Adam J. Choit

For now, I’ll take a break from all the ‘Crosswalk stuff.   Don’t worry though, I’ll have more updates with that soon.

For now, I’ll turn my attention to completely unrelated random subjects.  God, religion — all that crap.  Crap?  Actually, I guess I shouldn’t refer to that stuff as crap.  After all, god might punish me for it.

Now, I was raised Jewish, although my family was never very religious in the least bit.  We more or less just went through the motions and traditions, because well, that’s what most Jews do.

Nevertheless, I was ingrained with certain ideas as a child.  For one thing, using the phrase “god damn it” or “god damn this” or “god damn that” —- weren’t exactly encouraged in my household.  In fact, I could remember my mother scolding me for occasionally using such phrases.  She told me I’d be punished by god if I continued to say such things.

Anyway, flash forward to the present — today I consider myself an “agnostic Jew” — meaning basically I identify myself with the Jewish people, despite at least questioning the idea that a god exists in the first place.  But if I had to put money on it, I’d bet that there is no god.  Maybe some singular force of nature did indeed get the universe rolling, but surely there is no old man in the sky aware of my every move and thought.

I mean, I consider myself a pretty reasonable and rational person, but even today after I hear myself blurt out something like “Godammit, I don’t think the Mets are going to be very good in 2012″ — I feel a bit of regret afterward.  As if god (Mets fan or not) is now mad at me because I said such things.

It’s interesting though to think about that something my mom said to me as kid still has such an effect on me even to this day, as a fully-grown fairly-reasonable adult.  I guess the lesson here is one should never underestimate the power religiousness and god-lingo has on a young mind.

If a theist feels the maximum amount of guilt after blurting out a “godammit,” and an atheist feel no guilt whatsoever, where does that leave me?  I guess my real question is, now as adult agnostic, am I supposed to feel a little bad each time I say “godammit” or should I just feel guilty —– say, after every other time I use the phrase “godammit” ?…

I don’t know if you people know much about Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, but I’ll tell you one thing, I sure don’t know all that much about him.  However, last night on the Colbert Report, I learned that, well, he exists.

Beyond that, I also learned that he’s an apparent Republican Presidential candidate — and as a devout Christian, feels much of his career aspirations are god’s aspirations as well.  In fact, on August 6th, he’ll be holding an event called “The Response: a call to prayer for a nation in crisis” — an event where he may officially announce his candidacy for President in 2012.

Here’s an excerpt from the event’s official site, “I sincerely hope you’ll join me in Houston on August 6th and take your place in Reliant Stadium with praying people asking God’s forgiveness, wisdom and provision for our state and nation. There is hope for America. It lies in heaven, and we will find it on our knees.”

As easy as it might be to make a fellatio joke, or to point out that praying will fix absolutely none of America’s problems, I have other issues with Mr. Perry’s event.  For one thing, it’s extremely exclusionary.  It’s fine if these Evangelicals want to fill a football stadium, but as a governor of one of our states — what ever happened to separation of church and state?

And what is the deal with the fasting?  People sitting in a football stadium not eating is going to fix this country?  You’re probably thinking who am I as a Jewish person to criticize fasting, but there are major differences between fasting for Yom Kippur or Ramadan — compared to fasting for the purposes of Perry’s political gain.  For Jews and Muslims, fasting is personal act, and one that is based in ritual.  Perry’s urge for a fast is arbitrary and pointless, in my opinion.

Now, as disgusting as it is that Rick Perry is deceiving (ignorant) people into thinking that praying and fasting is going to fix our economy, foreign relations, etc etc — it’s even worse that this event can be considered a wasted opportunity for real philanthropy.

I mean, if tens of thousands of people are gathering together, at least request that they bring canned foods with them to donate to charity.  At least set up booths at the venue where people can donate money to good causes.  And by good causes, I DON’T mean to religious organizations or to Rick Perry’s campaign.  Yes, many churches often do great charity work, but hey, I don’t need any middle man.  There are plenty of charities out there without religious affiliations.

Perhaps this event will have those opportunities I talked about above for the people.  Perhaps there will be some tangible benefits from this event — but as of now, I don’t see anything about that stuff on the website.  All I see is nonsense, fluff, and religious jargon that is going to get our country nowhere fast.

Do you know how/why you got your first name?  What about your middle name?  With Jewish tradition, parents almost always name their children in honor of the deceased in their family  — like if the mom’s great-grandpa was “Morty” she might name her newborn son Morty.  Other times (to avoid naming your child Morty), parents might just take the first letter of the deceased relative, and name their kid something less passé than Morty and more common, like Michael.

