Insights Into Teens: Episode 72 “Teens and Religion”

• Introductions
  • Insights Into Teens Episode 72 “Teens and Religion”
  • My mature and responsible co-host Madison Whalen
    

[TRANSITION]
  

• Religion in our household
  • Parents and Faith
    • Dad
      • Raised Roman Catholic
      • Parents were religious but not practicing
      • Parents kind of forced religion on me without setting a good example
      • Father was divorced and discouraged from going to church
        
    • Mom
      • Questions:
        • Do you consider yourself to be religious?
        • What religion do you adhere to?
        • Have you always been religious?
        • Were your parents religious and did they belong to a congregation?
        • Do you attend religious services regularly?
        • What are your personal feelings on how religious your daughter is?
          
  • Holidays
    • Some Christian holidays are practiced in a secular manner, not much in the way of religious undertones
    • Most Jewish holidays on the religious calendar. Not an extensive religious education but the basic historical and religious context of the holidays
        
  • Services
    • We do not attend regular religious services
    • We do not belong to any congregations, churches or temples
        
  • Beliefs
    • Mom and dad have their beliefs and share them openly but do not impose them on Madison
      

[AD 1: SSE]
  

• Statistics on Religion
  • https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/age-distribution/
  • https://pewrsr.ch/3i5ejAt 
    • Importance of religion increases with age
      • 18-29 – 40% say very important
      • 30-49 – 51% say very important
      • 50-64 – 59% say very important
      • 65 and older – 65% say very important
          
    • Frequency of feeling spiritual peace and well being
      • 18-29 – 50% once a week
      • 30-49 – 57% once a week
      • 50-64 – 63% once a week
      • 65 and older – 65% once a week
          
    • Frequency of feeling wonder about the universe
      • 18-29 – 48% one a week
      • 30-49 – 43% once a week
      • 50-64 – 48% once a week
      • 65 and older – 46% once a week
          
  • http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7019023/ns/us_news/t/study-most-us-teens-serious-about-religion/
  • https://nbcnews.to/2YGeuuJ
    • The project involved a telephone survey of 3,370 randomly selected English- and Spanish-speaking Americans, ages 13-17, followed by face-to-face interviews with 267 of the respondents in 45 states.
        
    • Were affiliated with a local congregation (82 percent).
    • Had few or no doubts about their beliefs in the past year (80 percent).
    • Felt “extremely,” “very” or “somewhat” close to God (71 percent).
    • Prayed alone a few times a week or more often (65 percent).
    • “Definitely” believed in divine miracles from God (61 percent).
       
  • https://ifstudies.org/blog/religious-upbringing-and-adolescence
  • https://bit.ly/2Vn1pnS
    • A large study of over 5,000 adolescents for more than eight years found:
      
      • Those who attended religious services regularly were subsequently: 
        • 12% less likely to have high depressive symptoms
        • 33% less likely to use illicit drugs
          
      • Those who prayed or meditated frequently were:
        • 30% less likely to start having sex at a young age
        • 40% less likely to subsequently have a sexually transmitted infection
          
      • Religious upbringing also contributed towards a number of positive outcomes as well, such as:
        • 18% more likely to report high levels of happiness
        • 87% more likely to have high levels of forgiveness
          
      • Those who prayed or meditated frequently were subsequently: 
        • 38% more likely to volunteer in their community
        • 47% more likely to have a high sense of mission and purpose
          

[AD 2: ENTERTAINMENT]

• Benefits teens gain from religion
  • https://yourteenmag.com/family-life/communication/what-religion-offers-teenagers#:~:text=%E2%80%9CReligious%20programs%20can%20offer%20teens,decisions%2C%20especially%20about%20ethical%20issues.
  • https://bit.ly/3eE7kwv
    • A sense of belonging
    • Clear vision and direction in life
    • Structure and balance when there is a lot of boundary testing
    • A like minded community of peers
    • Better decision making skills
    • Better ethical judgement
    • Humility and patience
    • A better sense of who they are and who they want to become
      

[TRANSITION]
 

• Closing Remarks and Shoutouts
  

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[Music]

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insightful podcasts by informative hopes

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[Music]

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insights into things a podcast network

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[Music]

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welcome to insights into teens a podcast

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series exploring the issues and

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challenges of today’s youth your hosts

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are Joseph and Madison Whalen a father

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and daughter team making their way

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through the challenges of the teenage

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years

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[Music]

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[Applause]

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welcome to insights into teens this is

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episode 72 teens and religion I’m your

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host Joseph Whalen and my mature

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responsible co-host Madison Whalen hi

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everyone

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are you doing today Maddy pretty good

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tired but good yeah well you know that’s

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what happens in the summertime when it’s

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so hot out right yeah so last week we

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did not do a podcast we had a couple of

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real-life things come up mommy had some

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work things pop up I had some work

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things pop up and unfortunately we just

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couldn’t get around to him so we’re

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making up for it this week and this week

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actually we have mommy with this as a

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special guest we’re gonna be asking

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mommy some questions how you doing today

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mommy I’m tired as well yeah it’s good

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to be going around yes so we’re gonna be

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asking some questions on religion we’re

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going to talk about how our family

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Andals religious things and then the

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second half of the show we’re going to

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talk about how religion affects teens

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and some statistics on teens and

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religion for statistics

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yay for statistics that’s close enough

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so are we ready to get into it sure

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let’s do it

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all right so I think the first thing

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that we should probably talk about is

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are we religious what religion are we

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what’s our backgrounds so I think we’re

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just gonna sort of I’ll start off

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talking about my religion and what I was

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brought up with and then we’ll ask mommy

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some questions and get some information

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from mommy all righty so for me I was

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raised Roman Catholic

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I was raised Roman Catholic from you

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know birth I guess I should say my

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parents were religious but did not

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attend religious ceremonies

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my father had been divorced previously

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and in the Catholic religion at least at

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the time they tend to frown on you being

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active in the church if you’re divorced

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because they don’t they don’t believe in

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divorce but my parents wanted me and my

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three brothers to be practicing

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Catholics so they sent us to Mass they

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sent us to CCD or catechism to get all

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of our sacraments and all that stuff and

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I wasn’t a particular fan of it as a

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result of that because it felt like it

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was being forced down my throat so I

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don’t consider myself to be a

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particularly religious individual I have

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beliefs and a higher being but I have a

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great disdain for organized religion

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simply based on the history of

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Christianity and how it’s been held did

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you have any questions for me on

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religion

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I’m not entirely sure okay so quick

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thing I think why was it so frowned upon

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for why were they so against divorce did

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you know or well in the Catholic Church

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marriage is a sacrament and and

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sacraments are sort of secret bonds in

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Christianity so you have like baptism

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then you have your communion then you

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had your confirmation then there’s

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others you know marriage is another one

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being ordained as a practicing minister

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is another one let what’s called last

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rites when you die you get a special

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blessing and stuff like that so the

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Catholic Church saw that as you breaking

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your vows to God

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ah so the thought you know the whole

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idea behind it was that it was a sin and

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that’s why they didn’t they kind of

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frowned upon it

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did you have any other questions oh

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nothing I know of I might have a few

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later on but for now I’m good all right

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well let’s have you ask mommy the

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questions that we have lined up you have

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those in front of you

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yep all right let’s make you ask mommy

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those questions all righty so the first

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question we got is do you consider

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yourself to be religious I’m probably

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not as religious as I used to be um

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I still can consider myself Jewish you

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know obviously that’s that’s one of

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those things most people don’t ever not

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feel that they are just to what degree

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you know they feel so I’m still Jewish

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I’m definitely not as religious as I I

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used to be okay so clearly you already

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answered our second question which is

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what religion to you let’s let’s expound

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on them as they are different right

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nominee so right there there’s different

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denominations of Judaism so I was raised

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reform I was brought up as a as a

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reformed Jew now my parents they back

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when they were kids and and whatnot they

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really weren’t as many subdivisions of

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Judaism basically everybody was was kind

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of Orthodox that was really you know the

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even though Reform Judaism conservative

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judaism were around they weren’t as

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popular so you know so my parents kind

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of grew up in a more strict religious

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background but again they didn’t always

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go to services they didn’t you know go

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to weekly services they probably went a

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little bit more often you know they kind

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of kept kosher a little bit more so they

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were stricter with certain jewish rules

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and then when we found a temple in our

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area we we joined a reformed temple and

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that was i don’t want to say it’s the

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most relaxed of the three but it’s it’s

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you know not as many rules to follow i

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guess as you know your your

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ultra-orthodox in comparison but we

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still did a lot of things you know like

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a lot of people that are reformed don’t

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keep kosher it’s kind of it’s your

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choice you can you can keep kosher or

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you don’t have to my parents chose to

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kind of try and keep kosher because that

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was how they were brought up and same

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thing with certain holidays like you

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know we made sure to to celebrate

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Passover and Rosh Hashanah and Yom

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Kippur and all the things associated

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with those holidays because that was how

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they they were brought up so back when I

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was younger much more religious we

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actually went to service

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almost every week and it really wasn’t

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as much for the religious aspect it was

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for the religious aspect but it was also

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the social aspect this was where my

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parents got to see friends of theirs

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this is where I got to see friends as I

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got a little bit older and I went to

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religious school I went to Hebrew school

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it actually became a requirement for

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students to at least to attend at least

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one service a month and you actually had

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to sign in with it to prove that you you

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were there and you would get like an

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extra credit point or something because

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they were trying to get people to come

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to services a little bit more often so

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for me I kind of saw it as a social

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outing you know I sat through her

