Looking for God

Like many of us who were raised or adopted agnosticsm, I have been concerned about how I could give my son a religious background that didn't demand that I compromise my convictions. Half-hearted wanderings to various faiths and belief systems didn't do much for me and visits to a Unitarian-Universalist Church left me feeling hopeful but ultimately unfulfilled. I wanted a place to start: rules and rituals that would enhance my spiritual journey, a tradition that would welcome debate but stand firm even as I made it my own. Ultimately, I found that Judaism (we were raised as non-religious Jews) felt like home to me and so I began learning more about Jewish practice at a Reform Temple here in town. I've also started studying the Talmud and Torah through online and in-person classes.

Interestingly, my inspiration to find a place for spirituality in my life comes in part from my Christian husband and Christian-author Anne Lamott. Seeing the comfort they derive from their spiritual practice, and seeing that they haven't had to sell their souls (pun intended) to be religious helped me realize that I can invite the presence of a Higher Power into my life without accepting all the dogma inherent to my chosen faith. Lamott and my husband are just two of the many liberal Christian that have done much to ease my knee-jerk negative reaction to all things Christian and to most things institutionally religious.

There are a lot of resources on the Internet for those of us who want the comfort of faith without feeling that we must deny our feminist beliefs. I've gathered a list of resources for spiritual feminists that represent only a "good start" to the incredible amount of information that's on the Web. Of course, I was unable to find feminist links to *all* religious schools of thought so I narrowed it down to the "big three" (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and Goddess spirituality (since many of us who align ourselves with more traditional religious thought can find much inspiration in Goddess beliefs), and included some general religious links as well.

Good luck with your journey and have a safe, happy holiday season whether you'll be decorating a tree, lighting candles, celebrating solstice, or just waiting for the snow to melt.

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