Religious Traditions for Mixed Families
03.21.08 (4:39 pm) [edit]
*This is a sponsored post.
There's been a lot of talk recently about religion, not only on these boards, but also in the news. So I wanted to discuss it a little bit today. All I ask is that you keep the discussions civil. :)
I have a mixed family as far as religion is concerned. Many of my friends are also in relationships and marriages with people who are not of the same religion. And I'm not talking about denomination. I'm talking about an entirely different belief. Personally, I think there is a lot of wisdom in many religions. So I search through the various words of many different religions, and try to discover what brings people to that belief. More importantly, I try to figure out what I can learn from it.
Passover is coming up soon, and with all the talk that's been on the news recently, I think the story is an important one for many faiths. I found a site, www.ModernHaggadah.com, that has Haggadahs for families that are of mixed faiths, specifically, Jeweish-Buddhist families. I know of a lot of families that follow this particular mixed tradition. Now, for those who are unaware, a Haggadah is the ritual book used in Passover. I found in this book had information for I'm interested in. Now, I'm not Jewish, nor am I Buddhist. But this is a story that gives you hope when things look bleak.
The reviews on Amazon talk about how it is traditional, but it also brings modern elements into it. I know many people read statements like that with trepidation when they are talking about religious books. To me, it's like a sermon in a Christian church. Is it strictly Biblical in every sense? No. Often, preachers will talk about modern life, and how the Bible explains how we should act. Not every single word is pulled from the Bible. Does that mean it should be entirely thrown out? Not in my opinion. I happen to live in the modern world, so some relevance to my life is welcome. :) And that's exactly how this Haggadah sounds, and what the samples I read show. It presents the Passover story, but it does so in a modern way. Also, it originally sprung from a feminist Haggadah, so half the prayers are feminist versions of traditional prayers. In other words, for blended families who celebrate the Passover, it has something that will appeal to almost everyone. The site also has other Haggadahs, including one for families, and the Internet Haggadah.
There's been a lot of talk recently about religion, not only on these boards, but also in the news. So I wanted to discuss it a little bit today. All I ask is that you keep the discussions civil. :)
I have a mixed family as far as religion is concerned. Many of my friends are also in relationships and marriages with people who are not of the same religion. And I'm not talking about denomination. I'm talking about an entirely different belief. Personally, I think there is a lot of wisdom in many religions. So I search through the various words of many different religions, and try to discover what brings people to that belief. More importantly, I try to figure out what I can learn from it.
Passover is coming up soon, and with all the talk that's been on the news recently, I think the story is an important one for many faiths. I found a site, www.ModernHaggadah.com, that has Haggadahs for families that are of mixed faiths, specifically, Jeweish-Buddhist families. I know of a lot of families that follow this particular mixed tradition. Now, for those who are unaware, a Haggadah is the ritual book used in Passover. I found in this book had information for I'm interested in. Now, I'm not Jewish, nor am I Buddhist. But this is a story that gives you hope when things look bleak.
The reviews on Amazon talk about how it is traditional, but it also brings modern elements into it. I know many people read statements like that with trepidation when they are talking about religious books. To me, it's like a sermon in a Christian church. Is it strictly Biblical in every sense? No. Often, preachers will talk about modern life, and how the Bible explains how we should act. Not every single word is pulled from the Bible. Does that mean it should be entirely thrown out? Not in my opinion. I happen to live in the modern world, so some relevance to my life is welcome. :) And that's exactly how this Haggadah sounds, and what the samples I read show. It presents the Passover story, but it does so in a modern way. Also, it originally sprung from a feminist Haggadah, so half the prayers are feminist versions of traditional prayers. In other words, for blended families who celebrate the Passover, it has something that will appeal to almost everyone. The site also has other Haggadahs, including one for families, and the Internet Haggadah.
posted by: nightbreed (reply)
post date: 03.21.08 (4:06 pm)
very interesting..
posted by: PastorDave (reply)
post date: 03.21.08 (8:54 pm)
I would think a religious Jew, serious about his faith and his scriptures, would believe there to be but one God, YHWH. A devout Buddhist, of course, would not be so insistant. So, I guess, for the two to get together and be comfortable with one another, there would need to be a good bit of openness. I wonder if an Orthodox Jew would make such a commitment? Just contemplating as I type...
posted by: docsavage (reply)
post date: 03.25.08 (3:30 pm)
Reply to: PastorDave
Actually, my friends who are Jewish understand their faith to equal parts "practice", "history" and "theology". This is very similar to how my Buddhist friends approach their faith. Judaism, could be understood to be as much a system of ethics as a codified Theology. This is always a difficult concept for Christians because of the Christian focus on doctrinal teaching being superior to contemplative practice. (This isn't a universally true statement, of course, and there a plenty of Christian contemplatives who see their "practice" of Christianity as more important than their doctrines. These Christians, such as Thomas Merton, find quite a bit of alignment with their Buddhist brothers and sisters.)