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service for 45 minutes an hour and then

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I got to hang out with some friends

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afterwards when I got a little older I

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actually started singing in the temple

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choir so that kind of helped to make the

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service go a little bit faster because I

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was kind of performing during it and my

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dad actually ended up joining the choir

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as well we were like this

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father-daughter team so again it was

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very social for my family my father was

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active in the men’s club my mother was

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active active in the women’s club I was

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active in the youth group so again for

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us it was religious but again social as

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well yeah and it’s funny you mention

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that because I think one of the things

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that kind of turned me off from the

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church that we were at was we as the

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kids of parents who were divorced and

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didn’t attend church

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I always felt we were kind of

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stigmatized you know you kind of stuck

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out like a sore thumb you know everybody

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else all the other youth that were there

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were there with their parents and it was

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a social thing it was a gathering of the

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community and my parents didn’t

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participate in that so as a result I

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didn’t know any of the people that were

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there so there was no social aspect it

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was basically I was forced to go listen

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to these masses you know in the Catholic

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Mass

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you know sit stand kneel sits Dan Neil

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sits Dan Neil and I never enjoyed it

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because you always kind of felt like you

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were that odd wheel there you know you

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didn’t know any friends even when I was

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going to the religious school we’d go

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one day a week it was a couple of kids

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that was in this that were in the same

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school that I were but it was from kids

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from different schools in the area right

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that’s how my you know so I didn’t know

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maybe more than one or two of the kids

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that were in the class and they never

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went to church at the same time that we

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did the only church services I ever

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actually liked was going to midnight

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mass for for Christmas and it was

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because it had a very ironically pagan

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field and had a very you know earthy

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mother earth type feels it didn’t feel

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quite your typical it was in a service

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right yeah so so what’s our next

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question okay so um how have you always

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been religious I want to UM let’s try

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and touch more on how you know so even

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as the other youth were you really yeah

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absolutely you know cuz again I started

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you know once we moved to to Jackson

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because again I grew up in in Central

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Jersey for a few years then we moved to

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Jackson and it was probably still a few

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years so it was maybe by first grade was

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when you know we joined the temple and

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when I joined you know the religious

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school and it was just you know it you

