Would I be a bad Jew for going to a Christmas Eve service tonight?

[lightningandsnow]

It's my birthday today, I've always loved the holidays, and this church is a United Church - the most liberal branch of churches in Canada.

Should I go? I'm not a practicing Jew at all, only culturally....but would I be dishonoring my heritage somehow?

[Richardo]

1. I don't see how.

You're not converting, or adopting any precepts (necessarily). I think it's a good idea to experience other religions if that's of interest.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

2. i love midnight mass even though i am not christian. go do things you want to do

that doesnt harm others or yourself.

you dont require the lounge's blessing to lead your life.

bad jew :spank: (sorry couldnt help that)

[HopeHoops]

3. Only if you sing that "Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel" song every time they sing something at all,...

...over and over again in a loud voice and slightly off key.

THEN, oh THEN you would be a baaaaaaaaaad Jew. See if you can get someone to video tape it and put it on YouTube for us. If you're going to be bad, you might as well be as bad as possible.

Actually, I sort of like the dreidel song, but it really doesn't overlay on Silent Night very well.

[Richardo]

5. Too bad Bing Crosby and David Bowie never released the 'Silent Night/Dreidel Song' duet

I hear it was heart-wrenching. :cry:

[Deep13]

4. This is about you, not your heritage.

Your life is yours, not your ancestors'. If you want to go and you will be welcomed there, then go. If not, then don't. This really is all about what you want to do.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

6. My non-Catholic

friends used to call it (Midnight Mass) "The Big Show" :o)
I say go!

[whistler162]

7. Only if you don't go to confession afterwards;}

Don't sweat it.

[seemunkee]

8. You can enjoy the music, lights and pomp

without believing in the faith. Go and enjoy.

[fizzgig]

9. not at all

i was raised in an interfaith household and now consider myself to be an agnostic cultural jew, but i've always wanted to go to a midnight mass just to see it.

[abq e streeter]

10. One word: NO....I'm Jewish and have been to services of all sorts of different faiths

including a Catholic Christmas Eve service. I'm also a pretty much "spiritual but not religious" Jew; my beliefs are an amalgamation of whatever makes sense and resonates from any spiritual tradition /world view that I stumble upon, especially it seems , Buddhism with a healthy dose of Pagan too. The only thing that would make me a "bad Jew" is if I violated the moral precepts of Judaism that I do believe are good. ( And being a profoundly imperfect person, I do violate them all too often , but I do the best I can, and pray regularly for both forgiveness and to be a better person). So that's the only way I see that you could dishonor your heritage, and from what really relatively little I know about you, you're a good person who is struggling and striving to be an even better one. So to me, you honor your heritage by trying to live a moral, ethical life and you honor it by enjoying the spiritual traditions of your friends and neighbors (and stangers) tonight ( or any other time ).....P.S. tried to find a you tube to post of a song I saw Chuck E. Weiss and The Goddam Liars do the only time I ever saw them , but I guess it's not there: Bad Jews in Malibu ..( if you've heard Rickie Lee Jones' Chuck E.'s in Love; yes THAT Chuck E. Weiss)

So, HELL YES, go and enjoy it and disregard any silly feelings of guilt ( oops, I just told a fellow Jew to not to feel guilt. There's a futile goal; talk about cultural heritage...LOL)

[dembotoz]

11. going to church on your birthday?????

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

don't think you will catch anything unless they all have swine flu.

I would prefer to go to a bar on my birthday but if you decide on church--go for it.

[old mark]

12. I'm going to my jewish wife's cousin's house Saturday for a delayed

Hannakuh party (Homemade lattkes).

Doesn't make me a bad ....um.....agnostic.

mark

[gmoney]

13. Not if you heckle...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. Go and enjoy.

You don't have to believe to enjoy the music and the ceremony. I'm a devout agnostic but every year I go to the service at an Episcopal cathedral because it's so beautiful. And I sing occasionally in a Lutheran choir. In fact, this year we performed Handel's Messiah, and a Jewish friend was in the audience. He came because he liked the music. That's as good a reason as any.