Goldie Hawn was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Takoma Park, Maryland, just outside of D.C.
Hawn was raised by a Jewish mother and Presbyterian father.[1] She describes her father as mostly non-religious–though philosophical by nature–and her mother as quite connected to her Jewish roots.[2]
Hawn's religious awakening came early. When she was still in grade school, during the Cold War, she recalls being scared out of her wits at the thought of nuclear annihilation. She said:
When I realized this fear, this uncertainty, this potential of dying, I guess I needed something greater to hold onto than what we can see, touch, and smell-and that was the spiritual aspect of God, the nature of God and his relationship to humans.[3]
Now, Hawn is among Hollywood's most spiritual celebrities. She's widely touted as a Buddhist[4] –and she's even started a foundation to teach young children the benefits of meditation and mindfulness, though it has encountered some resistance.[5] But one gets the sense that Hawn wouldn't like being pigeonholed as simply another Buddhist. When pressed, she'll call herself a "Jewish Buddhist" but for the most part, she's not into labels.[6] She has said:
Your spirituality is shared by your actions and your interconnectedness with your family and everybody else. It's not conceptual. What's going to make you whole is your self-reflection and examination of yourself.[7]
But it goes even further. It's not just Judaism and/or Buddhism. Hawn has described herself as a "Jesus freak" too, saying:
He went to the desert; he sat quietly. He sat so quietly that he heard the voice of God. He heard the truth. He felt the truth. He was able to receive the truth because he emptied himself and he had the ability to do it.[8]
If there was anyone ever worthy of the "meta-religious" tag, it's Goldie Hawn.
Gold politics and the silver screen
It would seem that much more of Hawn's energy goes to spiritual matters than does to matters of state and society. That's not to say she isn't political, it's just not such a big deal to her. She said:
Well, I have my own private views. I don't really care to… I mean, I'm an actress and a mother and a citizen, but I don't want to be identified as a political figure.[9]
But there are some mention-worthy items. Let's see. Well, her financial political donations have gone overwhelmingly to Democrats. Between 1980 and 2004, she gave $32,540 to Democrat politicians and a paltry $500 to Republicans.[10]
She spoke out against the war in Iraq–though only under durress, and she advocated for the removal of Saddam Hussein, peacefully of course.[11]
However, in one issue, she seems to side with conservatives–that being her support of the Jewish National Fund, for which she's taken some flack from pro-Palestinian activists.[12]
Further distancing herself from the liberal crowd, Hawn endorsed Libertarian president Gary Johnson in the 2012 election.[13] That's a bit shocking. Here's a picture of them at a business conference.
I guess we'll call her a Libertarian–and a liberal, maybe a conservative? It's about as confusing as her religion. What do you guys think?
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