0:12:38.420,0:12:43.010
know there were some weekends or some

0:12:40.670,0:12:45.620
Friday nights when it was kind of a pain

0:12:43.010,0:12:48.350
because it was like I went to school all

0:12:45.620,0:12:51.590
week now I have to go to Temple you know

0:12:48.350,0:12:54.290
and um you know and then once I’d go I’d

0:12:51.590,0:12:56.390
feel ok and and then you know there it

0:12:54.290,0:12:59.780
was very funny because for many many

0:12:56.390,0:13:04.370
years it was the same rabbi you know

0:12:59.780,0:13:06.050
until he retired and there you know you

0:13:04.370,0:13:07.610
you go through the service

0:13:06.050,0:13:09.170
you do the different prayers and the

0:13:07.610,0:13:11.660
different songs and then at the end

0:13:09.170,0:13:13.339
there’s a sermon basically a speech

0:13:11.660,0:13:15.080
where he you know he has some sort of

0:13:13.339,0:13:16.550
theme of the week I think that’s

0:13:15.080,0:13:21.140
required in all religion yeah

0:13:16.550,0:13:23.990
and it was it kind of became a joke

0:13:21.140,0:13:26.390
because I was usually you know I was a

0:13:23.990,0:13:28.339
very well-behaved child I would sit

0:13:26.390,0:13:32.630
I wouldn’t fidget and this was before

0:13:28.339,0:13:34.670
the age of of electronics or toys i sat

0:13:32.630,0:13:36.880
you know I didn’t bring my own apologies

0:13:34.670,0:13:41.600
and we had stone tablets right exactly

0:13:36.880,0:13:47.029
you know and 10 these 15 10 commandments

0:13:41.600,0:13:49.279
and as soon as the rabbi would start his

0:13:47.029,0:13:51.500
sermon I would fall asleep I would put

0:13:49.279,0:13:56.269
my head on my mom or my grandmother’s

0:13:51.500,0:13:58.399
lap and I’d fall asleep and it was

0:13:56.269,0:14:00.529
always this big joke you know and the

0:13:58.399,0:14:04.010
rabbi remembered it up until you know I

0:14:00.529,0:14:05.240
was a teenager and in my 20s and you

0:14:04.010,0:14:07.310
know it would always during your

0:14:05.240,0:14:10.700
twenties yeah a teenager and then into

0:14:07.310,0:14:12.320
my 20s you know and then the other thing

0:14:10.700,0:14:14.779
that I wanted to touch on is like for us

0:14:12.320,0:14:19.100
because we always went to Friday night

0:14:14.779,0:14:22.250
services so for us Friday night dinner

0:14:19.100,0:14:25.220
was like the big meal of of the we

0:14:22.250,0:14:26.899
Chinese no we didn’t have Chinese now

0:14:25.220,0:14:31.730
because the Chinese place didn’t come in

0:14:26.899,0:14:34.160
too many years later that was just for

0:14:31.730,0:14:37.579
the holidays but when my grandmother was

0:14:34.160,0:14:41.360
alive and was healthy she would cook a

0:14:37.579,0:14:43.520
brisket or a you know a roast beef or

0:14:41.360,0:14:45.740
something and you know some other little

0:14:43.520,0:14:48.170
Jewish side or something and you know

0:14:45.740,0:14:49.579
and we would go over to her house you

0:14:48.170,0:14:51.020
know for dinner and you were done eating

0:14:49.579,0:14:52.579
the recipe if you get to wee wee wee all

0:14:51.020,0:14:56.000
the way home no because then we would go

0:14:52.579,0:14:57.589
to services so that would also be why I

0:14:56.000,0:15:02.390
was tired it was also you know nine

0:14:57.589,0:15:05.120
o’clock right so you know for us it

0:15:02.390,0:15:07.490
wasn’t you know it was the getting

0:15:05.120,0:15:11.300
together over the family for the meal

0:15:07.490,0:15:13.430
and then you know going to services

0:15:11.300,0:15:14.930
together and it’s funny that you say you

0:15:13.430,0:15:16.970
know that your parents basically just

0:15:14.930,0:15:18.800
like dropped you off and see you go oh

0:15:16.970,0:15:21.980
they didn’t even do that we had

0:15:18.800,0:15:25.149
we walked three miles to church but like

0:15:21.980,0:15:28.760
that’s the thing is it was very rare for

0:15:25.149,0:15:31.310
kids to just be at services without

0:15:28.760,0:15:34.459
their parents but like I said when the

0:15:31.310,0:15:36.920
religious school started requiring kids

0:15:34.459,0:15:38.600
to show up that’s when parents would

0:15:36.920,0:15:39.440
basically just drop their kids off see

0:15:38.600,0:15:41.540
you in an hour

0:15:39.440,0:15:43.730
like you couldn’t even be bothered to

0:15:41.540,0:15:46.370
sit with your kid you know and it wasn’t

0:15:43.730,0:15:49.220
even the fact of that the temple didn’t

0:15:46.370,0:15:51.260
want them they just had something better

0:15:49.220,0:15:53.329
to do for an hour

0:15:51.260,0:15:56.540
Thank You temple your temple was a lot

0:15:53.329,0:15:59.720
more I think the way you’ve described it

0:15:56.540,0:16:04.160
it was a lot more welcoming to all the

0:15:59.720,0:16:07.700
various aspects of gender and age like

0:16:04.160,0:16:10.880
they did kids services right during the

0:16:07.700,0:16:16.279
specific holiday so like around you know

0:16:10.880,0:16:19.990
Passover poram Hanukkah they always you

0:16:16.279,0:16:23.000
know would do a children service and

0:16:19.990,0:16:25.370
usually maybe once every couple of

0:16:23.000,0:16:27.800
months there would be a specific service

0:16:25.370,0:16:31.130
that was meant for the little little

0:16:27.800,0:16:33.709
kids they called it like taught Shabbat

0:16:31.130,0:16:36.529
I think where it would be like more

0:16:33.709,0:16:39.529
singing involved and the prayers would

0:16:36.529,0:16:41.149
be you know done in a way so that the

0:16:39.529,0:16:42.560
little kids would understand and

0:16:41.149,0:16:44.480
especially like the kids that went to

0:16:42.560,0:16:50.240
religious school would be able to

0:16:44.480,0:16:52.730
participate and my my temple again it’s

0:16:50.240,0:16:56.570
been many years since I was a member of

0:16:52.730,0:16:59.810
it but they always tried to be very

0:16:56.570,0:17:02.750
inclusive because they never knew maybe

0:16:59.810,0:17:05.569
there’s somebody here that’s visiting

0:17:02.750,0:17:07.520
that isn’t Jewish and they didn’t want

0:17:05.569,0:17:09.860
it to be something where everything was

0:17:07.520,0:17:12.980
in Hebrew and you had no idea what was

0:17:09.860,0:17:14.329
going on so they would do a lot in

0:17:12.980,0:17:17.179
English and every now and then they

0:17:14.329,0:17:20.449
would actually explain what they were

0:17:17.179,0:17:22.250
about to do because usually on a Friday

0:17:20.449,0:17:25.189
night service if somebody was having a

0:17:22.250,0:17:27.439
bar about Mitzvah the next day the

0:17:25.189,0:17:30.110
Friday night there would be a little

0:17:27.439,0:17:31.400
ceremony that the the kids would do so

0:17:30.110,0:17:34.280
you could have family

0:17:31.400,0:17:37.160
members from out of town that would go

0:17:34.280,0:17:39.230
the the temple that I belonged to in in

0:17:37.160,0:17:43.970
Lakewood New Jersey they were very

0:17:39.230,0:17:48.170
active with social action so we did a

0:17:43.970,0:17:51.020
lot of interfaith services with local

0:17:48.170,0:17:53.720
churches and other temples to try and

0:17:51.020,0:17:56.360
bring the community together so I was

0:17:53.720,0:17:59.780
always brought up you know love thy

0:17:56.360,0:18:03.290
neighbor and you know so they were very

0:17:59.780,0:18:05.240
inclusive and you know you met the ii

0:18:03.290,0:18:08.600
rabbi because when we had you know

0:18:05.240,0:18:10.540
Maddie’s naming and you know your mom

0:18:08.600,0:18:13.490
was there and and I think your mom even

0:18:10.540,0:18:16.400
said that she felt very welcomed and it

0:18:13.490,0:18:18.530
wasn’t even her religion you know and

0:18:16.400,0:18:21.320
that was just and again not every temple

0:18:18.530,0:18:25.150
is like that but I was fortunate to to

0:18:21.320,0:18:27.530
be part of one you know that was right

0:18:25.150,0:18:29.480
okay next question

0:18:27.530,0:18:31.640
all right the next question is were your

0:18:29.480,0:18:38.210
parents religious and did they belong to

0:18:31.640,0:18:42.040
a kind congregation so growing up for

0:18:38.210,0:18:45.380
them it was a it was a little different

0:18:42.040,0:18:49.850
they you had a temple that you could go

0:18:45.380,0:18:53.810
to I know my my dad went to Hebrew

0:18:49.850,0:18:56.180
school my mom kind of moved around when

0:18:53.810,0:18:58.550
she was younger so I you know I know

0:18:56.180,0:19:00.950
that that she had a bat mitzvah I know

0:18:58.550,0:19:03.290
he had a Bar Mitzvah but I don’t think

0:19:00.950,0:19:05.540
they were ever really members of a

0:19:03.290,0:19:08.120
congregation because again things were a

0:19:05.540,0:19:09.800
little different back then like you

0:19:08.120,0:19:11.720
didn’t have to be a member of the

0:19:09.800,0:19:14.360
congregation but you could send your

0:19:11.720,0:19:16.700
child to religious school so you just

0:19:14.360,0:19:18.590
basically paid like a religious school

0:19:16.700,0:19:22.270
fee so you didn’t have to actually

0:19:18.590,0:19:25.610
become a member of it where now most

0:19:22.270,0:19:28.580
temples you know when you pay your your

0:19:25.610,0:19:30.860
membership you you know have the ability

0:19:28.580,0:19:33.350
to send your child you know to religious

0:19:30.860,0:19:36.530
school if you want to everybody wants

0:19:33.350,0:19:38.660
recurring revenue absolutely next

0:19:36.530,0:19:41.050
question all right so the next question

0:19:38.660,0:19:44.720
is do you attend religious services

0:19:41.050,0:19:47.570
regularly nope not at all do you

0:19:44.720,0:19:51.039

• you know what it’s one of those things

0:19:47.570,0:19:54.830
I kind of go back and forth and I

0:19:51.039,0:19:56.929
haven’t found that place that I felt

0:19:54.830,0:20:02.330
like I belonged you know I don’t want to

0:19:56.929,0:20:05.990
just go to a a temple just for the sake

0:20:02.330,0:20:08.360
of going to a temple many years ago when

0:20:05.990,0:20:12.470
I was kind of first in this area I went

0:20:08.360,0:20:14.659
to services in Cherry Hill I you know

0:20:12.470,0:20:17.030
looked online found a temple went to it

0:20:14.659,0:20:20.270
and there were parts of it that were

0:20:17.030,0:20:21.470
like I could see myself coming here and

0:20:20.270,0:20:24.169
then there were others where I just

0:20:21.470,0:20:29.480
didn’t feel that sense of belonging now

0:20:24.169,0:20:31.669
again it was one service so you know you

0:20:29.480,0:20:33.710
have to go more than than once before

0:20:31.669,0:20:36.080
you make a decision and then it just

0:20:33.710,0:20:39.140
became something that I I you know

0:20:36.080,0:20:44.049
unfortunately kind of didn’t feel that

0:20:39.140,0:20:45.590
same need for and I guess what’s kind of

0:20:44.049,0:20:47.559
you know

0:20:45.590,0:20:50.720
one of the differences between like

0:20:47.559,0:20:52.640
Judaism and and you know Christianity as

0:20:50.720,0:20:54.610
I think you know in Christianity it’s

0:20:52.640,0:20:57.770
like you have to go to church to pray

0:20:54.610,0:20:59.600
that’s you can’t you’re not allowed you

0:20:57.770,0:21:02.510