Gentiles, unlike Jews, will often name their children after those still living, often themselves — Bob Jones Jr. or Bob Jones III, etc etc.   Perhaps the idea of naming your child after yourself is a bit egocentric, but then again, maybe the hope is that the next generation will improve on the name.

Maybe the father thinks, “I’ve done okay in my life as Bob Jones, but hopefully my son Bob Jones will do an even better job, and take the name Bob Jones to the next level of awesomeness.

By now most of you probably heard this story.  The story about the Brigham Young University basketball player who was suspended for the rest of the season by the university.

Yup, Brandon Davies was suspended for having pre-marital sex with his girlfriend.  To mostly everyone who lives on this planet, that action doesn’t even seem like an offense in the least bit.

HOWEVER, upon enrolling at the very Mormon BYU, every single student knows the rules, and this “honor code” they must follow:

• Be honest
• Live a chaste and virtuous life
• Obey the law and all campus policies
• Use clean language
• Respect others
• Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee and substance abuse
• Participate regularly in church services
• Observe the Dress and Grooming Standards
• Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code

Honesty, respecting others, living a virtuous life, and obeying the law all seem like fine ideas, but I must admit, everything else on this list is pretty unreasonable in varying degrees.  In fact, the rest of this honor code is — dare I say stupid?

In this p.c. hyper-sensitive society we’ve become, we’re all afraid to criticize religion, in fear of being labeled intolerant or even as someone who’s prejudice.  But being afraid to make fun of, or criticize religion I believe is counterproductive to becoming a more progressive society —- a society that promotes both humor, and intelligent dialogue.

While I can respect BYU for treating a basketball player like any other student who violated a university policy, I also think they are nuts for having this ridiculous honor code in the first place.

Anyway, I thought the whole point of college was sex, drinking, smoking, cursing, and dressing like a slob.

I thought the point of college was to become more liberal and to denounce whatever religion in which you were raised.  I thought the point was to come home during that first winter break freshman year, and proclaim to your parents you’re now an atheist — of course mostly to just upset them.

Seemingly more so lately these days, than even in the past, my dislike for the faux-supernatural is stronger.  Horoscopes, psychics, Tarot-cards, the magic 8-ball — I don’t like any of it.  I guess I understand why some people enjoy some of that stuff, and even do so “just for fun.”

It’s good to take all of it with a grain of salt.  However, some people really only take that stuff with a 1/3 of a grain of salt, instead of the often-suggested full grain.

Anyway, often people will ask me if I think ghosts exist.

No.  Ghosts do not exist.  There are no ghosts now, and have never been.   Here’s the best I can do for ya:  People are made up of molecules and stuff.  People died.  However, dead people molecules are still floating around and stuff, even after death.  All I can say is that maybe dead people molecules are still around, in our environment, and even in us.

Despite all of that though, houses aren’t haunted.  There are no invisible beings that can travel through walls.  In fact, if I was to be proved wrong, and saw a ghost in my home, I’d call the cops.   I don’t care if you are a supernatural being or not, if you’re an uninvited guest in my home, I consider it trespassing.  Believe me, I do have respect for the dead and a respect for history, but it works both ways.

The dead should respect the living.  In other words, if ghosts existed (which they don’t), and plan to stop by house, at least text me before you’re on your way over.

This is something Jews like myself have to deal with every year during the Holiday season.  Most stores/restaurants/etc. will tell you “Happy Holidays” upon your exit.  However, quite often people (cashiers and whatnot) will say to me, “Merry Christmas!”

They’re just trying to be nice, but it really is wrong of them to assume that I celebrate Christmas.  Christmas technically is a religious holiday, believe it or not.

In fact, it’s not just Jews who don’t celebrate Christmas.  In Los Angeles, which is the MOST ethnically diverse city in the world, plenty of people don’t do Christmas.

Every time this happens to me, I quickly run through the thought-process, “Should I correct this person?”  Suddenly I then realize that I’ve already said, “You too” back, and have been handed a receipt and have gone on my merry (no irony intended) way.

I guess it’s ok.   People are just trying to be nice.    I mean, it’s not as if these people are trying to convert me, or trying to convince me the Holocaust didn’t happen.

I generally like the Christmas/Holiday/whatever you wanna call it season anyway.

