Success?

I find it odd that we live in a society that tells us that money is the root of all evil, while at the same time saying, "He's very successful," which is the same thing as "He makes a lot of money." If success = money, then how can it be the root of all evil at the same time?

Enough Burning Bushes For You Now?

Well, are there enough burning bushes for you now? While CNN, Fox News, etc. cannot get enough of the wildfire coverage, cramming every headline and inch of the “crawler” with news about the conflagration, there seems to be one story missing from all of this: The God Factor.

Now, just because, in May, Jerry Falwell found out he’d been wrong his whole life, that shouldn’t stop all of the other televangelists from telling us how wrong we’ve all been.

But where are they all? It doesn’t seem too long ago that preachers were clamoring to tell us how 9/11 and the tsunamis in Indonesia were sure signs of divine revenge. And fire seems to be the most "godly" of all the symbols. After all, nowhere in the Bible does God appear as an airplane, or a huge wave. However, God does make his Act II debut as a burning bush, to Moses.

I mean, come on, this stuff is obvious. And further, isn't Southern California, a bastion of liberalism, supposed to be one of the most sinful places in the entire world?

I think, at some point, we have to realize that everything, yes everything, can be interpreted, or construed, as some sort of divine symbol. If you view God as the sole cause of everything, then yes, God caused the fires in California. However, that would mean that the same God also killed two women who were on their way to church.

Maybe we’re not hearing anything from the televangelists this time since it’s their studio and network heads who are getting “punished.” It's probably not the best strategy to tell the guy who gives you your paycheck that God is taking revenge on him. Maybe the televangelists are thinking twice before telling their Hollywood financiers that everything they're doing in life (and that includes paying you), is wrong.

Why Every Jewish Person Should Be a Mets Fan

Being Jewish is all about being in the minority. It is about constantly being surrounded by a prevailing viewpoint, but sticking to your beliefs, even if they run contrary to what most of the other people believe, including Ann Coulter.

When the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, all of the prevailing evidence said to stop being Jewish, and to convert to this new faith. After all, the very center of the Jewish faith was destroyed; if you believe in any sort of God, this seems to be a pretty good warning shot. Nevertheless, Judaism has prevailed, and despite constantly being on the losing end of history, has survived for millennia.

Similarly, the Mets’ collapse of 2007 can most aptly be seen as the baseball equivalent of the destruction of the Second Temple. It is monumental, historical, and makes any Mets fan wonder what they’re thinking.

Nonetheless, a true fan, just like a true believer, will prevail, regardless of the empirical evidence piling up to the contrary. As Bill Simmons, an ESPN columnist (and diehard Red Sox fan), once wrote, “Rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for the house in blackjack.” Sure the odds are always in favor of the Yankees, and they are (usually) the dominant force, but that is no reason to root for them. A Yankees fan is simply a person who has no faith, and simply goes with the surest bet.

Similarly, it is easy in today’s society to be a Christian. The majority of Americans are Christians, our government is setup to represent Christian ideals, and there is a whole boatload of evidence that says Christianity is the right way to go (miracles, prophecies, etc.). My life, and every Jewish person’s life, would certainly be “easier” if they were to convert to Christianity.

However, staying with team Judaism is a matter of faith. It is a matter of rooting for the underdog, and advocating the minority viewpoint. Similarly, being a Mets fan is a matter of rooting for the underdog, and despite epic collapses, like the stones of the Second Temple caving in, staying a true believer.