If you have a Jewish background you will definitely relate to this post. No matter choices you make in your own life, your Jewish family will never tire of reminding you of your heritage!
Imgur user SmileyMo, from New York City, now considers himself an atheist, as as such, considers himself free to date and marry any woman he chooses to. His Aunt quite strongly disagrees though. She would prefer that he keep it in the faith and find himself a lovely Jewish girl. “Looking for your happiness,” as she puts it. SmileyMo told Bored Panda that she is a lovely aunt and only means well. “She's always been a big fan of mine, and treated me well since I was a kid,” he explained.
Needless to say though, SmileyMo doesn't find this snippet of happiness searching on his behalf very helpful, and proceeds to state his case in a pretty logical way. Old auntie is a tenacious one though! She's not letting this one go without a fight.
The entire conversation raises some really interesting questions about what being a Jew really means. Is it simply a religious choice? Or much more than that? Auntie states that SmileyMo is “Jewish for better or worse. That will never change.” So despite SmileyMo's atheism and failure to follow the traditions and rituals of Judaism, for her it is something in the blood, a continuation of ethnic lineage.
Whatever you think on the matter, this conversation is a snapshot of the life of an atheist in a deeply religious family. Finding acceptance can be tough, but SmileyMo stayed calm and polite and managed to state his case without losing it with his pushy aunt. “I wouldn't say my atheism is accepted by everyone in my family,” he told us. “but for the most part, people respect me despite my beliefs.”
Now SmileyMo and his gentile girlfriend have a dog named Pebbles together, which begs the question, as part of this family will Pebbles become Jewish too? “I'd say she'll get to decide her religion when she's older,” SmileyMo told Bored Panda. Pebbles is becoming somewhat of a celebrity in her own right, the 4-month-old has apparently gone viral and SmilyMo runs her Instagram page, which you can find here.
Scroll down below to see how the conversation unfolded, and let us know what you think in the comments. Do you have a similar story? Feel free to share!