could pray other places but you have to

0:20:59.600,0:21:04.640
physically go to that building

0:21:02.510,0:21:08.539
whereas with Judaism you’re always

0:21:04.640,0:21:10.669
taught wherever you are you can pray you

0:21:08.539,0:21:12.530
want to go outside and pray in the woods

0:21:10.669,0:21:14.900
you want to go to the beach and pray at

0:21:12.530,0:21:18.559
the beach that’s fine you don’t have to

0:21:14.900,0:21:22.730
be physically in that that space so I

0:21:18.559,0:21:24.590
think that kind of as I got older you

0:21:22.730,0:21:26.299
know of course I have the the Jewish

0:21:24.590,0:21:28.159
guilt from my mother like oh I should

0:21:26.299,0:21:30.020
have joined a temple and you know you

0:21:28.159,0:21:33.049
should have been going to Hebrew school

0:21:30.020,0:21:36.530
for years because you know you turn 13

0:21:33.049,0:21:39.080
you know granny would be very upset

0:21:36.530,0:21:42.710
knowing that you know you haven’t had

0:21:39.080,0:21:45.230
you know about Mitzvah but it just it

0:21:42.710,0:21:47.059
was one of those things with everything

0:21:45.230,0:21:50.630
else that was going on at that certain

0:21:47.059,0:21:53.659
time you know so many years ago it

0:21:50.630,0:21:55.159
wasn’t the priority room you know for us

0:21:53.659,0:21:56.800
unfortunate well that’s it I think a

0:21:55.159,0:21:59.650
good segue into them

0:21:56.800,0:22:03.310
question that we have so the final

0:21:59.650,0:22:05.500
question we have for you is how is what

0:22:03.310,0:22:10.510
are your personal feelings on how

0:22:05.500,0:22:17.110
religious I am every now and then I kind

0:22:10.510,0:22:19.900
of struggle with it because I know my

0:22:17.110,0:22:25.300
parents instilled in me what I had hoped

0:22:19.900,0:22:28.870
to instill in you and there are times

0:22:25.300,0:22:32.920
when I realize that I haven’t like you

0:22:28.870,0:22:35.950
know some Jewish history but you don’t

0:22:32.920,0:22:38.890
know as much as somebody of your your

0:22:35.950,0:22:42.430
age you you don’t know how to read

0:22:38.890,0:22:44.170
Hebrew you don’t know how you know the

0:22:42.430,0:22:47.110
prayer you know the basic prayers

0:22:44.170,0:22:50.710
besides you know for Hanukkah and again

0:22:47.110,0:22:56.130
as you know all of us Jews in the room

0:22:50.710,0:22:58.870
Oh No Hanukkah is not a major holiday so

0:22:56.130,0:23:03.340
you know so in that respect I kind of

0:22:58.870,0:23:06.480
feel like I failed you you know but I

0:23:03.340,0:23:10.950
know that we are also a mixed family so

0:23:06.480,0:23:15.640
you know it’s not like were you no one’s

0:23:10.950,0:23:18.240
overshadowing another and and it’s okay

0:23:15.640,0:23:21.820
and it’s one of those things too that

0:23:18.240,0:23:25.600
it’s also your own personal choice too

0:23:21.820,0:23:30.130
and I think now you know in in this day

0:23:25.600,0:23:32.500
and age you know kids young adults are

0:23:30.130,0:23:36.070
given a lot more freedom to choose what

0:23:32.500,0:23:39.250
they want to do and that’s the one thing

0:23:36.070,0:23:43.840
with with Judaism is that if you decide

0:23:39.250,0:23:47.980
later on that you do want to have

0:23:43.840,0:23:49.570
religious school classes and things like

0:23:47.980,0:23:52.840
that you can do that there’s nothing

0:23:49.570,0:23:55.720
that says oh you’re 13 you missed the

0:23:52.840,0:23:57.790
boat you can’t do it because that’s the

0:23:55.720,0:24:00.850
other thing too with like Reform Judaism

0:23:57.790,0:24:04.630
and Judaism from like back in you know

0:24:00.850,0:24:06.730
the olden times is that a lot of people

0:24:04.630,0:24:10.390
you know unless you were from an

0:24:06.730,0:24:13.360
affluent family didn’t have the means

0:24:10.390,0:24:16.180

• you know have a bar about Mitzvah so a

0:24:13.360,0:24:19.150
lot of temples and like I said the the

0:24:16.180,0:24:21.400
the one you know that I I went to they

0:24:19.150,0:24:25.240
actually would do adult education

0:24:21.400,0:24:28.060
classes so for adults who never had the

0:24:25.240,0:24:30.730
opportunity to have a Bar Mitzvah they

0:24:28.060,0:24:32.560
would do like an eight-week course you

0:24:30.730,0:24:34.180
know you’d sign up you’d go a couple

0:24:32.560,0:24:37.240
times a week and at the end of the eight

0:24:34.180,0:24:38.620
weeks you had a bar Bat Mitzvah with all

0:24:37.240,0:24:41.980
these other people in the class so that

0:24:38.620,0:24:45.460
you could finally say I became a bar Bat

0:24:41.980,0:24:48.030
Mitzvah and and that’s kind of along the

0:24:45.460,0:24:51.100
lines of how Daddy was saying with uh

0:24:48.030,0:24:53.170
with Christianity with this sacrament

0:24:51.100,0:24:56.320
like having a Bar Mitzvah bar/bat

0:24:53.170,0:25:00.940
Mitzvah is kind of one of those stepping

0:24:56.320,0:25:03.250
stones to you know your contract with

0:25:00.940,0:25:05.440
you know with Judaism in a way but if

0:25:03.250,0:25:08.650
you don’t have it it’s okay you know

0:25:05.440,0:25:12.850
it’s not it doesn’t make you less of a

0:25:08.650,0:25:17.290
person if you don’t have one so a

0:25:12.850,0:25:19.210
question I did have if you were given a

0:25:17.290,0:25:20.470
choice because as as kids you and I

0:25:19.210,0:25:22.660
weren’t given a choice as to what

0:25:20.470,0:25:25.360
religion that we had right you know we

0:25:22.660,0:25:27.520
obviously were able to exercise our

0:25:25.360,0:25:30.280
choice as adults later on in life and

0:25:27.520,0:25:33.670
make that choice but if you were given a

0:25:30.280,0:25:35.680
choice well it’s a two-part question so

0:25:33.670,0:25:39.730
you’re right a choice to be to learn

0:25:35.680,0:25:43.050
religion at the age you did or as an

0:25:39.730,0:25:46.780
adult which one would you have chosen I

0:25:43.050,0:25:49.990
don’t know I think maybe as an adult I

0:25:46.780,0:25:53.740
think I would have had a better

0:25:49.990,0:25:57.520
understanding of it one of the things

0:25:53.740,0:25:59.350
obviously you know if our viewers don’t

0:25:57.520,0:26:03.550
know we were both married to other

0:25:59.350,0:26:06.100
people first before we met my first

0:26:03.550,0:26:08.470
husband wasn’t Jewish but we had a

0:26:06.100,0:26:12.610
Jewish wedding and one of the things

0:26:08.470,0:26:15.490
that my rabbi suggested was that we take

0:26:12.610,0:26:17.560
an introduction to Judaism class you

0:26:15.490,0:26:19.420
know and there were people that were in

0:26:17.560,0:26:22.090
this class that were about to get

0:26:19.420,0:26:24.130
married where one partner was Jewish and

0:26:22.090,0:26:26.200
one wasn’t there were people

0:26:24.130,0:26:28.990
that were just interested in learning

0:26:26.200,0:26:30.670
about Judaism they it was just kind of a

0:26:28.990,0:26:32.580
history class for them and then there

0:26:30.670,0:26:35.940
were also some people who were

0:26:32.580,0:26:38.980
considering converting becoming Jewish

0:26:35.940,0:26:41.710
so they were so is this you know group

0:26:38.980,0:26:43.000
of you know mixed group of people and it

0:26:41.710,0:26:45.430
was one of those things where it was

0:26:43.000,0:26:47.830
like I kind of knew some of the answers

0:26:45.430,0:26:52.450
but it was like I didn’t know why I knew

0:26:47.830,0:26:56.470
the answer so it was like wow it was a

0:26:52.450,0:26:59.200
nice refresher class so taking that kind

0:26:56.470,0:27:03.120
of you know gave me a better

0:26:59.200,0:27:06.910
appreciation for my religion so I think

0:27:03.120,0:27:09.310
you know as opposed to oh I gotta go to

0:27:06.910,0:27:11.590
Hebrew school two days a week I just

0:27:09.310,0:27:14.410
want stay home and play you know I have

0:27:11.590,0:27:17.050
so much homework to do you know that

0:27:14.410,0:27:20.110
mentality where if it was you know an

0:27:17.050,0:27:22.750
online course or I could go you know one

0:27:20.110,0:27:24.520
or two nights a week after work and sit

0:27:22.750,0:27:26.560
with a group of people where we can

0:27:24.520,0:27:28.720
actually have a discussion about it and

0:27:26.560,0:27:30.160
not just being told this is what you do

0:27:28.720,0:27:33.580
and this is why you do it and we don’t

0:27:30.160,0:27:37.540
ask questions so I think you know I

0:27:33.580,0:27:42.370
would have you know chosen to do it as

0:27:37.540,0:27:45.100
as an adult but I also enjoyed my youth

0:27:42.370,0:27:48.130
aspect of it because I was very active

0:27:45.100,0:27:50.470
in the temples youth group the the

0:27:48.130,0:27:52.750
state’s youth group you know and that’s

0:27:50.470,0:27:55.720
where I met so many friends who I’m

0:27:52.750,0:28:00.550
still you know friends with you know

0:27:55.720,0:28:03.340
today so it’s kind of a toss-up you know

0:28:00.550,0:28:06.130
with that so the second part of that is

0:28:03.340,0:28:09.430
if you were given a choice would you

0:28:06.130,0:28:11.080
choose to be Jewish from a religious

0:28:09.430,0:28:14.590
table right and I can speak from

0:28:11.080,0:28:20.200
experience as a Catholic having learned

0:28:14.590,0:28:21.640
of all the bad stuff right that has

0:28:20.200,0:28:24.130
happened from the Catholic Church

0:28:21.640,0:28:28.360
from the Crusades all the way up to the

0:28:24.130,0:28:33.570
20th century I learned all that in my

0:28:28.360,0:28:36.430
teen years on my later years and really

0:28:33.570,0:28:38.280
put things into perspective for me so if

0:28:36.430,0:28:41.580
I went back and I had to

0:28:38.280,0:28:43.290
I probably wouldn’t choose that religion

0:28:41.580,0:28:46.290
if I had that she was a religion would

0:28:43.290,0:28:48.840
you choose the same religion you know

0:28:46.290,0:28:52.530
what I think I kind of would I would

0:28:48.840,0:28:54.690
probably definitely choose Reform

0:28:52.530,0:28:58.260
Judaism I don’t think I would do you

0:28:54.690,0:29:02.100
know Orthodox or conservative because

0:28:58.260,0:29:06.660
it’s the one that just kind of fits my

0:29:02.100,0:29:12.450
personality you know the equality of it

0:29:06.660,0:29:14.490
all you know aspect you know if anything

0:29:12.450,0:29:17.130
else you know knowing that we have

0:29:14.490,0:29:21.000
friends that are our pagans

0:29:17.130,0:29:22.230
you know and and you know some other

0:29:21.000,0:29:24.650
friends that even though they were

0:29:22.230,0:29:27.900
brought up Catholic they kind of follow

0:29:24.650,0:29:31.230
pagan –is– ideas I could see myself

0:29:27.900,0:29:33.330
being like that pagan Jew you know and

0:29:31.230,0:29:36.000
and in some respects I kind of follow

0:29:33.330,0:29:39.060
that too because of you know Red Tent

0:29:36.000,0:29:41.460
and and women gathering and and other

0:29:39.060,0:29:44.100
things you know like that that we you

0:29:41.460,0:29:48.060
know go to so we kind of have you know a

0:29:44.100,0:29:51.060
spiritual a spiritual spirit I can’t say

0:29:48.060,0:29:53.640
the truth really thank you like you know

0:29:51.060,0:29:57.480
it’s not necessarily religious base its

