river8101
More About Me
My Tagline:
"Faith is deciding to allow yourself to believe something your intellect would otherwise cause you to reject
My Interests:
My family, feminism, ASPCA, baseball, weaving, painting, music, musical theater, I Pod, HGTV, Food Channel, Animal Channel, Bill Maher, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Meerkats, Art, Painting, rock & jazz, piano & singing, Jewish films, Indian films, drama, comedy, Film Noir, Hepburn & Tracy, Bogie, Bette Davis, Fantasy books and films, ancient history, cultural anthropology, mythology, collecting porcelain faeries & Dept, 56 villiages. (see my photos)
My Favorite Books, Authors, Musicians, Movies, Preachers, TV shows, etc:
Early jazz/ blues, Mainly, music between 1965 and 1975, though not exclusively. Some favorite authors are Chaim Potok, P.D. James, Starhawk, Margot Adler, Joan Peters, Carl Sagan, Alan Dershowitz, Finkelstein and Silberman, Alex Dimont, Maccoby, Tolkein, Mary Stewart, Marion Z. Bradley, Herman Wouk, and lately JK Rowlings! Amazing! Book 7, wore me out, but still enjoyed it! Read books 6 & 7 twice. Films: great! Anxiously awaiting 6 & 7!
Who Inspires Me:
My children, my 5 grandchildren, my husband and friends, animals, music, piano and keyboards, singing, painting, O's baseball, and most of all my dear father (who has passed on.)
My organizations and affiliations:
Anthropology Alumni Club, American Anthr. Assoc., ASPCA
My favorite spiritual activities:
I don't have any at present. But I used to host a pantheistic group for about 20 years that met at my house about twice a month until 1997 called Tapestry. We wrote mystery plays, made costumes, and performed music and dance as the seasons changed. Inside when cold, and outside (in the warm weather) It was fun and exhilarating.
Who I'm praying for:
I really don't pray much. Sometimes I talk to my Mom and Dad or God, but I don't know (I guess I doubt) they hear me. But it maks me feel better. I want to believe my parents hear me.
What is your current spiritual mood?:
Peaceful
What's your spiritual type?:
Undefinable - These labels (and most labels) don't work for me.
About Me
I am Jewish and I'm also a pantheist! I believe we are made of the same matter and energy as the universe. We are
not in exile here: we are at home! 
The many different beliefs and ideas of religion and the people who believe in them both puzzle, yet fascinate me which brought me to this forum about 8 years ago. I do have misgivings and strong doubts about the supernatural and how it is both used and approached in reiigion which in some cultures make slaves of women, and go against nature.
I perceive that the nature of whom or what we call God. is identical to the marvelous phenomenon of the Universe.....I perceive the one whom people call God is indefinable, infinite, incorporeal and unknowable.....God is the Ein Sof (that which is without limit) I don't believe God has anything to do with our character, what happens to us, or our day to day decisions. Basically, we make those decisions ourselves. But I do believe some cultures use God and their holy books for their own selfish purposes.
When it comes to the specific data and details about any religion, I'm no expert, though I do have my MA in cultural anthropology with 12 credits in comparative religions, and am familiar wth the general beliefs and make up of most western religions, and some eastern religions. Imo, all holy books are a collection of legends, allegories & myth; history & fiction; politics & poetry incorporated into a religion. Some teachings are wise and moral; others are not, and some downright evil..... Like a poem, any verse can be interpreted to satisfy ones religious and/or cultural perceptions; thus many different interpretations come out of the same holy books .... Imo, and the opinions of many theologians, most historians, linguists & scientists, scriptures were often written long after the events, and much has been mistranslated and/or misinterpreted to confirm the beliefs of whoever was reading or writing it.

My Basics
Location: Camden Yards!, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Gender: Female
Relationship Status: Married
Faiths:
Jewish
Faith Description: Pantheist Jew, Feminist, Moderate, Moral, Scientific, Secular, Community, Mother Nature, Animal Rights Activist, Random chance, Evolutionist,
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June 27, 2008 - 08:15 AM
[Glitterfy.com - *Glitter Photos*] Have a nice week end!