Comments on: Religion & Violence http://www.ourjewishcommunity.org/2008/10/25/religion-violence/ our jewish community online congregation Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:03:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Godwrestler http://www.ourjewishcommunity.org/2008/10/25/religion-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-45 Godwrestler Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:30:45 +0000 http://www.ourjewishcommunity.org/?p=827#comment-45 wanted to add: I was dumbfounded to find out that the Academy for Jewish Religion in NY and the one in LA, Hebrew College (all transdenominational) and Reconstructionist Rabbinical College do not allow rabbinical students in interfaith relationships/marriages. And these are liberals who celebrate their inclusion of gay/lesbian students/rabbis, as do I, but not the other. Talk about denying the reality of Judaism in the 21st century--we celebrate interfaith couples but no way is the rabbi going to be in one. Pure lunacy!! wanted to add: I was dumbfounded to find out that the Academy for Jewish Religion in NY and the one in LA, Hebrew College (all transdenominational) and Reconstructionist Rabbinical College do not allow rabbinical students in interfaith relationships/marriages. And these are liberals who celebrate their inclusion of gay/lesbian students/rabbis, as do I, but not the other. Talk about denying the reality of Judaism in the 21st century–we celebrate interfaith couples but no way is the rabbi going to be in one. Pure lunacy!!

]]> By: Godwrestler http://www.ourjewishcommunity.org/2008/10/25/religion-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-43 Godwrestler Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:18:57 +0000 http://www.ourjewishcommunity.org/?p=827#comment-43 I am reminded of those Orthodox (not all of them of course) who so stridently supported Prop 8 in CA alongside the Roman Catholic Church and the Latter Day Saints, which I find disgusting, to put it mildly. I am happy, however, to see the plight of those Jews by Choice who converted by nonOrthodox rabbis who could not make aliyah has changed. Apparently, some members of the Knesset had enough of the Chief Rabbinate's hold over these matters, and have put in place a way for religious nonOrthodox and those converted by the Society for Humanistic Judaism to make aliyah and be recognised as Jews. It's about damn time. To me, godliness is more important than a specific concept of God, but I do not dismiss the mystical/spiritual life either. It has touched me too deeply. It does seem, however, that much we call "miraculous" has a natural cause. Take spontaneous healings from prayer: isn't prayer intended thought? I hope to counter the abuse of religion by becoming a maggid, Jewish storyteller, and, also a rabbi. I am reminded of those Orthodox (not all of them of course) who so stridently supported Prop 8 in CA alongside the Roman Catholic Church and the Latter Day Saints, which I find disgusting, to put it mildly.

I am happy, however, to see the plight of those Jews by Choice who converted by nonOrthodox rabbis who could not make aliyah has changed. Apparently, some members of the Knesset had enough of the Chief Rabbinate’s hold over these matters, and have put in place a way for religious nonOrthodox and those converted by the Society for Humanistic Judaism to make aliyah and be recognised as Jews. It’s about damn time.

To me, godliness is more important than a specific concept of God, but I do not dismiss the mystical/spiritual life either. It has touched me too deeply. It does seem, however, that much we call “miraculous” has a natural cause. Take spontaneous healings from prayer: isn’t prayer intended thought?

I hope to counter the abuse of religion by becoming a maggid, Jewish storyteller, and, also a rabbi.

]]> By: DMS http://www.ourjewishcommunity.org/2008/10/25/religion-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-34 DMS Sun, 26 Oct 2008 01:10:04 +0000 http://www.ourjewishcommunity.org/?p=827#comment-34 People are trained to use religion to avoid the responsibility of thinking for themselves. Their simple minded answers for everything is "because the bible tells us so." When is that going to become taboo? When is it going to be humiliating for people to say that? If they say voodoo dolls contain evil spirits they are shunned and relegated to the extremes of society. If they say that food fell from the sky for 40 years or that someone built a boat and put 1.5 million pairs of living things on it for a year, we say they are good folk. They should be relegated with the voodoo dolls. People are trained to use religion to avoid the responsibility of thinking for themselves. Their simple minded answers for everything is “because the bible tells us so.” When is that going to become taboo? When is it going to be humiliating for people to say that? If they say voodoo dolls contain evil spirits they are shunned and relegated to the extremes of society. If they say that food fell from the sky for 40 years or that someone built a boat and put 1.5 million pairs of living things on it for a year, we say they are good folk. They should be relegated with the voodoo dolls.

]]>