The Jewish Community Center- JDate

Match.com, eHarmony and OKCupid are just a few dating sites that aim to help their online subscribes find their soul mates to live happily ever after. For the purpose of my blog and narrated slide project, I have chosen to look at the dating website JDate- it is the perfect combination of technology and religion. Plus, my mom would probably eventually make a profile for me in a few years anyway...so now I have saved her the trouble and nagging. JDate specifically says that it is “one of the world’s greatest online communities” and “ We're very proud of our members: smart, attractive, successful people from all walks of life, all professions and all ages, living life to its fullest. They’re all looking to connect, network and find romance” JDate also promises that their community will be way better than the bar dating scene and it is the “modern way for Jewish people to find love.”

JDate aims to “strengthen the Jewish community” while still finding their subscriber the love of their life. This connects to the ideas of community and lifestyle enclave found in Bellah’s Habits of the Heart. Bellah would define community to be a group of people that are interdependent and share certain practices. In the case of JDate, the community is then the shared practice of the religion of Judaism and the shared cultural values and traditions.  Everyone on JDate (for the most part)  is part of this community already. However, these people seek something beyond that community and thus find themselves on JDate. They are looking for their social enclave--what Bellah says is formed when people who share some feature of private life like shared leisure activities, or shared career goals. People on JDate might already have the Jewish community but are looking for someone on the dating site to delve further into that community by finding a social enclave and then finally-the ONE. I look forward to my narrated slide show project where I can explore the concept of community on JDate further. Have to admit, JDate is convincing me, at least, that by subscribing, I might find my social enclave--the lox to my bagel, the noodle to my kugel, and the honey to my apples.

The implications of religion in hit television series The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory is one of the most popular current television shows, and is in its seventh season on CBS. The plot revolves around four male characters that become friends through their work in science-related occupations. While the plots of the show usually revolve around science, (and trying to get dates with women) the plots often include aspects of religion.

Lots of jokes on the show are making fun of the way each of the characters practice and view their religion as the characters tend to disobey their religious traditions.  Howard’s mother is portrayed as the stereotypical, absolutely crazy, and overbearing, Jewish mother. Howard does celebrate some of the Jewish holidays and it was very important to him to marry a nice Jewish girl. Raj, practices Hinduism like the rest of his family but will break dietary laws eating a whopper.

While all of the characters were raised with religion, due to their knowledge of science and understanding of evolution, the characters mock those that deny the presence of science by believing in stories of creationism. In this clip, Sheldon and his mother are disagreeing on the point of creationism versus evolution. It is interesting that viewers enjoy this light-hearted interpretation of religion and embrace that logic and reason should nullify traditional religious values. The Big Bang Theory is a witty and comical show that can engage all audiences—believers and agnostics alike.

Robert Bellah and Bel-Air's Fresh Prince have the same view of the meaning of success in America

Freedom, Justice, Success; these are three elements that we strive to achieve throughout our lifetime. Celebrities seem to encompass elements of success- they have fame, money, and are usually especially talented and good looking. Thus when a regular person wants to find the key to success, they aspire to be like a celebrity. In a popular YouTube Interview, Will Smith shares his idea of success with the rest of America by revealing the path to success. He says in his interview “We are who we choose to be” and that by making choices we decide who we are, what we are going to be, and that we are the controllers of our destiny.

This is connected to the ideas presented in the first two chapters of Habits of the Heart by Robert Bellah. Bellah agrees “Americans tend to think of the ultimate goals of a good life as matters of personal choice” (Bellah, 22). Bellah also differentiates between “utilitarian individualism” and “expressive individualism.” Utilitarian individualism is the idea that self- existence is based off economics and individuals only partake in society to advance their own self-interest. Expressive individualism defines success as a life rich with experience and has nothing to do with material gain or fitting into the context of society. So you might be wondering at this point, what does all of this have to do with Will Smith, the Fresh Prince?

Will Smith is an example of someone that is exhibiting both utilitarian individualism and expressive individualism. On one hand he is a celebrity that advances his own self-interest by participating in society by having fans that want to pay to see him in movies and television shows. On the other hand, he says that the way he achieved his idea of success was by paving his own way, having a clear idea of his character, and seems not to worry about his place in society. These two ideas are paradoxical yet they communicate the very meaning of success in America. Smith says he wants to represent an “idea” of that anyone can be “successful.” Celebrities seem to have achieved this ultimate success and according to Smith’s interview and lifestyle, success in America is about having the freedom to choose a path of self- discovery self-awareness, and self-fulfillment.  

