15 + 30 points
The Failure by JTony Loves Brains
December 31st, 2007 12:23 AM
I was going to a religious service at a place where I don't worship, so I thought I'd do the Religious Tourist task. I figured I'd be there anyway, so why not.
The service was the bar mitzvah of a close friend, and, not being Jewish, I was looking forward to the change of pace (though I'm not really Christian, either, I had been attending a Lutheran church for the last 10 years or so with my family, and I grew up Episcopalian, attending Catholic school, so that was all pretty well covered).
I did have some anxiety about doing the task in that I wasn't sure how I felt about dissecting a religious ceremony as if it was something "different" or "strange". Images of old anthropological documentaries came to mind, showing how "quaint" the "savage" natives were. Still, I thought I might be able to hold to the idea that I was trying to embrace the things I saw rather than hold it at arms length to show it off.
During the ceremony (which was wonderful) I periodically took pictures, and recorded some sound (nearly all of the ceremony is sung, and the singing was wonderful) and that separated me from participating some. I yo-yo'd between observer and participant for much of the beginning of the ceremony.
Then came the moment where the Ark was opened and the Torah was brought out and passed to our friend. Two young boys stood on each side of the Ark, built into the wall, bright light spilling out onto our friend as it was opened. This image was so dramatic, so amazing, like something Norman Rockwell would have painted if he'd been Jewish. So I started taking pictures.
The Rabi noticed, and next opportunity she had at the lecturn, admonished the crowd that taking pictures isn't allowed. To my defense, in the beginning of the ceremony she stated that no FLASH photography was allowed, but here she changed to say that no photos were allowed at all. I placed my camera in my pocket.
On reflecting, I realized that it was taking photos of the open Ark that was the problem, and had I not been so taken by the image, the drama, I would have realized that taking photos of the open Ark was an issue. Basically, if I'd been participating more and not thinking about being an observer, I'd have know better.
Out of respect, I deleted all of the images I'd taken, plus the audio. I later told the Rabi this, and she was both pleased and surprised. I just felt that it was the right thing to do, the respectful thing to do, and it put me wholly back into a participant space rather an observer. Her admonition reminded me of what I was there for, and that was the best thing of all.
I will not be attempting the Religious Tourist task again. I've decided I don't really like it and don't want to take something as sacred as religious rites and document the observations as if on vacation. This is not to say that I feel that others who have taken on this task have belittled the religions they've participated in. In fact, one of the most impressive, amazing, and respectful completions of a task is in this category. I'm just not comfortable with it any more. So, I tried the task, and I failed it.
The service was the bar mitzvah of a close friend, and, not being Jewish, I was looking forward to the change of pace (though I'm not really Christian, either, I had been attending a Lutheran church for the last 10 years or so with my family, and I grew up Episcopalian, attending Catholic school, so that was all pretty well covered).
I did have some anxiety about doing the task in that I wasn't sure how I felt about dissecting a religious ceremony as if it was something "different" or "strange". Images of old anthropological documentaries came to mind, showing how "quaint" the "savage" natives were. Still, I thought I might be able to hold to the idea that I was trying to embrace the things I saw rather than hold it at arms length to show it off.
During the ceremony (which was wonderful) I periodically took pictures, and recorded some sound (nearly all of the ceremony is sung, and the singing was wonderful) and that separated me from participating some. I yo-yo'd between observer and participant for much of the beginning of the ceremony.
Then came the moment where the Ark was opened and the Torah was brought out and passed to our friend. Two young boys stood on each side of the Ark, built into the wall, bright light spilling out onto our friend as it was opened. This image was so dramatic, so amazing, like something Norman Rockwell would have painted if he'd been Jewish. So I started taking pictures.
The Rabi noticed, and next opportunity she had at the lecturn, admonished the crowd that taking pictures isn't allowed. To my defense, in the beginning of the ceremony she stated that no FLASH photography was allowed, but here she changed to say that no photos were allowed at all. I placed my camera in my pocket.
On reflecting, I realized that it was taking photos of the open Ark that was the problem, and had I not been so taken by the image, the drama, I would have realized that taking photos of the open Ark was an issue. Basically, if I'd been participating more and not thinking about being an observer, I'd have know better.
Out of respect, I deleted all of the images I'd taken, plus the audio. I later told the Rabi this, and she was both pleased and surprised. I just felt that it was the right thing to do, the respectful thing to do, and it put me wholly back into a participant space rather an observer. Her admonition reminded me of what I was there for, and that was the best thing of all.
I will not be attempting the Religious Tourist task again. I've decided I don't really like it and don't want to take something as sacred as religious rites and document the observations as if on vacation. This is not to say that I feel that others who have taken on this task have belittled the religions they've participated in. In fact, one of the most impressive, amazing, and respectful completions of a task is in this category. I'm just not comfortable with it any more. So, I tried the task, and I failed it.
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posted by rongo rongo on December 31st, 2007 9:23 AM
Your write-up was very interesting to me, as I created this task. (I will also say that when I suggested the task, I was new and hadn't considered that photography is something that a lot of folks do for their documentations.) I also hadn't considered the distance between participant and observer, and how observing can put you outside of the moment.
But it has turned out, the most interesting completions of the task have touched on that very issue, which is central to all tourism and not just religious tourism. I've benefited from these thought provoking completions and love that part of SF0.
I agree with you, Tony. I recently had a fabulous opportunity for the Religious Tourist task at my great-grandmother's funeral. I was the official photographer for the ceremonies (two days worth) which were done, as per her wishes, in the full-on Russian Orthodox style even though not a soul in our family has carried on her religious traditions.
Needless to say, even though the Russians were crowding around the open casket in anticipation for the traditional photographs with the body et all, it still seemed like a trespassing on the holiness of the sacrament that was being performed and an injustice to the service that funeral rites serve the mourner to remove myself from the experience and place myself in the position of observer. I took the photographs anyway- for the family and friends who expected them- but I couldn't bring myself to submit even the least gruesome, totally anonymous images of the church and priest for the task.
I think it's wonderful to encourage people to go out an experience other people's traditions- not doing so would only beget ignorance. But I think when it's a ceremony that you (the player) has an active role in, even as a passive attendant- it's no longer a game.