SF & Yuyutsu,

the silence and failure to address my response, gives me the unqualified justification in assuming you have given up the mantra.

Your inability to respond speaks tomes about your real conviction.

Still waiting and hoping!

Geoff

Dear Geoff,

First you addressed a personal question to SF:

<<Oh by the way SF, perhaps you can solve 'your' riddle on why you cannot attend the election, noting that you are not religious>>

Then you complain that I haven't responded...

How am I supposed to answer for SF when s/he is Jewish, but claiming to be non-religious while I am religious but non-Jewish?

My unauthorised guess is that SF is one of many Jews who consider themselves "traditional" or "cultural" Jews, following certain family traditions for the simple reason that these were always kept in the family for many generations, thus linking her/him with her/his ancesstors (the fact that some of his/her ancesstors happened to consider it a religious duty is besides the point). This hypothesis is supported by the fact that of all the many customs of Yom Kippur, s/he chose to mention it as the day of remembering the dead.

Carving a day out of the stream of ordinary time, dedicated to prayer, repentance and austerity (including fasting), is usually a religious act, whether or not the person who does so believes and acknowledges that it is so.