New turn in Dr. Laura's spiritual journey

WorldNetDaily ^ | August 8, 2003

[scripter]

Dr. Laura Schlessinger, one of the nation's most popular radio talk-show hosts and the most successful on-air counselor, is no longer practicing the rituals of Judaism – a religion she converted to a decade ago in her 40s.

''Almost 10 years ago, I talked on the air about becoming a convert to Judaism,'' she told her listeners last week. ''I was open on the air at that time about that evolution. Well, I would say within the last year I have had a de-evolution.''

Where is she now spiritually?

''Nowhere exactly,'' she chuckled. ''Suspended animation. I still see myself as a Jew. But the spiritual journey in that direction – as hard-core as I was at it – just didn't fulfill something in me that I needed.''

Schlessinger grew up in New York, the child of a Jewish father and a Catholic mother. She was a life-long atheist, who, in her 40s, began exploring and practicing Judaism.

''I felt that I was putting out a tremendous amount toward that mission, that end, and not feeling return, not feeling connected, not feeling that inspired,'' she told her radio audience. ''And trust me, I've talked to rabbis, I've read, I've prayed, I've agonized, and I came to this place anyway, which is not exactly back to the beginning, but more in that direction than not.''

Schlessinger, known to millions as Dr. Laura, says she is still ''very committed still to all my moral issues, and the charitable issues. I mean that hasn't changed. My putting out hasn't changed. My identifying with this entity and fulfilling the rituals, etc., of the entity – that has ended."

During the past month, Schlessinger has been increasingly offered more personal insights into her life, as well as her spiritual journey.

A recent column for WorldNetDaily offered a glimpse of what a day in the life of Dr. Laura is like. The reaction to these personal glimpses has been interesting, she said.

''By and large, the faxes from Christians have been very loving, very supportive,'' she said. ''They'd say, 'We're praying for you.' 'We hope you can attain this because of the work you do.' 'We can see how committed you are.' 'You are doing God's work.' 'It's a shame you haven't been able to feel. ...' really supportive, nice stuff. From my own religion, I have either gotten nothing, which is 99 percent of it, or two of the nastiest letters I have gotten in a long time. I guess that's my point, I don't get much back. Not much warmth coming back. It's intellectual, argumentative and angry. If anything, that's all solidified me where I am.''

Schlessinger said she has envied her Christian friends who talk about their relationship with God.

''I have envied all my Christian friends who really, universally, deeply, feel loved by God,'' she told her listeners last Tuesday. ''They use the name Jesus, in referring to God. My Christians friends generally talk about Jesus when referring to God. That was a mystery, feeling connected to God. To me that was a mystery, and I was very sad about that and very envious of my friends.''

Schlessinger, the best-selling author of several books focused on successful relationships, parenting ideas, morality and personal ethics, is now working on a new one, ''Bad Childhood, Good Life.'' In researching that book, she said, she is more convinced than ever that religion is the most powerful force in turning people's lives around.

''Any of you who 'dis' religion and say: 'It's just a matter of sheep following' or 'It's all nonsense,' you are deluded," said on her program. ''You're in denial, and you're unreasonably hostile. The beauty that I have heard on this show and read in these letters over the last 25 years I've been on the air, for the people who've been able to feel connected to God and feel loved no matter whether they say 'God' or 'God Jesus,' no matter what it is they use as the term, it has been the saving grace. That is not to be disrespected.''

The ''Dr. Laura Show'' is heard on some 300 radio stations with an estimated 12 million listeners, making it the second most popular radio talk show to Rush Limbaugh's.

See Dr. Laura's WorldNetDaily column archive.

[mombonn]

Wow, what an answer to prayer. She has offered such good advice, absent Jesus, that I've often prayed for her to accept what the Law could not provide - salvation by faith, not by works.

Ephesians 2:8-10 says,

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--
not by works, so that no one can boast.
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I pray Dr. Laura will continue to do her good works thanks to the grace she receives through Lord Jesus.

[hemogoblin]

She'll get that prayer.

I like listening to her; she goes places no one else dares tread and she is a great advocate for children.

She's the sand-in-the-Vaseline of the sexual revolution, which might explain some of the white-hot hatred toward her.