0:29:53.640,0:29:59.850
spirit based you know all right so so

0:29:57.480,0:30:02.460
now you got a background on what mom and

0:29:59.850,0:30:06.510
dad are from a religious standpoint let

0:30:02.460,0:30:08.690
me ask you munchkin what holidays do we

0:30:06.510,0:30:10.320
celebrate from a religious standpoint

0:30:08.690,0:30:17.130
well

0:30:10.320,0:30:19.770
since you both since you were you were

0:30:17.130,0:30:22.170
Roman Catholic and you were Jewish we

0:30:19.770,0:30:24.240
kind of combined the holidays and

0:30:22.170,0:30:27.540
celebrated both Jewish and Catholic

0:30:24.240,0:30:29.640
holidays like Catholic holidays included

0:30:27.540,0:30:33.720
Easter and Christmas Jewish holidays

0:30:29.640,0:30:35.430
included Passover and Hanukkah right so

0:30:33.720,0:30:36.990
but our Christian holidays when we

0:30:35.430,0:30:39.930
celebrate them we don’t really celebrate

0:30:36.990,0:30:42.540
them from a religious standpoint we

0:30:39.930,0:30:45.360
celebrate them more from a that’s what

0:30:42.540,0:30:47.880
we call secular standpoint we don’t talk

0:30:45.360,0:30:50.250
about the religiously like Christmas

0:30:47.880,0:30:51.150
isn’t for us it’s not Jesus being born

0:30:50.250,0:30:51.990
yeah

0:30:51.150,0:30:55.350
it’s Santa Claus

0:30:51.990,0:30:57.750
yeah and Easter is not about Jesus dying

0:30:55.350,0:31:01.140
and being resurrected it’s about the

0:30:57.750,0:31:02.940
Easter Bunny yes so even our Christian

0:31:01.140,0:31:06.240
holidays that are Christian holidays we

0:31:02.940,0:31:11.430
celebrate more along the lines of pagan

0:31:06.240,0:31:14.610
style ideas of the holidays but our

0:31:11.430,0:31:17.580
Jewish holidays we celebrate Jewish

0:31:14.610,0:31:21.780
holidays right when when we do Passover

0:31:17.580,0:31:25.410
we you know we try and do a seder you

0:31:21.780,0:31:28.220
know we haven’t been as good as we could

0:31:25.410,0:31:31.680
have been but we we gave it it could go

0:31:28.220,0:31:35.070
you know so we we try and do at least

0:31:31.680,0:31:37.350
one Seder throughout the the week of

0:31:35.070,0:31:39.030
Passover and for Hanukkah

0:31:37.350,0:31:41.190
you know we tell the story of Hanukkah

0:31:39.030,0:31:42.900
we do the blessings of the kit you know

0:31:41.190,0:31:45.770
we don’t just like the candles we do the

0:31:42.900,0:31:50.450
blessing so we we do have that religious

0:31:45.770,0:31:54.290
significance with it so so I you know

0:31:50.450,0:31:57.540
not to like pick one sign of the other

0:31:54.290,0:31:59.400
but if we were to pick one side of the

0:31:57.540,0:32:02.370
other I would say that from a family

0:31:59.400,0:32:07.620
standpoint we’re probably leaning more

0:32:02.370,0:32:14.200
towards a Jewish religion

0:32:07.620,0:32:16.299
then we are a then we are Christian I’ll

0:32:14.200,0:32:18.309
do it again for for everybody at a lot

0:32:16.299,0:32:19.960
so I did what a talk service is real

0:32:18.309,0:32:21.700
quick we don’t belong to a church we

0:32:19.960,0:32:26.110
don’t belong to a temple or synagogue

0:32:21.700,0:32:30.720
around here yep the only service is that

0:32:26.110,0:32:34.480
we really do our funerals and weddings

0:32:30.720,0:32:37.210
yep that’s is that something that you

0:32:34.480,0:32:41.169
would like to see change I think it

0:32:37.210,0:32:44.860
would be nice to you know like hey it’s

0:32:41.169,0:32:47.409
a Friday night let’s let’s go for you

0:32:44.860,0:32:49.690
know let’s go to a service just kind of

0:32:47.409,0:32:53.169
see what it would be like you know I

0:32:49.690,0:32:56.380
know that there’s a a synagogue that is

0:32:53.169,0:32:58.960
relatively close by here obviously now

0:32:56.380,0:33:01.450
with the pandemic and everything I don’t

0:32:58.960,0:33:03.730
even know who’s having services and and

0:33:01.450,0:33:08.980
who’s not we could probably find an

0:33:03.730,0:33:13.440
online service to watch just together

0:33:08.980,0:33:16.090
see how it is now I know the the one

0:33:13.440,0:33:20.020
synagogue that’s that’s closest to us

0:33:16.090,0:33:22.360
isn’t reform it’s not conservative but

0:33:20.020,0:33:25.299
it’s like on that border of conservative

0:33:22.360,0:33:28.029
so it’s one of those where I don’t know

0:33:25.299,0:33:33.250
how I would feel going there because

0:33:28.029,0:33:34.809
it’s not my branch of Judaism but again

0:33:33.250,0:33:37.210
it’s one of those you have to go to it

0:33:34.809,0:33:39.460
and and try it out and say you know and

0:33:37.210,0:33:42.370
it could be something where there might

0:33:39.460,0:33:45.130
be kids that belong to that you know

0:33:42.370,0:33:47.940
temple that synagogue that you actually

0:33:45.130,0:33:50.950
go to school with and didn’t even know

0:33:47.940,0:33:56.200
so you know like I think it would be

0:33:50.950,0:33:59.140
nice to have that community aspect you

0:33:56.200,0:34:01.270
know of it how about you Madison would

0:33:59.140,0:34:09.129
you be interested in doing religious

0:34:01.270,0:34:11.260
services entirely sure you don’t even I

0:34:09.129,0:34:13.389
mean there’s no interest as of curiosity

0:34:11.260,0:34:16.089
to or anything I mean I guess it’d be

0:34:13.389,0:34:19.130
kind of cool to see it since I’ve never

0:34:16.089,0:34:21.770
really done it but

0:34:19.130,0:34:24.230
I mean there is a curiosity standpoint

0:34:21.770,0:34:27.590
interest am not entirely sure okay

0:34:24.230,0:34:30.260
that’s fine yeah so the other thing that

0:34:27.590,0:34:32.660
I did want to talk about before we uh we

0:34:30.260,0:34:36.080
took a break and we let mommy get back

0:34:32.660,0:34:38.690
to relaxing on our day off and that is

0:34:36.080,0:34:40.790
fundamental beliefs like what do you

0:34:38.690,0:34:43.610
believe do you believe in a higher power

0:34:40.790,0:34:46.760
do you believe you know are your beliefs

0:34:43.610,0:34:48.350
in line with a given religion what are

0:34:46.760,0:34:48.980
your beliefs and let me let me ask mommy

0:34:48.350,0:34:51.500
first

0:34:48.980,0:34:53.780
where do you think your beliefs fall in

0:34:51.500,0:34:56.470
line are they conventional along Judaism

0:34:53.780,0:34:59.990
do you have thoughts outside of that

0:34:56.470,0:35:03.740
what’s what’s the deal I would say

0:34:59.990,0:35:07.910
they’re probably along the lines you

0:35:03.740,0:35:11.000
know with Judaism and probably with you

0:35:07.910,0:35:14.840
know a little mix of pagan a little mix

0:35:11.000,0:35:17.300
of Buddhism you know and in college I

0:35:14.840,0:35:19.400
took a religions of the world class and

0:35:17.300,0:35:20.540
you know we kind of dabbled in you know

0:35:19.400,0:35:22.160
a little bit of this a little bit of

0:35:20.540,0:35:24.110
that and it was kind of like oh yeah I

0:35:22.160,0:35:26.270
could kind of see that and that’s one of

0:35:24.110,0:35:29.720
the things too and you start learning

0:35:26.270,0:35:32.570
about different religions like all of

0:35:29.720,0:35:35.750
them you know have little pieces that

0:35:32.570,0:35:39.800
intertwine you know so I think that’s

0:35:35.750,0:35:43.250
what kind of makes us all you know this

0:35:39.800,0:35:46.610
one community of people is that there’s

0:35:43.250,0:35:49.430
you know we we might call you know

0:35:46.610,0:35:51.080
something this and and and a different

0:35:49.430,0:35:54.830
religion calls with that but it kind of

0:35:51.080,0:35:57.260
means the the same thing so I I think

0:35:54.830,0:36:00.260
they probably fall you know in line

0:35:57.260,0:36:01.700
still with with what I was brought up

0:36:00.260,0:36:03.950
with okay

0:36:01.700,0:36:09.050
Madison what are your thoughts on on

0:36:03.950,0:36:12.320
religion in a higher being well I’m not

0:36:09.050,0:36:16.850
entirely sure my beliefs really fall to

0:36:12.320,0:36:20.870
one particular religion I just have an

0:36:16.850,0:36:23.660
idea that there’s a higher being and

0:36:20.870,0:36:28.250
that there’s such thing as faking Karma

0:36:23.660,0:36:30.410
and that they and that in the end and

0:36:28.250,0:36:33.349
that there is such thing as an afterlife

0:36:30.410,0:36:35.569
and there’s a place for people

0:36:33.349,0:36:37.519
who have done good people who have done

0:36:35.569,0:36:42.079
bad and people who have done the mix of

0:36:37.519,0:36:44.809
both okay so that seems pretty neutral

0:36:42.079,0:36:48.140
vanilla across the board and kind of in

0:36:44.809,0:36:51.440
line with most religions and I think I’m

0:36:48.140,0:36:54.109
probably in the same light as you you

0:36:51.440,0:36:56.390
know I am NOT a even though I was raised

0:36:54.109,0:37:00.710
Christian I don’t have the same beliefs

0:36:56.390,0:37:03.349
that I think Christians do I’m I’m sure

0:37:00.710,0:37:07.249
that there’s probably a higher being at

0:37:03.349,0:37:11.390
work and I can speak to that just by

0:37:07.249,0:37:13.789
saying the fact that humanity hasn’t

0:37:11.390,0:37:15.200
wiped itself out it probably means that

0:37:13.789,0:37:16.999
there’s someone out there that’s looking

0:37:15.200,0:37:21.950
out for us since we’ve had the means to

0:37:16.999,0:37:23.809
do it for you know 80 years now so yeah

0:37:21.950,0:37:26.779
I’m sure there’s probably something out

0:37:23.809,0:37:29.960
there whether it’s you know God or Zeus

0:37:26.779,0:37:31.549
er you know a cloud entity or mother

0:37:29.960,0:37:33.499
earth whatever it is I mean I think

0:37:31.549,0:37:37.009
there’s probably a higher being out

0:37:33.499,0:37:39.319
there on a higher plane of existence it

0:37:37.009,0:37:42.680
could be the matrix for all I know I

0:37:39.319,0:37:45.589
don’t I don’t pretend to understand all

0:37:42.680,0:37:47.960
the metaphysics of it but I think you

0:37:45.589,0:37:52.569
and I are probably along the same page

0:37:47.960,0:37:55.400
is there I don’t like organized religion

0:37:52.569,0:37:58.339
putting a neat bow tying everything I’m

0:37:55.400,0:38:01.719
putting a neat little bow on it I think

0:37:58.339,0:38:06.950
organized religion tends to do that

0:38:01.719,0:38:10.910
Morpher for the lay people who who has

0:38:06.950,0:38:12.979
struggled with the idea of of something

0:38:10.910,0:38:14.890
more complex you know I think we

0:38:12.979,0:38:17.809
organized religion is sort of there to

0:38:14.890,0:38:22.099
put boundaries on things explain things

0:38:17.809,0:38:25.279
to people and keep people sort of in

0:38:22.099,0:38:27.440
line with it with a set of beliefs there

0:38:25.279,0:38:29.970
and and they try to they make they make

0:38:27.440,0:38:31.770
religion easy for people

0:38:29.970,0:38:34.319
but I think that was all the questions

0:38:31.770,0:38:37.109
that we had for mommy this segment here

0:38:34.319,0:38:39.450
I want to thank you for sitting in with

0:38:37.109,0:38:40.940
this short thank you for having me we’re

0:38:39.450,0:38:45.390
gonna take a quick little break and

0:38:40.940,0:38:52.250
we’ll be back with our second segment

0:38:45.390,0:38:52.250
[Music]

