Jews Are Not Atheists

This is a rant about an act that I witnessed last night that epitomized one of the greatest diseases that infects contemporary society (en mon avis).

I was at a dinner conference on the topic of honor and community last night. It was sponsored by my university and all student leaders along with several faculty members and staff were invited to attend. It included a dinner, a motivational speech and a post-speech table discussion.

Before the meal portion of the event commenced, the University Chaplain was invited to say a prayer and bless the food. The portly gentleman made his way to the podium and gave a delightful, but slightly too long prayer that sounded more like the introduction to the motivational speech that was to come than anything else. Rarely did he mention God, never did he mention Jesus. When he mentioned Christianity, it was in the same sentence as Judaism and Islam. When he mentioned Church, it was mixed in with the words 'temple' and 'mosque'. It was as agnostic as a wholesome prayer could get. And as an agnostic myself, I was intrigued and enlightened by his words, not offended or even a bit discomforted.

However, throughout the entire prayer, a fellow female student who was sitting next to me was boiling with outrage. She couldn't believe that there was a prayer! She couldn't believe that a university chaplain had the audacity to engage in an act that was even remotely associated with religion at a non-religious event! It was AWKWARD, she exclaimed. So awkward that she decided to look around with a disgusting little grin on her face and scoff at those bowing their heads in player or respect, as I was. She then whipped out her cell phone and started texting in the middle of the prayer. The icing on the cake, my friends. I guess I could say I was alarmed.

After the prayer, the student tried to make her case about how it was inappropriate for them to pray at such an event. But I just looked at her with crooked eye brows and said, "I don't know. I'm an agnostic and it didn't bother me." I then removed myself from the premises because I feared I might slap her out of frustration. Later on in conversation at the table, I found out that this young woman was not even atheist. She's Jewish!

So, last night as I lay awake I asked myself: Is she an atheist disguised as a Jew? Unlikely given that she later self-identified as a Jew. Did this girl not listen to the chaplain's introduction to his prayer? Or to the prayer itself, both of which acknowledged with respect all religions and the importance of prayer in all of their practices? Clearly not. Because had she listened, she would have realized that the prayer stuck to the Old Testament just as it fit with the new one. But no. Instead, the second that something remotely religious was mentioned by someone who happened to identify personally with a religion other than her own, the student put on her earmuffs and turned on the ignorance.

As a relatively educated individual, I have found that one of the greatest causes of discontent, anger and even war throughout history has been an unwillingness to listen to and respect others despite their differences. Far too often individuals and groups fall into the trap of jumping to conclusions about situations and conversations based on pre-conceived notions of what they might be or mean. Especially when it comes to religion, it seems as though everyone thinks everyone is trying to indoctrinate everyone else.

Ever since I realized that I didn't personally fall into a defined category of religion, I have become hyper-aware of situations like this. Not because I fear indoctrination, but am interested in the way people speak of their religions. I respect other people's beliefs and am intrigued by the way they view them, practice them and, yes, even share them. And I don't say this as a forgiving Catholic or a victimized Jew. I say it as a human being, a citizen of the world, a member of mankind. Because at the end of the day we are people. We are all just trying to make our way in the world. And if we could take a step back and listen instead of avoid, appreciate instead of scoff at, or in the least just take a step back and keep our mouths shut out of respect for others, I truly think this world would be a much more peaceful place.