[Scothia]

I didn't "jump in on you" because you disagreed with me, but because you posted falsehoods. If you spend a minute to check around, you'll find plenty of other people on these boards whose opinions differ from mine, whom I didn't bother to "jump in on" as you so delicately put it. Love the paranoid sound of that phrase, and how you feel compelled to call a strong woman who calls you on your nonsense a "harpy". You must be hypersensitive and have an inferiority complex to feel so threatened by a successful female talk show host you'll never meet, and a stranger in an Internet news forum. So who's really bitter here? I really don't think it's Laura Schlessinger, and I know it's not I.

[Scothia]

Who is Dr. Laura to lamblast a caller , not knowing anything about this woman. Maybe she was a widow. Maybe her husband is unemployed.

See post #58 in this thread for an exhaustive explanation of this.

[It's me]

Ooooh. It seems to me that Dr. Laura's advice may just hit a little too close to home for you? Did you hear something on her program that applied to you?

Maybe you should heed her advice.

[The Coopster]

Look, the only falsehood I posted was that I thought she wasn't even a medical doctor. I certainly stand corrected.

On the rest, we'll just have to agree to disagree. I have my opinion, and you get off scoring points. There's plenty of others here who understand. Is she right calling some people out? Sure. But there's plenty of times that she lets her ego get in the way of helping people out. Pull off your blinders.

[The Coopster]

What advice, specifically, are you talking about? Or are you just inserting yourself into a conversation?

It's a public forum, so telling you to mind your own business isn't really appropriate. But feel free to....

[FlyVet]

After a life time of motherly abuse I finally chose to cut of contact.

Well, p, I know. If your parents spend your lifetime trying to convince you that you aren't worth anything, what can you do, except say NO!

"Honor your father and mother."

It is a commandment. Some preachers have led me to believe "honor", in this context, means taking care of your parents in their old age. Sounds correct to me. That, I will try to do, as I hope you will try to do. "Honor" does not mean you have to jump off a bridge if your parents desire you to do so. Some parents are just all about themselves. Semi-typical of baby-boom, Dr. Spock parents. I've experienced it myself. My parents are never, ever wrong, they never say or do anything stupid, and have nothing to apologise for, ever. That's just the way it is with some of their generation. So, I grew old, and decided to have some contempt for them, since I did not do anything outstanding, but did ok in life, despite the weight...it seemed to me that they wanted me to...... maybe not fail completely, but, not do too well either.

I used to hear it, that parents want their kids to do better than they did. I don't doubt that is true....for some. But some parents are just jealous of anything positive that their kids do, which proves to me that this kind of parent cares about nothing but themselves, and that kids are nothing but trophies to them.

Gen X and Gen Y, it's up to you. You can slap the Boomers down, raise kids properly, or you won't. Some rebellion is actually a good thing.

[It's me]

That's true I did insert my opinion into a conversation on this public forum. Just like you did and everybody else does on this forum.

Did I hit a nerve? You seem to be a bit hostle.

Have a great day.

[pbear8]

Thanks for the comments Fly.

It is sad that some 'parents' are actually destructive. Not the 'oops!' ill-considered remark, but actual abuse.

I understand non-support as well. Mother was all about herself and finding the next husband. Made it clear there was no room for us. Pretty awful feeling. People can change and grow though. But the saddest are those who start out 'young and stupid' and end up 'old and stupid'.

It is as though they really want to keep you down and not be successful. As long you have been able to break their destructive cycle then you are already successful.

She lives a thousand miles away with her husband and has cut me out of her will. I thought that was terribly funny. I'll assume that she can take care of herself. I'm sure that she has taken it into account as she has always been all about herself.

As for the commandment "Honor your father and mother" it finishes "that you may have long life". I wonder how you honor that which is dishonorable. I don't know.

At least I've made one (and only one) successful marriage to a good Christian man. None of this is easy and often it's a lonely journey, but there is nothing to do but persist and be happy.

It sounds as though you may have had similiar experiences to mine. If that is so I am sorry, nobody should have to endure these things. Stay close to God and don't pass it on. I realize that simple kindness to others is an excellent way to be happy and successful. But it is difficult to learn if it was not modeled for you when you were young.

