22 Comments
User's avatar
Simon Furst's avatar

Profound piece.

I don't have much to add, but to simply mourn the lack of ability of the 'system' to allow for any for any form of understanding of those who don't conform to the mold which arises from the foundation of faith and a very particular worldview of our (former?) community. No, we have not lost our minds and we are not struggling with personal difficulties, but the walls of our previous existence have shattered and revealed a far more broad landscape, and our next moves are now being determined from within a new kaleidoscope of possibilities which cannot be ignored.

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Philosophical Jew's avatar

Replace the word religion with secularism and rav with peers and this could just as easily ring true the other way.

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Simon Furst's avatar

That's true, but why should take away from the significance of this piece? It is relevant to a member of any society with a limited Overton window who opens the shutters a bit wider and now can no longer be understood by those around them.

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Philosophical Jew's avatar

Who said it takes away from the piece's significance? The piece was framed to showcase the narrowmindedness of certain religious individuals. The piece's significance can be aimed in the other direction as well.

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Simon Furst's avatar

While I can't comment for the OP, I read it as framed to the experience of leaving religion, which is not the same as irreligion.

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Philosophical Jew's avatar

Hmm. I think you are right. Perhaps I have been too hasty.

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Simon Furst's avatar

But to be fair, the essence of this piece applies when any dominant worldview is treated as total. And I think it's fair to say that religion tends to such a direction far more than secularism.

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Philosophical Jew's avatar

I am not disagreeing with you on the first point.

But try to step outside secular frameworks in a conversation at work. Hell try discussing leaving political sides. I think poor religion is definitely bad - but secularism isn't a paradise.

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Simon Furst's avatar

You are definitely right. That being said, the religous response can often be far more extreme. If I would have simply became a Democrat in the Trump bastion which is Lakewood NJ, sure, people would've looked at me strange. But doubting religion itself makes incomprehensible and non-relatable at all to many.

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Happy's avatar

A guy told me a similar thing when he got divorced...he felt so free, like the world is his oyster now

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Ash's avatar

Maybe I'm two dimensional, but I once won a poetry contest. This still made me barf.

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sean s's avatar

@Ash, you should be ashamed of that response.

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Ash's avatar

Still stick to it.

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Simon Furst's avatar

STFU

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Ash's avatar

Ahhh art

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Ash's avatar

Love this thanks!!

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Simon Furst's avatar

As a response, excuse you!!! As a song 😁

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Jethro's avatar

Interesting perspective. I wonder why I didn’t and don’t feel that way.

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Yaz's avatar

Beautiful writing

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