August 2013

Come to Services – It’s Good for Your Health

Dear friends,
For years, I have read articles that claim that religion is good for you, which cite extensive evidence that religious people are typically healthier than their faithless counterparts of similar backgrounds. The theological implication, as I see it, is that God rewards the faithful and punishes non-believers.

Though I can’t deny the evidence that religious people in America are healthier, I find the theological implication ethically and historically wrong. I have known plenty of inspiring atheists and agnostics, and many religious people whose behavior I question. It just doesn’t make sense to me that God would reward belief rather than behavior, particularly since, in my experience, we usually realize our beliefs rather than choosing them. Further, from a historical perspective, the terrible history of violence against Jews testifies that good religious people can be killed out of hatred, ignorance, and unbridled nationalism, without any compelling explanation.

This past week, I learned about a new field of science called epigenetics, which, I believe, uncovers part of the mystery of why religious Americans are healthier. I share this not only because I hope it will help us resist religious hubris, but also because I hope it encourages us to continue to take good care of ourselves and those in our community.

Apparently, scientists believed that once they decoded the human genome, they would be able to explain most human traits. When they finished the genome, however, they realized that the human genetic code was actually much simpler than they expected, and couldn’t account for the vast differentiation that they found in reality.

Led by John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka, who won the Nobel Prize for their research on the subject last year, scientists have found that human genetics are more complicated than they once understood. As Gurdon and Yamanaka have argued, though we inherit specific genes, environmental and emotional factors play a significant role in determining how much those genes are activated, if at all. And, these external factors actually affect what genes we pass on to our children.

Hearing this, I thought about the emotional and spiritual work we do together at Sha’arei Shalom. Participation in Sha’arei Shalom allows us to come together in community to support one another through the joys and pains we encounter every day. It helps us to re-center ourselves, remind one another that we are loved, and let go of stress. And, I believe, it helps us to align our will with God’s will as we understand it, which can bring a great deal of personal courage and peace.
Of course, we know that religious participation doesn’t prevent cancer or aging. We know that Jewish community can be more stressful than peaceful. Yet, I believe this research offers a scientific basis for the idea that we need not only take care of our physical health, but also our emotional and spiritual health.

As we prepare for the High Holidays, I encourage you to take some extra time for yourself. Give yourself permission to reflect on what helps you be your best, and how Jewish community might support you in that effort. And, take time to grow from your strengths, by sharing at dinner one thing you are proud of from your day.

Doing this spiritual work will not only help you prepare for the High Holidays, but may affect you right down to your DNA!

Warm regards,
Rabbi Margie