Some clarification needed, simple terms perfered. LoL
By dismalgrin
@dismalgrin (2604)
United States
April 26, 2009 3:50pm CST
Okay, so my grandma recently converted to Kabbala, thing is, we don't see how she could be ANY kind of faith because she is so mean and heartless. (I'm not kidding or overstating this in the least!) We have tried to listen in on her phone conversations with her Kabbala friends, but we don't get it. Our eyes glaze over with bordom before we even get to the religious part of it. She sits at her computer doing 'webinars' and such for her Kabbala stuff. It's all she ever reads, and she goes to other countries and has retreats and sets up fundraisers and stuff. It's a none stop whirl that seems like more work than religion to me. But, I'm sure there is a basic belief system in there somewhere. I've looked it up on google and beliefnet.com and it apparently doesn't exist, but I heard somewhere that Madonna and Brittnay Spears are both Kabbala.
So, anyone out there that can give me a basic run through of Kabbala beliefs and practice? I'd like to understand what made her choose this religion and why she blocks out everything else to just do this stuff.
6 responses
@katb28 (225)
•
26 Apr 09
as far as i know its a religion that has a lot to do with meditation and peace and yoga but im not entiarly sure ive never been able to work out what itsw about eaither, im sure your grandma carnt be that mean grandmas are nice people who spoil you and give you treets arnt they?
@dismalgrin (2604)
• United States
29 Apr 09
Haha, the reference to the joint and the drinks... is more about my crazy grandma accusing me of being a bad parent and getting me children all drunk and high for Thanksgiving dinner! Haha. What a weirdo.
@lampar (7584)
• United States
19 May 09
The only reason i can think of your heartless and mean grandma choose this belief is probably the teaching can empower her mean spirited streak further into the future, and does not command her to change into a better person in preparation of another world during judgment day. 
@dismalgrin (2604)
• United States
19 May 09
That is rich! Yep, I think my mom asked her once what her beliefs were about people doing wrong things. And she said that we will always do bad stuff and we can't even hope to be good so we might as well not try. WHAT, I thought the whole point of religion is that we all recognize we aren't perfect and religion is supposed to be something we look to outside of ourselves for support! That could just be me, but I don't think that's what Kabalah actually teaches. I think that's just her 'mean spirit' making an apperance. Haha.
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
27 Apr 09
we don't see how she could be ANY kind of faith because she is so mean and heartless. (I'm not kidding or overstating this in the least!)
I believe you...since I feel the same about my mother who is cold, mean, heartless and just evil yet a Christian go fig!
as for Kabbala..I dont know anything aobut it myself but you could check out these places...
http://www.kabbalah.com/
http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/2005/06/Kabbalah-Faqs.aspx
@dismalgrin (2604)
• United States
29 Apr 09
Seriously, I don't get how someone can claim that they have 'the peace that passes understanding' and be heartless. I don't think peaceful people are so ignorant. Haha. My best friend's inlaws are catholic and they disowned her husband for refusing to force her to have an abortion. While they turn around and donate a ton of money to all these local pregnancy resource centers in the area. She get's a kick out of going to those places for help because they don't don't even acknowledge her children as their grandchildren.
@TravisE (440)
• United States
26 Apr 09
Two things.
First: Faith is the beginning of being kinder, gentler, more compassionate. Not the end. Give the poor old lady some time to figure it out. ;)
Second: The basic premise of Kabalah (from what I understand it) is that there is a creator, there is a heavenly realm, and we and this earth are created in their image. But, it's kind of a mirror image. In lots of fundamental ways we have it backwards. There are 212 steps in Kabalah to get to have your way of thinking come round to being the same as the creator's. It's a long process of undoing cultural/societal programming and replacing it with a more compassionate and loving set of guidelines. Basically.
@dismalgrin (2604)
• United States
26 Apr 09
LoL, thanks for the response. I see a little what you mean, there are some pieces missing still, I think... but it is still helpful. My grandma use to be Christian Science, for as long as I can remember she was. Then she ubruptly switched about a year or 2 ago. Kind of freaked us all out a bit. It's kind of the joke, because she is so mean to her family and yet she is all about 'world peace' to her Kabbala friends. I'm just trying to put forth the effort to understand a bit about all this, especially since my daughters are living with her and she is teaching them Kabbala stuff. I'd like to know what she is teaching them and if I should talk to my cas manager about this if it goes against my personal beliefs.
@Adoniah (7513)
• United States
28 Apr 09
In ancient Judaism, Kabbala had a background of superstition to it. People who practiced it, used numbers to pedict the future. It fell out of fashion because of the superstition part of it with the strengthening of monotheism. However, there were always small groups that kept it alive like the Chabad. To this day the Chabad believe in Kabbala and a lot of Jewish women incorporate Kabbala into their lives. Mainstream Judaism frowns on it though.
Other religions have picked up on the practice of Kabbala. But, they have changed it so much, that a Jew could never recognize it in the christian practice of it. I think they still incorporate the value of numbers into the services. There is also the superstitions attatched to it.
Shalom~Adoniah
@dismalgrin (2604)
• United States
29 Apr 09
So, it is sort of 'magickal' to use the word lightly? I think I get what you are saying. And, I've read some stuff that claims it's for people over 40. And stuff like that. It's clearing up in my head a little. But, it's still kind of hard for me to think that my grandma could really be into this whole-heartedly because she is not very kind. Oh well. Thanks, though.
@sterra1995 (74)
• United States
2 Mar 11
Hi Dismalgrin, I've never heard of Kabbala. Have you asked your grandma about it? Maybe she can give you some insight about. Good luck in finding out.
