Hi hopeful! Yep, just doing my weekly Saturday night post-Shabbat catch up on the ol' Thread.
My father is Catholic, and my mother is Jewish. I was baptized and raised nominally Catholic, attended a Catholic high school etc. My parents were both more freethinkers than devoted to any particular religion or denomination. So my Catholic upbringing was not very strong, but I've always been interested in religion. I am also a voracious reader. So I've done a great deal of reading on a variety of religious traditions. When I was in college, I became an agnostic almost-but-not-quite to the point of atheism. I attended a variety of Protestant churches, including a bible church pretty regularly with my girlfriend at the time. Dabbled with the usual eastern religions and new age nonsense. An interest in mysticism led me to Catholic writers such as John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila, which ultimately led me back to the Catholic Church.
I became as staunch a Catholic as some of those you see posting on these threads. I even did some graduate work in theology. But I always had niggling doubts about the truth of the core claims of Christianity. The death of a childhood friend of mine (he was killed by a drunk driver) was something of a turning point for me. In trying to make sense of it all, I hit the scriptures even harder. The more I read the gospels, the less sense they made to me. I kept turning up inconsistencies and contradictions between what Jesus taught, and what was taught about him. I once went through and logged every reference I could find relating to salvation, and the answers were all over the map.
It occured to me that if I could learn more about the culture and background of Jesus, then his words might make more sense to me. So I began studying Judaism, which I had never really paid any attention to up until that time. I began reading the Hebrew scriptures through Jewish rather than Christian eyes. It "clicked". Here was something I could believe in without reservation, without checking my reason at the door (no "mysteries" like the trinity or the incarnation). It just spoke to me on a level far deeper than Christianity ever did. There is a traditional Jewish belief--based on Deuteronomy 29:13: "I make this covenant, with its sanctions, not with you alone, but both with those who are standing here with us today before the Lord our God, and with those who are not here with us today.”--that the souls of all Jews who will ever live were present at Sinai, and accepted God's covenant. This includes tinok shenishba such as myself, as well as converts to Judaism.
When I was young, reading my children's bible, Samuel was the character with whom I identified most strongly. The "Old Testament" stories seemed more "real" to me. I believe that even then God was calling me back to the Covenant He made with my people.
When these threads started back in March, I noted the replies ringing up on the "Latest Posts" thread. I managed to ignore them up until Thread 26, then my curiousity got the better of me and I poked my head in the door. I thoroughly enjoy discussing these issues with other passionate believers. It is great to be able to communicate and share ideas with others to whom these things actually matter (vs. the 'popular culture' which is more concerned about the latest sale at the mall or the next episode of Survivor). I blame Steven for making me a vocal and active participant. Early on, when I was somewhat hesitant to post my opinions, he freepmailed me and told me to jump right in. And here I am! I've met some terrific people, have had my beliefs challenged, and have been motivated to dig even further into my heritage to increase my learning and understanding. Like others, my belief is stronger for having participated in this forum.
I ended up 'moderating' here by default. We've had several 'moderators' over the course of the threads. dignan3 did it for much of the summer, and I backed him up when he was absent. When he started back to college this fall, I took over the duties. As a Jew, I provide something of an unbiased viewpoint in the Catholic-Protestant debates. I hope I can provide something of a calming influence when the debates get too personal (don't know how much success I have with that! ;o) Of course, I've had my share of in-depth discussions with both Catholics and Protestants, particularly over issues relating to prophecy in the Hebrew scriptures.