�����My dad is totally against all of the above, on religious grounds. The thing is; I don't see it as a religious matter at all.
�����I think that's the one thing I decided that I dislike about religions in general, and why I'll alternatively say I dunno if I believe in God or not. I think I do believe in God. BUT, all the dogmatic shit in religions; the take-it-all-or-leave-it-all mindset of the brick-set wall of laws; this I do not need.
�����It seems like every religion, (well, mine admittedly less than some) have clauses along the following lines: "This is your concrete set of beliefs. You accept them as a whole or not at all. Disavowing a part makes you not a part of the religion at all.". It's like disagreeing with one issue makes you not a Jew, or Christian, or etc.

�����Personally, I am more than happy to have gone through all my Hebrew school learning. I think I got nothing but good out of it and that all the stories and etc I learned instill morals, and ways of thinking, and faith, and (spiritual) goals. But there's two sides to the thing.
�����Along with all the greatest teachings in almost every major religion, there's the ritual as well. This is the only part I find I don't appreciate. It's like there are two types of religious teaching. Positive, and symbolic. Moral teachings or life guides; and rules or rituals to be followed. I can see where both can have their virtues, but I'm not as into one as the other.

�����Example: In manners, let's say: Appologizing and thanking are positive. Not in that they're good, but in that they have a purpose. They smooth over every day transactions and make other people happy. Using your fork in your left hand is a symbolic manner. (In America, at least.) It would make no difference which hand you used, really, but arbitrarily, the left hand is picked as a standard.
I dislike this analogy. I DO see the purpose in religious ritual. Rememberance; discipline; concrete physical example and proof of belief.

�����In any case, I feel like I can break a ritual tenet of my religion without being a "bad Jew" or even disrespecting it's goals.
�����The set of teachings is a great one, but even better if one can pick and choose what he or she wants for themselves. That which most applies. That which he most loves.
Baseline: The teachings are intended to teach someone how to live to be a good person, not simply how to live. These things, I think I have, and still do, try to learn and live out.

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---Danny