Elise and I watched a rerun of The Tonight Show last night. Madonna was the main attraction. She spoke about her religion, Kabbalah. I don’t look to celebrities for spiritual guidance, but what she said of Kabbalah was interesting. I know nothing about Kabbalah but from what I gathered, it’s a religion based on spirituality and science. I’m not a religious person. I’m not Baptized. I am, however, a spiritual person and have a lot of questions about life, death and the afterlife.
I’ve never been sold on conventional religions. One reason is because I’m not educated. The other reason is because of the judgment that I feel is involved. I am interested in human history, science, astrology as well as other things.
I told Elise about when I played football in junior high. Before each game, the entire team would take a knee to the side of the field and say the Lord’s Prayer. I was never taught the Lord’s Prayer as I didn’t go to church. I eventually learned the Lord’s Prayer but I never spoke it. I lip synced. I conformed. I think the Bellville Independent School district is (or was) immune to any form of separation of church and state. I knelt and bowed my head because that is what was expected. I didn’t want to kneel and lip sync the Lord’s Prayer – it didn’t feel right to me, but if I didn’t, who knows what would have been said of me.
Now it doesn’t bother me. I am an adult and can stand up for my agnostic* view. My family and my in-laws are religious people. I respect their religions and beliefs. I go to church voluntarily every Christmas eve with my wife. I do this because I know it is something that is important to her. Well, that and you get a pretty good workout at a Catholic Mass.
So anyway, Kabbalah seems interesting. Maybe I’ll research it.
* I prefer the “reserving judgment” definition of agnostic.