You know which mosque I’m referring to here, the one that would actually be built two blocks from Ground Zero.

I just had a couple of follow-up thoughts to my previous post.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve heard some pundits make some more good points about why this mosque should be built, anywhere in the country really.  Besides obvious Constitutional rights, it’s worth noting that um, there are Muslim-Americans fighting in our military.

You’re telling me that people who fight in our own army don’t have the right to practice their religion freely?  Plus, equating all Muslims to terrorists makes zero sense, especially when we consider that in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, “part” of our “missions” have been to help people who are Muslim (excluding civilian casualties — those don’t really help so much).

Anyway, an argument the other side has been making, is that its “insensitive” to build a mosque so close to wear 9-11 took place.  They say it’s “disrespectful!”

Fine, you tell me where it should be built so that your sensibilities won’t be offended.   Let’s go to ground zero with a fucking really long tape measure.  One person holds one end, and another person starts walking further and further away from where the buildings once stood — holding the other end of the tape measure.   Once the tape measure is extended out the appropriate distance for you not to be offended, let me know.

Do you morons see my point?

Who the hell would have ever expected me to say that?  Well, it’s true.  I think I’ve come to realize why so many athletes thank “The Lord Jesus Christ” after a winning clutch performance.

There’s a term “god-given” talent.  While developing athletic talent into greatness surely takes hard work, just consider the following idea.

No musician was ever amazing the first time they picked up a saxophone, but some kids just run fast the first time they take off.

I suppose an exception to this would be a talented singer.  But even singers don’t thank god after a successful show, or recording session — at least not as often as athletes seem to do after competition.  I mean, if you scored a game winning touchdown in front of millions of cheering fans, and was making millions of dollars at the same time doing what you love, wouldn’t you be thankful as well?

…and that’s what’s most important — the athlete is expressing gratitude, which should supersede whatever personal religious beliefs the individual has.

So I urge you people as well to be thankful for the good things you have in your life, too.  —–  Whatever you believe in terms of religion, thank that god…..and if you’re not into that stuff,  just be thankful for that in itself.

If you don’t know what a mezuzah is in the Jewish religion, it is a piece of parchment (often contained in a decorative case) that is inscribed with specified Hebrew verses from the Torah.  A mezuzah is affixed to the doorframe…and is believed to bring long life and protection for members of the home.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mezuzah-RS.jpg

Anyway, I was at MTD’s housewarming party over the weekend.   It being my first time at the place, I noticed all sorts of interesting nicknacks around.  Among them was a large plastic shield hung up inside, right next to the front door.

I asked about this item, and MTD said it was a plastic He-Man shield:

http://www.he-man.org/assets/images/collect_toy/he-man_shield.jpg

Hmm, an item that’s personal, placed near a door, and also represents protection.

…sounds like a gentile mezuzah to me.

…especially since He-Man is like the least Jewy looking person ever.  I gotta say, I haven’t met that many massively jacked blonde-haired Jewish dudes…

Have you heard this story?  There are plans to build an Islamic mosque on ground zero of where the 9-11 attacks took place.  Well, the mosque would actually be built a couple of blocks from ground zero, but what’s the difference, right?

This topic has been the cause of some outrage (mostly from conservatives, but even from some others as well).

Initially, the Anti-Defamation League (Jewish civil rights/human relations agency) protested.  Some people claimed this was disrespectful to those who perished in the 9-11 attacks.

Now the ADL says protesting is “counterproductive to the healing process…we’re not continuing to fight it. We raised an issue…but once the community board ruled, we moved on.”

Yeah, ok.  If this was really an issue that had something to do with real Jewish interests at heart, the ADL wouldn’t have thrown in the towel so quickly.   This is not a “pick and choose your battle,” type of scenario for the ADL, but rather a case in which their knee-jerk reaction was off-base, and just wrong.

Good thing too, because we’re all better off leaving this fight to enlightened thinkers like Pat Robertson and Sarah Palin.

The fact that a mosque is going to be built so close to ground zero is A BEAUTIFUL THING.  That’s right, it shows how here in America we still do have some concept of what freedom means, and to echo our President’s voice, “We’re not at war with Islam.”  Once this mosque is constructed, it will truly be a shining example of the religious freedom we have in this country.

Protesting a mosque being built is an admission that one cannot separate terrorism and extremism from the religion of Islam itself.  If that’s the ignorant view that everyone has, then we might as well just tear down every single mosque in this country right now.