Pope Francis Tweets

“Let us pray for peace, and let us bring it about, starting in our own homes!” The Pope’s official twitter, January 16, 2014

That is correct. The 77-year-old Pope Francis has an official twitter account and has over 3.5 million followers. Some might consider the prospect of the leader of the Catholic Church, having a twitter account to be sacrilegious. These people might say that the Pope’s followers on twitter are having artificial and superficial contact with the Pope, God, and Jesus. They say the Pope’s “followers” should be immersed in prayer, not preoccupied following the Pope on twitter. However, I would disagree with the people that make these claims. Twitter is a place where regular people can be constantly connected and updated to the thoughts and whereabouts of celebrities, and now, the Pope.  Because of twitter, any person, from any economic class, is able to send a question of faith to THE POPE, in which he will personally respond. The Pope is reaching out to those that might feel disconnected from the Catholic Church by tweeting inspiring and thought-provoking messages to the entire world. The Pope is not just a man that one can see on TV or hear about in the news, but now, because of social media, he can truly engage with people all over the world. 

The Bible is an "insanely great" product

The Whole Earth Catalog is a tool to educate the masses and it represents two almost contradictory ideas: technology and hippie ideals. The combination present in the Whole Earth Catalog mirrors Steve Jobs’ personality. Thus, for Jobs’, the catalogue acts almost as his Bible. The Whole Earth Catalog of March 1970 covers a wide range of topics from parenting tips, to how to make a birdhouse, to a guide for tools that can help you become a farmer. 

Each of the topics presented in the catalogue are aimed to help the reader have the tools to improve their life. The Whole Earth Catalogue makes the reader feel that they themselves have the ability to control of their future.  This is similar to the way religion functions. The Bible, for example, gives tools to help the believer function in everyday life. The Bible too covers a range of topics from minor details like, “If anyone uncovers a pit or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the one who opened the pit must pay the owner for the loss and take the dead animal in exchange.” (Exodus 21. 33) all the way to answering questions like “why is childbirth so painful?” through Genesis in the Adam and Eve story. 

Steve Jobs is inspired by these guides’ ability to transform the consumers’/believers’ lives. This is what inspires him to make “insanely great” products that will transcend time and will create a legacy of himself. The perfect model for this goal is the Bible. It has been in existence for THOUSANDS of years and continues to be relevant and a source of stability. Thus, the Whole Earth Catalogue can be compared to a religious book in that its readers are looking for the tools to make their lives better. 

Implications of religion in 2005 Steve Jobs commencement speech- Life is for living, don't worry about Jobs

Death is the scariest part of living. There are so many unknowns- what happens to us after we die? Will we leave a legacy behind us? While no one knows for certain the answers to these questions, many people find comfort in organized religion and believing in a God. Religion offers a deity that is watching over us and protecting us. Religion promises us that if we follow the rules during our time on earth, we will be granted an afterlife.

Although Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, did not graduate college himself, he gave the commencement speech for Stanford in 2005. At the conclusion of his speech Jobs said, “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the choices in life.” Now, this statement is pretty depressing and blunt for a college graduation, which is supposed to be a day filled with joy! I’m sure these college graduates were not expecting to hear about how they are going to die soon on one of the happiest days of their lives. Jobs knows that death is the one unavoidable and completely terrifying part of life and so he then continues to say, “you are already naked, there is no reason not to follow your heart.” Jobs is making a direct comparison to Adam and Eve in Genesis to a college graduation. After Adam and Eve eat from the tree of knowledge they realize that they are naked, vulnerable, and disconnected from God. Similarly, the college graduates are now forced to face the world alone. They have the freedom to choose any path. Jobs is saying that power relies solely within these individuals. Instead of using religion and belief in God as a coping mechanism for dealing with the unknowns of death, they need only to trust themselves and their hearts.

Like Jobs says multiple times in his address, “dropping out of school was one of the best decisions [he] made.” Thus in my opinion, I believe Jobs is insinuating that humanity does not need to rely on the institution of religion and God. Instead of living each day to avoid death, individuals can live every day as they choose.