Holler, Holler, I'm a Sinai Scholar

I'm in a class where an Orothodox Rabbi teaches us the 10 commandment.

Given the content of the class, not being a god-fearing gal is semi problematic. If the ten commandments are ultimate truths because they were supposedly bestowed upon mankind from 'The Ultimate Truth' (god), and I don't think that happened, than learning about the commandments doesn't seem to have any utility towards my own understanding of morality. I don't think morals can be inherited; I hope I would not base my morality off of what somebody told me to think; and accepting the premise of God as truth in order to discuss the commandments is getting more irritating as the weeks go on.

We took a class poll: who does not belive in God? In a room of 20 other college students, I was shocked when my hand was the only one that was raised. In a room full of Jews and an orthodox Rabbi, I will not admit to beliving in God. Why? In that context, 'beliving in god' comes with a bag full of connotations and assumptions. I don't think God created anything, spoke to any prophet, chose any set of people and then led them through any desert. I don't think God can be described as having any human characteristics like man, vindictive, benevolent or has any jurisdiction. My understanding of God cannot be found in religion or hears and responds to prayer.

To me, God is most synonymous with the word balance. The way that an untampered ecosystem can be absolutly balanced, the way the anatomy of the human body is incredibly complex and any female has the capability to (re)produce it naturally, the way that everything in the entire universe is both dependent upon and defined by everything else, that ultimate balance, that is what god is to me. So you see the discrepancy between the Rabbi's and my own definitions. And how difficult it is to digest this class without exhausting myself as Devils Advocate can be.

Do the 10 commandments even pertain to me? I'm not sure...I have my own moarls and beliefs, and don't feel particularly compelled to change them just 'cause "god says so." Granted, a lot of them are good ideas. Don't commit adultry. That's smart. And don't lie. Yeah, I'm all for being as genuine as possible. I've been raised in a Judeo-Christian culture and these messages have been embeded in the moral foundation of every institution, and held as truths to most people , so naturally, there is a lot of overlap between my views and those views. I guess in the end, it's just inherently interesting to learn more about what has shaped western human culture for so long. Knowing more about it can't hurt me, I'm just not convinced it can help me either.