0:38:54.990,0:39:00.160
for over seven years

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the second sip empire has been the

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Empire is more than your typical gaming

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0:41:16.220,0:41:21.860
okay so in this survey and the survey

0:41:19.150,0:41:23.480
you know they talk to people eighteen

0:41:21.860,0:41:26.900
and older so I couldn’t find a survey

0:41:23.480,0:41:30.410
that was strictly for teens here so

0:41:26.900,0:41:34.400
fourteen for four people surveyed

0:41:30.410,0:41:36.590
between eighteen and twenty nine forty

0:41:34.400,0:41:39.050
percent said that a religion was

0:41:36.590,0:41:40.370
important tone which I thought was kind

0:41:39.050,0:41:44.150
of high I mean do you think that’s

0:41:40.370,0:41:49.550
that’s high for importance I mean yeah

0:41:44.150,0:41:53.270
because it’s although it’s not half of

0:41:49.550,0:41:56.359
the population of the group it’s still a

0:41:53.270,0:41:58.489
pretty large amount yeah and and what

0:41:56.359,0:42:01.309
what was interesting was there’s a trend

0:41:58.489,0:42:03.999
as people get older so in age groups

0:42:01.309,0:42:08.900
from thirty nine thirty to forty nine

0:42:03.999,0:42:10.670
that percentage goes up from forty to

0:42:08.900,0:42:13.190
fifty one percent so now you’re more

0:42:10.670,0:42:14.660
than half the population by the time

0:42:13.190,0:42:19.339
you’re forty nine thinks that religion

0:42:14.660,0:42:21.230
is important and then at fifty to sixty

0:42:19.339,0:42:24.380
four you’re looking at fifty nine

0:42:21.230,0:42:27.380
percent and at sixty five and older

0:42:24.380,0:42:30.559
you’re looking at 65% of the population

0:42:27.380,0:42:32.720
thinks that religions important why do

0:42:30.559,0:42:36.349
you think it changes as people get over

0:42:32.720,0:42:39.130
well I mean the question is important

0:42:36.349,0:42:42.859
what’s the importance of religion as

0:42:39.130,0:42:47.529
what but what is the importance of

0:42:42.859,0:42:53.690
religion well increasing with age and

0:42:47.529,0:42:57.079
basically as the as we got up on the H

0:42:53.690,0:43:02.180
group scale more and more people said it

0:42:57.079,0:43:05.029
was very important and I think I think

0:43:02.180,0:43:07.460
that’s mainly because this state the

0:43:05.029,0:43:10.730
question is kind of true and the

0:43:07.460,0:43:13.009
importance is pretty high yeah no I

0:43:10.730,0:43:15.890
think you’re right the next question

0:43:13.009,0:43:18.710
that they ask is what is the frequency

0:43:15.890,0:43:23.150
of feeling spiritual peace and

0:43:18.710,0:43:25.549
well-being and and that when the study

0:43:23.150,0:43:28.549
asked this they’re attributing that that

0:43:25.549,0:43:31.579
peace and well-being to of being a

0:43:28.549,0:43:35.269
byproduct of religion and again we see

0:43:31.579,0:43:38.119
that in importance increase with age so

0:43:35.269,0:43:40.150
in that same demographic of eighteen to

0:43:38.119,0:43:43.579
twenty nine you’re looking at 50 percent

0:43:40.150,0:43:45.470
so forty percent say it’s important

0:43:43.579,0:43:48.650
fifty percent say that they do reach

0:43:45.470,0:43:51.739
spiritual peace and well-being now the

0:43:48.650,0:43:53.359
numbers don’t go up as dramatically to

0:43:51.739,0:43:56.869
thirty to forty nine group we’re at

0:43:53.359,0:43:59.869
fifty seven number sixty-three but then

0:43:56.869,0:44:03.349
we top out at sixty-five again so let me

0:43:59.869,0:44:06.230
ask you do you do anything at this point

0:44:03.349,0:44:09.249
in time to get that feeling of spiritual

0:44:06.230,0:44:09.249
peace and well-being

0:44:09.380,0:44:17.010
I’m not entirely sure

0:44:13.260,0:44:19.470
so do you meditate do you read do you do

0:44:17.010,0:44:22.940
anything to even try to try to get to

0:44:19.470,0:44:30.210
that point um I mean I don’t meditate

0:44:22.940,0:44:35.670
but sometimes reading something might

0:44:30.210,0:44:38.940
bring me um some calm yes okay so

0:44:35.670,0:44:42.510
there’s a next question might or might

0:44:38.940,0:44:44.550
not have anything to do with religion so

0:44:42.510,0:44:48.110
the question is what is the frequency of

0:44:44.550,0:44:50.640
feeling wonder about the universe and

0:44:48.110,0:44:52.230
these numbers were very interesting so

0:44:50.640,0:44:54.090
the eighteen and twenty nine group said

0:44:52.230,0:44:58.650
forty-eight percent of the time they

0:44:54.090,0:45:03.120
feel it once a week the 30 to 49 it goes

0:44:58.650,0:45:07.110
down to forty three percent comes back

0:45:03.120,0:45:12.570
up to forty eight for the 50 to 64 and

0:45:07.110,0:45:16.890
then dropped slightly at 65 so let me

0:45:12.570,0:45:19.890
ask you is there anything that you

0:45:16.890,0:45:22.710
encountered during the week or during

0:45:19.890,0:45:25.890
your lifetime let’s say that makes you

0:45:22.710,0:45:29.880
feel wonder about the universe I mean

0:45:25.890,0:45:34.350
yeah it actually happens sometimes when

0:45:29.880,0:45:37.350
I sleep it makes me wonder a lot about

0:45:34.350,0:45:39.210
the universe like sometimes when I’m not

0:45:37.350,0:45:41.610
worrying about okay what am I what’s

0:45:39.210,0:45:43.710
gonna happen the next day or what’s

0:45:41.610,0:45:47.730
gonna happen or if anything bad was

0:45:43.710,0:45:50.640
gonna happen I then wonder so how are we

0:45:47.730,0:45:54.450
all how we are created is there more

0:45:50.640,0:45:57.510
life out there and well is there someone

0:45:54.450,0:45:59.430
is there someone who causes the world to

0:45:57.510,0:46:02.220
be the way it is or something like that

0:45:59.430,0:46:05.700
yeah and it’s funny cuz like I’m kind of

0:46:02.220,0:46:09.210
along the same lines where I feel wonder

0:46:05.700,0:46:11.240
about the universe pretty frequently but

0:46:09.210,0:46:13.890
it’s more from a scientific standpoint

0:46:11.240,0:46:15.780
you know I read science journals and I

0:46:13.890,0:46:19.430
keep up on science news and stuff like

0:46:15.780,0:46:22.890
that so when I see that we’ve discovered

0:46:19.430,0:46:26.070
you know a new earth sized planets um

0:46:22.890,0:46:29.430
that to me creates wonder in the

0:46:26.070,0:46:32.570
universe learning how many extrasolar

0:46:29.430,0:46:35.760
planets that we find is incredible to me

0:46:32.570,0:46:38.040
watching documentaries like how the

0:46:35.760,0:46:41.490
universe works and seeing how black

0:46:38.040,0:46:43.470
holes work most of my wonder of the

0:46:41.490,0:46:45.180
universe come from a scientific

0:46:43.470,0:46:46.620
standpoint not from a religious

0:46:45.180,0:46:48.560
standpoint and it sounds like you’re

0:46:46.620,0:46:50.340
kind of along the same lines although

0:46:48.560,0:46:53.730
sounds like you may have some

0:46:50.340,0:46:54.570
philosophical aspects in there is that

0:46:53.730,0:46:58.470
accurate

0:46:54.570,0:47:02.580
I mean yes Ovid is for scientific

0:46:58.470,0:47:04.470
purposes like I like I always wonder if

0:47:02.580,0:47:07.170
there’s extra life out there and if

0:47:04.470,0:47:09.270
there’s another planet like Earth or if

0:47:07.170,0:47:11.100
there’s such things as other dimensions

0:47:09.270,0:47:14.880
like parallel universes or stuff like

0:47:11.100,0:47:17.640
that and but I also have the more

0:47:14.880,0:47:19.560
philosophical ones like how were we all

0:47:17.640,0:47:25.620
here in the first place

0:47:19.560,0:47:28.320
and how and just a lot more stuff about

0:47:25.620,0:47:33.240
all the different aspects of the

0:47:28.320,0:47:35.310
universe okay so the next set of

0:47:33.240,0:47:39.600
statistics I had comes from a study that

0:47:35.310,0:47:42.420
NBC News did and they asked the project

0:47:39.600,0:47:44.100
involved a telephone survey of three

0:47:42.420,0:47:46.140
thousand three hundred and seventy

0:47:44.100,0:47:51.160
randomly selected English and Spanish

0:47:46.140,0:47:54.390
speaking Americans ages 13 to 17

0:47:51.160,0:47:57.940
followed by face-to-face interviews with

0:47:54.390,0:48:00.670
267 other respondents in 45 states so

0:47:57.940,0:48:02.440
this is a bit broader but kind of in

0:48:00.670,0:48:06.190
that sweet spot for the aides that were

