Three lines in favour of inter-marriage

[PrinceMyshkin]

to Rabbi Tirzah Firestone

When Ms Finestone was finding her way back to Judaism, she was married to a Christian Minister. One day she asked their five-year old daughter how she thought of herself.
“Daddy and I are Christians,” the child answered: “and you and I are Jews.”





Let half the Jews marry Gentiles
and half the Gentiles marry Jews
and let all their children be loved.

[MorpheusSandman]

This reminds me of my "communism VS capitalism" piece in that it reads more like rhetoric than poetry; but I love the sentiment in it.

[firefangled]

Profound story and poem. If only the last line would remain really true, many things would change in the world.

[Bar22do]

But I thought you fought didactic lecturing...

Although I work daily with unloved children, I do not know of any who are unloved for the sole reason of their parents coming from different religious backgrounds!
As much as I appreciate many of your poems, this one doesn't exactly sound right for me, but maybe only for me.

Then also - what about Christian-Muslim, Jews-Muslim, Buddhist-Jews (I know some very successful families) and all the rest...
But thanks for sharing.

[Virgil]

It would an excellent poem (certainly the theme is attractive) except for one thing: priests don't marry. And allowing for poetic freedom, I don't see how the married priest adds to the theme. It actually undermines the reality for which the theme requires. Not sure if I made myself clear there.

[Bar22do]

It would an excellent poem (certainly the theme is attractive) except for one thing: priests don't marry. And allowing for poetic freedom, I don't see how the married priest adds to the theme. It actually undermines the reality for which the theme requires. Not sure if I made myself clear there.

Virgil! Protestant priests do marry, but it also happens Catholic priests marry, leaving their frock for love and family...

[Virgil]

Virgil! Protestant priests do marry, but it also happens Catholic priests marry, leaving their frock for love and family...



I understand that catholic priests are "married" to God (or is it the church, I forget). I know Protestant ministers marry, but are they called priests? I thought they were ministers or reverands.

Edit: I did look this up and Anglicans refer to ministers as priests. And actually Eastern Orthodox priests can be married (with qualifications).

So I withdraw my criticism. Good poem Prince. :)

By the way for the record, I'm Catholic and my wife is Jewish and if we ever have a child (hopefully not too long from now) I want to use this little poem. :D :D

[~Sophia~]

Virgil, I come from a Ukrainian background and, my grandfather was a Ukrainian Catholic priest. I'm not sure why but (even though they are catholic) they can be married and many are!

[Virgil]

Virgil, I come from a Ukrainian background and, my grandfather was a Ukrainian Catholic priest. I'm not sure why but (even though they are catholic) they can be married and many are!

Thanks Sophia. Must be some historical reason. I did a quick search and found the following:

Catholic priest: East and West
Although the Catholic Church is frequently referred to as the "Roman Catholic Church" this is a misnomer as it encompasses not only the (Latin/Roman) branch (i.e. the Western Church) but also twenty-two Eastern Churches (sui iuris). Thus, the disciplines, liturgical practices and ordering of the Catholic Priesthood inevitably vary to some extent among the particular Churches which make up the Universal Church.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priesthood_(Catholic_Church)#Catholic_priest:_East _and_West

and this:


Eastern and Western Christian churches have different traditions concerning clerical celibacy. These differences and the resulting controversies have played a role in the relationship between the two groups in some Western countries.

Most Eastern Churches distinguish between "monastic" and "non-monastic" clergy. Monastics do not necessarily live as monks or in monasteries, but have spent at least part of their period of training in such a context. Their monastic vows include a vow of celibate chastity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Catholic_Churches

There's a lot of great information in that last site if you wish to understand Eastern Catholic Churches.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Morpheus:
This reminds me of my "communism VS capitalism" piece in that it reads more like rhetoric than poetry; but I love the sentiment in it.

“Rhetoric,” of course, is in the ear of the beholder, but yes, there ain’t much poetry in this. Maybe in the economy of its expression?

Firefanged:
Profound story and poem. If only the last line would remain really true, many things would change in the world.

And hopefully it would apply equally to uni-ethnic or religious families.

Bar22do:
But I thought you fought didactic lecturing...

I do, on the whole, but what rule or prejudice is not improved by the exceptions to it?

Virgil:
It would an excellent poem (certainly the theme is attractive) except for one thing: priests don't marry. And allowing for poetic freedom, I don't see how the married priest adds to the theme. It actually undermines the reality for which the theme requires. Not sure if I made myself clear there.


Yes, I goofed on citing Rabbi-to-be Finestone’s husband as a priest. He was a practicing Christian Minister, however.

Virgil:
By the way for the record, I'm Catholic and my wife is Jewish and if we ever have a child (hopefully not too long from now) I want to use this little poem.

Holy-Moley (meaning no blasphemy), I would adore it if I thought this poem/lesson had a beneficial influence on your child-in-coming!

My thanks to all the respondents.

[Janine]

I love this poem; thank you Prince. My son was brought up Christian and my daughter-in-law was brought up Jewish; so, this would fit well to my grand-daughter's case. I can picture her, in the future, saying this to her mother. It's very sweet and the thought is a good one. We all need to live in harmony. My son and his wife had an interfaith wedding and it was one of the most beautiful ceremonies I have ever attended. I am praying their daughter has the best of both religions and that in the future she can make her own choices as to faith and belief. And let me add, their marriage is working out wonderfully and their child is extremely well loved.

[Virgil]

to Rabbi Tirzah Firestone

When Ms Finestone was finding her way back to Judaism, she was married to a Christian Minister. One day she asked their five-year old daughter how she thought of herself.
“Daddy and I are Christians,” the child answered: “and you and I are Jews.”





Let half the Jews marry Gentiles
and half the Gentiles marry Jews
and let all their children be loved.



Holy-Moley (meaning no blasphemy), I would adore it if I thought this poem/lesson had a beneficial influence on your child-in-coming!

My thanks to all the respondents.

No question. I adore that part. I think it would be perfect for us. :)

[mazHur]

Let half the Jews marry Gentiles
and half the Gentiles marry Jews
and let all their children be loved.


Let a heart full of love marry another heart full of love
Religion is nothing but of dissimilar ideas a ghastly trove
inter-marriages judged by faith to humans don't behove!