If you were raised Jewish, do you think you would recognize Yom Kippur?

[hawkeye59]

Yeah, I'm Jewish, and I'm fasting, but we (i.e. Reform and possibly Conservative: I'm Reform) can use the internet.

[hawkeye59]

Obviously I do.

Then shouldn't you not be on the internet now?

Only the Orthodox observe an internet blackout.

Then we should unban NY Jew today just for the lulz.

He was banned? That makes my day much better!

[hawkeye59]

Unetaneh Tokef Kedushat Hayom.  Behold the holy power of this day, it is awesome and full of dread.

If you were Jewish, attending Yom Kippur services is the one thing you do not skip out on.  Period.  The point I stopped going to Yom Kippur is about the point that I realized I wasn't really Jewish anymore at all.

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That's always been my favorite part of the service, along with Kol Nidre.

I always had an issue with Unetaneh Tokef.  It implies predestination, which doesn't seem very fitting with the religion otherwise.

Kol Nidre is fascinating.  The prayer begging God to release one from promises one was unable to keep, it is a favorite of anti-Semites saying that Jews don't have to keep their deals.

Yeah, I dislike Unetaneh Tokef.
Also,

Judaism is the one world religion that completely confounds and puzzles me.

If you're Christian, you might have a tough time with that, because Christianity is kind of based on Judaism, with the added confusion of whatever the hell the Trinity is (How can Jesus be his own father? What the hell is the Holy Spirit?). You know what, just read the first half of your holy book if you're Christian. Take it almost literally. You have Orthodox Judaism. Then, do what some of the more moderate Churches do. You have Conservative Judaism. Then, consider what the United Church of Christ has done and add that. You get Reform Judaism. And finally, do what the Unitarians have done to Christianity. You have Reconstructionist Judaism.

[hawkeye59]

Judaism is the one world religion that completely confounds and puzzles me.

Really? It's not the one with the golden plates, seer stones, and proxy baptisms?

And magic underwear! But I'm at least somewhat familiar with Christian ethics because there are a lot of Christians in the world. So American television/movies/literature, even if I don't watch a lot, tend to be infused with that kind of stuff, even if they're otherwise secular. And I don't think say, the moral system of the LDS Church is that far from most other Christian denominations. I don't understand Calvinists though.

If you're Christian, you might have a tough time with that, because Christianity is kind of based on Judaism, with the added confusion of whatever the hell the Trinity is (How can Jesus be his own father? What the hell is the Holy Spirit?). You know what, just read the first half of your holy book if you're Christian. Take it almost literally. You have Orthodox Judaism. Then, do what some of the more moderate Churches do. You have Conservative Judaism. Then, consider what the United Church of Christ has done and add that. You get Reform Judaism. And finally, do what the Unitarians have done to Christianity. You have Reconstructionist Judaism.

I am not a Christian. I have never read the Bible. And it would not be an exaggeration to say that the majority of my knowledge about the Bible comes from an almost eponymous-named and dreadful porn I had the misfortune of experiencing during middle school. I really having no idea what you're talking about.

Also, taking it literally? So uh, Christian fundamentalism?

Really? I'd love to try and explain it to you. You're Japanese (right?) and I just wanna flat-out admit that I have basically the same reaction to Buddhism...

Not really. It's complicated. But ultimately irrelevant.

I have a strange relationship with Buddhism. I wouldn't say I understand it. But I've been exposed to it a great deal, at least the East Asian variant. So I couldn't really engage in a theological discussion about it, but I could probably look at Buddhist stuff and go "oh, that makes sense". Which is pretty much the relationship most other people in East Asia have to it. Which is probably the same relationship many Americans, especially the less educated/devout, have with Christianity.

Ah, sorry, I'm from the US so I'm kind of used to people knowing about Christianity.