0:48:02.440,0:48:09.750
looking for so they asked were you

0:48:06.190,0:48:13.270
affiliated with a local congregation and

0:48:09.750,0:48:16.740
much to my surprise 82 percent said that

0:48:13.270,0:48:20.070
they were which kind of tells me that

0:48:16.740,0:48:23.010
you know I was of this mindset and and

0:48:20.070,0:48:26.170
it’s certainly skewed because of my own

0:48:23.010,0:48:28.210
views on religion but I was of this

0:48:26.170,0:48:31.510
mindset that religion did not play as

0:48:28.210,0:48:35.530
large of role in people’s lives in

0:48:31.510,0:48:37.450
general but teens especially what do you

0:48:35.530,0:48:39.010
think about that 82% do you think that’s

0:48:37.450,0:48:42.370
high low or what you would have expected

0:48:39.010,0:48:47.380
I mean I didn’t exactly know what I was

0:48:42.370,0:48:50.980
going to expect for for this for the

0:48:47.380,0:48:56.620
percentage mom I am kind of surprised at

0:48:50.980,0:48:58.600
it it’s a little high but um I mean not

0:48:56.620,0:49:02.040
entirely sure because I haven’t met a

0:48:58.600,0:49:05.770
lot of religious people who are my age

0:49:02.040,0:49:09.040
not many people I know are not many

0:49:05.770,0:49:12.430
people who are I know in school don’t

0:49:09.040,0:49:14.770
seem to be religious I mean I I don’t

0:49:12.430,0:49:18.010
know then again I don’t know them well

0:49:14.770,0:49:22.330
enough for that but still so the next

0:49:18.010,0:49:23.650
thing they ask is well well I’m gonna

0:49:22.330,0:49:26.260
skip some of these because some of these

0:49:23.650,0:49:27.940
were less important the next thing the

0:49:26.260,0:49:32.410
dance was

0:49:27.940,0:49:36.730
have you felt extremely very or somewhat

0:49:32.410,0:49:41.650
close to God and 71% said that they did

0:49:36.730,0:49:45.339
feel one of them and I and I honestly I

0:49:41.650,0:49:47.309
can tell you at my age having gone

0:49:45.339,0:49:50.589
through all the things that I did from

0:49:47.309,0:49:53.470
religious school and all that stuff I’ve

0:49:50.589,0:49:56.319
never personally felt close to God um

0:49:53.470,0:50:00.130
and I don’t know if that’s just because

0:49:56.319,0:50:01.509
I’m a natural cynic or what do you feel

0:50:00.130,0:50:04.269
that you’re close to whatever this

0:50:01.509,0:50:10.119
entity is do you think runs the universe

0:50:04.269,0:50:12.130
I mean I feel like I’m really I don’t

0:50:10.119,0:50:16.569
think I’m very close to it I just feel

0:50:12.130,0:50:20.470
as though I’m just a normal person who

0:50:16.569,0:50:22.630
um is just controlled by fate at this

0:50:20.470,0:50:26.470
point okay do you think you control your

0:50:22.630,0:50:31.720
fate though um no the only thing that I

0:50:26.470,0:50:33.609
know is that as as just I just feel as

0:50:31.720,0:50:40.900
though everything happens for a reason

0:50:33.609,0:50:43.299
and if something happened I knew it was

0:50:40.900,0:50:47.259
because of something else that happened

0:50:43.299,0:50:49.359
before that so so you don’t feel like

0:50:47.259,0:50:51.819
you have any control over the events

0:50:49.359,0:50:54.009
that happen in your life entirely no

0:50:51.819,0:50:56.529
like you’re stuck in a cart you’re sent

0:50:54.009,0:50:58.509
down the hill and whatever happens on

0:50:56.529,0:51:01.960
your trip down happens you can’t jump

0:50:58.509,0:51:05.859
out or stearate or influence it at all

0:51:01.960,0:51:08.950
I mean in some ways I might be able to

0:51:05.859,0:51:12.509
like as long as I don’t do anything

0:51:08.950,0:51:17.019
horrible and I stay a respectable person

0:51:12.509,0:51:18.819
I feel as though then that’s the only

0:51:17.019,0:51:22.000
way I can really control my fate other

0:51:18.819,0:51:24.700
than that common fate take over well

0:51:22.000,0:51:26.710
interesting interesting there was

0:51:24.700,0:51:30.460
another study that looked up from a

0:51:26.710,0:51:32.500
website called if studies org and this

0:51:30.460,0:51:34.809
was a large study of over 5,000

0:51:32.500,0:51:36.460
adolescents for more than eight years

0:51:34.809,0:51:38.829
and they found a couple of interesting

0:51:36.460,0:51:42.070
things they found that those who

0:51:38.829,0:51:46.180
attended religious services regularly

0:51:42.070,0:51:50.680
were 12% less likely to have high

0:51:46.180,0:51:56.050
depressive symptoms and 33% less likely

0:51:50.680,0:51:59.560
to elicit drugs to start using drugs do

0:51:56.050,0:52:03.010
you have you ever considered religion to

0:51:59.560,0:52:07.560
have that level of benefit to you I mean

0:52:03.010,0:52:10.510
I never fully I was never really

0:52:07.560,0:52:13.990
entirely religious so I never really

0:52:10.510,0:52:18.570
considered um how much you how much of

0:52:13.990,0:52:22.090
an impact I could have had but yeah okay

0:52:18.570,0:52:26.560
well the next thing that I thought was

0:52:22.090,0:52:29.380
interesting was the recited that

0:52:26.560,0:52:31.350
religious upbringing also contributed

0:52:29.380,0:52:36.100
towards a number of positive outcomes

0:52:31.350,0:52:39.760
including 18 percent were more likely to

0:52:36.100,0:52:42.940
report high levels of happiness 87

0:52:39.760,0:52:45.760
percent were more likely to have high

0:52:42.940,0:52:49.600
levels of forgiveness so now we’re

0:52:45.760,0:52:55.690
talking about less spiritual things and

0:52:49.600,0:52:57.550
more moral things so do you feel that

0:52:55.690,0:53:04.900
you’re particularly forgiving individual

0:52:57.550,0:53:08.500
I mean like I try to be forgiving if

0:53:04.900,0:53:10.960
someone does something wrong and they

0:53:08.500,0:53:13.960
apologize for it and show that they’ve

0:53:10.960,0:53:17.910
changed I can say I’m forgiving but I

0:53:13.960,0:53:21.690
don’t forgive people who don’t change or

0:53:17.910,0:53:25.750
anything like that really okay

0:53:21.690,0:53:28.300
um they also found that those who prayed

0:53:25.750,0:53:29.500
or meditated frequently so you don’t

0:53:28.300,0:53:33.700
have to just be religious you can

0:53:29.500,0:53:35.530
meditate they were 30 percent more

0:53:33.700,0:53:39.490
likely to volunteer in their community

0:53:35.530,0:53:43.210
and 47 percent more likely to have a

0:53:39.490,0:53:44.950
high sense of mission and purpose so now

0:53:43.210,0:53:48.510
we’re talking about a aspect of

0:53:44.950,0:53:53.740
motivation here so these people who are

0:53:48.510,0:53:55.369
religious or meditative are more apt to

0:53:53.740,0:53:58.039
volunteer

0:53:55.369,0:54:02.359
and they have a more well-developed

0:53:58.039,0:54:04.039
sense of self purpose and a mission in

0:54:02.359,0:54:07.970
life and that mission could be

0:54:04.039,0:54:09.710
volunteering and I guess how do you

0:54:07.970,0:54:12.710
because you’re pretty well motivated

0:54:09.710,0:54:14.589
yourself you know we don’t do a lot of

0:54:12.710,0:54:17.150
volunteering at this point in time but

0:54:14.589,0:54:18.499
you’re pretty well focused on your goals

0:54:17.150,0:54:22.039
in life and you’ve got a pretty good

0:54:18.499,0:54:24.950
grasp on what you think your mission is

0:54:22.039,0:54:26.660
in life at this point in time how do you

0:54:24.950,0:54:28.430
get to that point since you’re not

0:54:26.660,0:54:31.940
particularly religious how do you think

0:54:28.430,0:54:36.039
you get to it um well the way I think I

0:54:31.940,0:54:40.480
get my motivation is somewhat by

0:54:36.039,0:54:45.019
experience I guess like I hear about

0:54:40.480,0:54:48.109
different goals that people have and the

0:54:45.019,0:54:50.720
major question that many people ask when

0:54:48.109,0:54:52.640
they’re many people have been asked when

0:54:50.720,0:54:54.019
they’re kids is what do you want to be

0:54:52.640,0:54:56.779
when you grow up and I’ve been asked

0:54:54.019,0:54:58.910
that question a lot of times and most of

0:54:56.779,0:55:00.319
the time when I was younger my answers

0:54:58.910,0:55:02.029
were completely different one time I

0:55:00.319,0:55:04.400
wanted to be a musician another time I

0:55:02.029,0:55:06.920
wanted to be a scientist an inventor an

0:55:04.400,0:55:13.839
astronaut something along those lines

0:55:06.920,0:55:16.759
and now looking back it’s um for a while

0:55:13.839,0:55:18.739
