Religious Roots

My grandparents are Syrian Orthodox--a branch of Christianity that is archaic with a checkered historical past with the requisite persecution of our people and such--aren't all the GOOD religions?

My mother and her fiancee met in the singles group at a Christ-centered Church .

That's a distance my mom travelled from the traditional Indian roots of Syriac to the ultra-modern (of course still be any American standard conservative) singing, Bible-based church.

I definitely DO NOT like the evangelical tendencies the churches my mom toted me to over the years all subscribed to--we church shopped. I just don't have the energy to bible-thump. More importantly, I like diversity. I'd loathe a land without Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, etc. to befriend, date, hate, berate, and generally interact with.

I like the idea of confession--if for no other reason than the voyeuristic intrigue I provide the priest--though in NYC I'm sure I'm probably among the more boring sinners.

I enjoy the ritual and production of mass.

I'm not Catholic--not by a stretch--but there is something soothing about being in a cathedral, if for no other reason than the meditative value.

Where does that leave me?