Insights Into Teens: Episode 72 “Teens and Religion”

This week we take a deeper look into Madison’s beliefs and religious upbringing. We’ll take a look at the religious background of her parents, talk about the religious holidays we celebrate and how we celebrate them. We’ll also talk about what religious services we attend and our overall beliefs from a larger picture standpoint.

Our second segment address statistics on religion and teens. How important is religion to different age groups. What benefits people gain from their faith as well as some of the unexpected consequences of religion on peoples lives.

Show Notes
  • 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]

[TRANSITION]
 

  • Closing Remarks and Shoutouts

Check out our long form articles on topics discussed on the show on Medium at www.medium.com/insightsintothings

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Transcription

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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

0:11:56.540,0:12:05.870
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

0:12:18.260,0:12:24.320
Jersey for a few years then we moved to

0:12:21.170,0:12:28.670
Jackson and it was probably still a few

0:12:24.320,0:12:30.800
years so it was maybe by first grade was

0:12:28.670,0:12:32.660
when you know we joined the temple and

0:12:30.800,0:12:38.420
when I joined you know the religious

0:12:32.660,0:12:40.670
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]

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