at this age especially when I first

0:55:16.759,0:55:21.470
started seventh grade I honestly had no

0:55:18.739,0:55:23.539
idea what I was going to be and I had no

0:55:21.470,0:55:27.589
idea what motivation I was going to take

0:55:23.539,0:55:30.799
but later on finding more of my passions

0:55:27.589,0:55:33.769
and contributing those passions and

0:55:30.799,0:55:37.309
understanding what I like to do I

0:55:33.769,0:55:39.920
started getting a better grasp on my

0:55:37.309,0:55:43.519
motivation for what I wanted to do when

0:55:39.920,0:55:47.359
I was older so so it’s self-motivated

0:55:43.519,0:55:49.339
really is what it is interesting well I

0:55:47.359,0:55:51.410
think the real takeaway from this is

0:55:49.339,0:55:53.569
that you know even though you’re not

0:55:51.410,0:55:57.380
religious there’s a lot of teenagers out

0:55:53.569,0:56:00.440
there who are and there’s a lot of

0:55:57.380,0:56:02.809
benefits to religion whether those

0:56:00.440,0:56:06.339
benefits are from the faith that you

0:56:02.809,0:56:09.050
have the guidance of having you know

0:56:06.339,0:56:11.780
teachers that are

0:56:09.050,0:56:13.940
religious-minded or you know clergy that

0:56:11.780,0:56:16.870
are religious minded we’re like mommy

0:56:13.940,0:56:19.700
said just that sense of community

0:56:16.870,0:56:21.530
there’s a sense of belonging that you

0:56:19.700,0:56:24.400
think that people develop there’s a

0:56:21.530,0:56:27.220
clear vision and a direction in life

0:56:24.400,0:56:30.500
there’s that structure and balance and

0:56:27.220,0:56:32.240
like-minded community of peers so

0:56:30.500,0:56:34.520
everyone obviously believes in the same

0:56:32.240,0:56:37.460
thing so it’s people that are kind of on

0:56:34.520,0:56:39.050
the same page as you right

0:56:37.460,0:56:41.960
there’s better decision-making skills

0:56:39.050,0:56:46.100
better ethical judgment because if

0:56:41.960,0:56:48.260
nothing else religions really enforce

0:56:46.100,0:56:49.970
ethics on people you know that’s what

0:56:48.260,0:56:54.020
the whole 10 commandments is it’s it’s

0:56:49.970,0:56:56.750
really a list of ethics you can learn

0:56:54.020,0:56:59.660
humility and patience and there’s a

0:56:56.750,0:57:03.410
better sense of who they are and who

0:56:59.660,0:57:04.730
they want to become as they get older so

0:57:03.410,0:57:06.650
all these things are benefits to

0:57:04.730,0:57:10.400
religions I’m not a particularly

0:57:06.650,0:57:14.120
religious person obviously you aren’t I

0:57:10.400,0:57:17.030
think you and I are very self-motivated

0:57:14.120,0:57:19.130
type people you know we see what we want

0:57:17.030,0:57:22.850
to be and we work towards that would you

0:57:19.130,0:57:25.280
agree with that I mean yeah after I

0:57:22.850,0:57:27.890
finally got a good grasp on what I

0:57:25.280,0:57:32.420
wanted to do in my future I started

0:57:27.890,0:57:35.900
trying to work for it I knew that one

0:57:32.420,0:57:38.840
I’d have to make sure I was good in

0:57:35.900,0:57:42.290
school and that I passed through my

0:57:38.840,0:57:44.870
classes and that overall I was a smart

0:57:42.290,0:57:49.040
kid and I also wanted to make sure I

0:57:44.870,0:57:51.860
still went up my passion cuz what I want

0:57:49.040,0:57:54.860
to do is something but along the lines

0:57:51.860,0:57:59.740
with art sight with art science and math

0:57:54.860,0:58:03.650
and I’ve been trying to get myself more

0:57:59.740,0:58:07.580
motivated towards excelling in those

0:58:03.650,0:58:12.380
skills like I actually had a virtual

0:58:07.580,0:58:16.910
camp last week where I took a hands-on

0:58:12.380,0:58:20.660
science lab and it was just an hour long

0:58:16.910,0:58:22.240
zoom call where we would talk about we

0:58:20.660,0:58:25.690
would do an experiment each

0:58:22.240,0:58:28.510
but we would learn more about how the

0:58:25.690,0:58:30.400
experiment worked like we learned the

0:58:28.510,0:58:34.150
chemistry of water when we were doing a

0:58:30.400,0:58:36.940
water experiment and we learned all

0:58:34.150,0:58:41.890
these different things about atoms

0:58:36.940,0:58:44.530
genetics all that stuff and and we got

0:58:41.890,0:58:46.390
to put it to the test when we did the

0:58:44.530,0:58:49.450
experiments and the experiments were

0:58:46.390,0:58:51.880
pretty cool and they were easy to do and

0:58:49.450,0:58:56.920
I was able to definitely get a better

0:58:51.880,0:58:59.170
grasp on science and the fact that next

0:58:56.920,0:59:01.300
year in eighth grade I’m going to be

0:58:59.170,0:59:05.980
doing advanced science as well as

0:59:01.300,0:59:08.920
advanced math and I’ll be doing more and

0:59:05.980,0:59:16.480
we talked about how I’ll be doing more

0:59:08.920,0:59:20.410
hands-on labs and how it’ll and how I’ll

0:59:16.480,0:59:24.070
get more information on all these

0:59:20.410,0:59:25.750
different subjects and right yeah cool

0:59:24.070,0:59:27.700
well I think that was kind of all I

0:59:25.750,0:59:30.760
wanted to talk about today we just sort

0:59:27.700,0:59:34.810
of you know talk about what religion was

0:59:30.760,0:59:36.700
to us and and how religion plays a part

0:59:34.810,0:59:38.950
in other teens lives than what some of

0:59:36.700,0:59:40.690
the benefits were so we’re going to take

0:59:38.950,0:59:42.609
a quick break we’re going to come back

0:59:40.690,0:59:51.640
and we’ll give you your closing remarks

0:59:42.609,0:59:56.369
and shoutouts go for your closing remark

0:59:51.640,0:59:59.080
all righty so I guess I’m gonna say that

0:59:56.369,1:00:03.640
no matter what religion you are just

0:59:59.080,1:00:05.619
know that it is a big it should be a big

1:00:03.640,1:00:07.750
in points to you whether you’re not

1:00:05.619,1:00:10.900
religious or whether you are I

1:00:07.750,1:00:14.440
definitely think that no matter what

1:00:10.900,1:00:17.770
your religion or no matter how you

1:00:14.440,1:00:22.780
choose to follow that religion I think

1:00:17.770,1:00:26.800
that it’s important that do how just do

1:00:22.780,1:00:29.349
how you feel and you don’t have to

1:00:26.800,1:00:31.420
immediately pick a religion it takes

1:00:29.349,1:00:34.480
time to understand what you least want

1:00:31.420,1:00:37.269
to be um I’m still trying to figure out

1:00:34.480,1:00:41.410
that whole thing for myself

1:00:37.269,1:00:43.930
so just know that do whatever makes you

1:00:41.410,1:00:47.049
happy all right I think that’s a very

1:00:43.930,1:00:49.209
good advice thank you before we go I do

1:00:47.049,1:00:51.940
want to invite folks to subscribe to us

1:00:49.209,1:00:54.640
on Apple podcast or any podcast service

1:00:51.940,1:00:57.130
that you use you can subscribe to us on

1:00:54.640,1:01:00.609
youtube at youtube.com slash insights

1:00:57.130,1:01:03.249
into things or you can get all links to

1:01:00.609,1:01:07.049
all of our audio video show notes and

1:01:03.249,1:01:09.260
everything on our website at

1:01:07.049,1:01:12.289
http://www.att.com/biz

1:01:09.260,1:01:12.289
[Music]

1:01:17.199,1:01:23.170
in two things and you and don’t forget

1:01:21.430,1:01:25.420
to check out our other two podcast

1:01:23.170,1:01:28.029
insights and entertainment hosted by you

1:01:25.420,1:01:30.069
and mommy and intent into tomorrow our

1:01:28.029,1:01:32.410
monthly podcast hosted by you and my

1:01:30.069,1:01:35.920
brother Sam all right and that is it for

1:01:32.410,1:01:39.759
this week sorry about not being on last

1:01:35.920,1:01:44.229
week but we do have another off week

1:01:39.759,1:01:47.289
coming up the week of the 20-something

1:01:44.229,1:01:52.209
23rd we’re actually going to be doing

1:01:47.289,1:01:55.709
some updates yes the 24th we will the

1:01:52.209,1:02:00.039
weekend of the 24th we will not be

1:01:55.709,1:02:03.039
recording where conte be doing some

1:02:00.039,1:02:05.140
renovations to the studio here and

1:02:03.039,1:02:08.589
moving over hopefully to our new video

1:02:05.140,1:02:10.239
system so I need a few days to prep the

1:02:08.589,1:02:14.199
studio for that but we’ll be back the

1:02:10.239,1:02:14.890
week after that anyway that’s it another

1:02:14.199,1:02:17.600
one in the books

1:02:14.890,1:02:48.249
everyone bye

1:02:17.600,1:02:48.249
[Music]