. As I can't even commit to Lost or any of those long American television shows, this seemed unlikely.
I also began to feel a tiny bit ridiculous trotting to shul every Saturday, in a way that I didn't feel going to church on a Sunday, even though I found the Jewish idea of one deity far more sensible than the Father, Son and Holy Ghost free-for-all. I'm well aware that everyone who isn't a complete self-deluding fool finds themselves preposterous at times, but I didn't want this to happen because of a culture that I have such respect for.
This reveals Julie has spent about two minutes studying Christianity. The “Father, Son and Holy Ghost free-for-all”? (Maybe that is a deliberate pun: “free for all/three for all”?) The idea is three persons in one Godhead: The Trinity – together but separate. It’s a classic idea.
And every poet will tell you the story about the three women – the silent one always having the last word. Read Gilles Deleuze.
1 comment:
Huh. Yeah, I do kinda like that Judaism isn't in such a hurry for people to convert. I never had to do too much to be a Jew, but if you want to convert - particularly to be an Orthodox Jew, you need to put some work into it...
Post a Comment