Keep going Fly, let's encourage each other.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Dr Laura is a fruitcake. Her five second answer to caller's question is dangerous.

She cannot even handle her own problems ie her mother's death, her son's teenage problems nor her own religious convictions.

But, yet, she can claim to solve your problems.

Turn her off!

Funny, it took me five seconds to read your rant. It seems that you are the fruitcake and should be the one who gets turned off. No basis for your arguments other than name calling!

[keats5]

"Come on Dr. Laura, come back to us, you know we're right...while the Christians can be nice people, you know you're not going to get into the virgin birth and original sin stuff."

Um, the Christians get the original sin stuff from the Jews. It's presented clearly in Genesis 3, the first book of the Torah. And as for the Virgin Birth, the Jewish prophet Isiaih spoke if it in your book of Isaiah 7:14: Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel." Isaiah 9 also points to this comming son, who will be called, among other things "Mighty God."

[Auntie Dem]

And big egos too!

Ann Coulter's egos are not that big--she's too skinny.

[Alouette]

Isaiah 7:14: Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child

Hmm, the original Hebrew has Isaiah telling King Ahaz, "The Lord will give you a sign: the young woman (wife of Ahaz) will be with child, and before the child will learn to know how to reject evil and choose good, the nations that have troubling you will be defeated."

The Hebrew words used in Isaiah 7:14 is "almah" which means "young woman." The Hebrew word for virgin is "bethulah" and does not appear in that verse.

Jews do not believe in "original sin." We believe that Eve and Adam sinned by eating from the Tree of Knowledge and that their punishment was expulsion from the Garden of Eden. We do not believe that all humans are born intrinsically evil, but all humanity is born intrinsically pure.

[keats5]

Well, I don't speak Hebrew. Perhaps you're correct. For what it's worth, here's what my NIV Life Application Commentary says about the issue:

Isaiah 7:14-16

7:14-16 Virgin is translated from a Hebrew word used for an unmarried woman old enough to be married, one who is sexually mature (see Genesis 24:43; Exodus 2:8; Psalm 68:25; Proverbs 30:19; Song 1:3; Song 6:8). Some have compared this young woman to Isaiah’s young wife and newborn son (Isaiah 8:1-4). This is not likely because she had a child, Shear-Jashub, and her second child was not named Immanuel. Some believe that Isaiah’s first wife may have died, and so this is his second wife. It is more likely that this prophecy had a double fulfillment. (1) A young woman from the house of Ahaz who was not married would marry and have a son. Before three years passed (one year for pregnancy and two for the child to be old enough to talk), the two invading kings would be destroyed. (2) Matthew 1:23 quotes Isaiah 7:14 to show a further fulfillment of this prophecy in that a virgin named Mary conceived and bore a son, Immanuel, the Christ.

As you can see from the commentary, some Christians interpret the verse as a prophecy of Christ's birth.

Getting back to the original point, both Judism and Christianity claim extraordinary beliefs, which require faith. I understand Jews may have difficulty believing the Virgin Birth, just as those outside the Jewish or Christian faith find it hard to believe in the buring bush, the Passover, the Egyptian plagues, the parting of the red sea, or God's personal delivery of the Ten Commandments to Moses.

[Alouette]

This is not likely because she had a child, Shear-Jashub, and her second child was not named Immanuel.

Jesus wasn't not named Immanuel either.

So who was Immanuel? Our rabbis say that it was Hezekiah, who became King after the death of Ahaz. (Chron. II 28:27)

There is nowhere in Tanakh the Hebrew Scriptures where the word almah is used to mean specifically virgin. If virgin is meant, the word bethulah is used.

We Jews have our own Hebrew and Aramaic commentaries that we rely on, and the verse from Isaiah 7:14 is by no means a convincing proof for virgin birth.

[Princeliberty]

When I was talking about ego, I was talking about
Ego, not something else.

I think Ann way too skinny, she does not turn me
on at all.

[garbanzo]

First off, I'm not Jewish - but as far as my limited understanding of Judaism goes, I think I'm more or less correct.