Jesus had 2 dads....

Dudes,

This was sent over a gay Anglican friend and she asked me to put it up here without comment.

But I will...

LOL!!!

Why?

A BIG *SIGH* here. 

I wondered how long it would take for some religious zealot to explain why the 3 Israeli Yeshivah students were kidnapped by terrorists; yup it is 'divine punishment'. Yep! It is either because Israel recently passed a draft for Haredi OR because Israel has been passing 'anti-religious (read chipping away at Haredi dominance of the Israeli Rabbincate) & is willing to provide land for peace ! Why not go ahead and blame gays, women's education & tzniut ?!?

Well, I'm not the best scholar in the world, nor am I the worst. But this I do know: the age of Jewish Prophets is over (which is why, incidentally, Jews rejected Mo, but that's a different story). So no-one has the right to claim the G-d is punishing Israel for whatever reason  and I believe that is well within Halakhah to give up land for peace. Furthermore I would argue that the ultimate Mitzvot, save the exceptional circumstances when we must Yehareg ve'al ya'avor,is -Pikuach Nefesh, the preservation of life. A peace treaty with the Arabs is essential in the long term, but it is a matter of timing and context that will determine this, though. I'm not G-d, so I'm not even going to give any possible spiritual answer as to why these things happen. In the same respect, when people ask me about the Shoah. I'll be honest. I don't have any words, any glibness, no hidden spiritual insight. As a famous Sephardi Rabbi [Judah ha-Levi] once said "If I understood Him, I would be Him". What I do know is that we can do our upmost to Daven[pray] for the return of these boys, alongside the practical actions that the IDF and others are doing . Furthermore, what needs to happen now is to put in place practical ways which will prevent further kidnappings. 

As for the reasons given  -

Well studying Torah academically is good, but if you really grasp it you'd realise that there is a life outside it and that is the real thrust of Judaism, besides which, ah you've heard me enough to know my views on this one, but I will turn to it in greater depth in another post ... & I can't see exactly what is damaging about the various issues mention in the article about the current Israeli government being 'anti-religious', e.g. the change to the conversion process, I will write about this at greater length another time, but I think there does need to be more leniency here.I read an article a couple of months back about how a famous Israeli actress wanted to convert- she had a Jewish father, not a mother- and stuck to all of the modesty rules, dietary rules and they apparently ended the conversion process because she was an actress, doh !!!

So if you are a self-righteous nutter or follower of a conclave of Mullah type Rabbis, who think they can interpret the divine will, turn this into a disgraceful political statement to suite your own needs, then go ahead. No-one else wants to know,  we are too busy praying and being practical in our efforts to bring back our boys. 

Thank you.

'Amidst everything we do, we say Hashem, please help our soldiers bring our boys back home.'

UPDATE (1 hour later) - I have the privilege of reading through my sister's notes for her book. She passionately expresses in her notes much of my feelings, so I will not need to discuss further the issues I said I would above.

Red Dwarf ...

Hey Dudes and Dudesses ,

Classic British Sci- Fi comedy -

Which I was banned from watching when I was part of that wacky cult- because it was 'against Jesus' - which almost destroyed my life. 

-So now I'm free from all that crap & I'm now moved from my bro's house to my sister's pad , who's gone out for a smooch with her girlfriend, I'll watch it some more now!

Its cold outside, there's no kind of atmosphere,
I'm all alone, more or less.
Let me fly, far away from here,
Fun, fun, fun, In the sun, sun, sun.

I want to lie, shipwrecked and comotoase,
Drinking fresh, mango juice,
Goldfish shoals, nibbling at my toes,
Fun, fun, fun, In the sun, sun, sun,
Fun, fun, fun, In the sun, sun, sun.

I'll pack my bags and head into hyperspace
Where I'll succeed at time-warp speed
Spend my days in ultraviolet rays
Fun, fun, fun, In the sun, sun, sun.

We'll lock on course straight through the universe
You and me and the galaxy
Reach the stage where hyper-drive's engaged
Fun, fun, fun, In the sun, sun, sun,
Fun, fun, fun, In the sun, sun, sun.

Jurassic Judaism!

Via the BBC -

"Fossilised bones of a dinosaur believed to be the largest creature ever to walk the Earth have been unearthed in Argentina, palaeontologists say.
Based on its huge thigh bones, it was 40m (130ft) long and 20m (65ft) tall.
Weighing in at 77 tonnes, it was as heavy as 14 African elephants, and seven tonnes heavier than the previous record holder, Argentinosaurus."

But of course, this doesn't stop people from denying that dinosaurs ever existed; in 0.31 google seconds I came up with 1,220,000 internet articles about 'dinosaurs didn't exist'. More interesting than this  was that some sites suggesting that they are a conspiracy theory to 'prove' evolution. OK, I guess if people wish not to believe in facts  & even though, as the picture shows below it is pretty conclusive that dinosaurs did exist that is up to them.

                                                                   Pause .Oy vey !

For us Orthodox Jews and for the thinking person of any faith, I'd suggest the Judaism & religious belief  has always been compatible, if not comfortable,  with science. Our great Rabbi Maimonides  noted that  seeming conflicts between science and the Bible arise from either a lack of scientific knowledge or a misunderstanding of the Bible; furthermore that  science is one of the primary paths to knowing God which is the reason why the Bible commences with a description of creation . Indeed Chazal of the Talmud always viewed Torah knowledge in light of prevailing scientific theory.

Secondly there is possible reference in the Torah  dinosaurs, as it says: "And God created the giant Tanin" (Genesis 1:21). What is a Tanin? In Exodus 7:10, when Moses throws down his staff before Pharaoh, it turns into a "Tanin," translated as a "snake." Thus a Tanin is in the reptile family. They are also the only creatures in the creation account referred to as "giant," and indeed, dinosaurs were the largest creatures ever to walk the earth. What happened to them? The Talmud (Baba Batra 74b) says that God caused the extinction of the giant Tanin soon after their creation, because had the Tanin been fruitful and multiplied, the world would not have been able to endure before them. And as we know the dinosaurs became extinct, although there are various theories (asteroid, climate change etc) as to why this occurred. 

Huge, fearsome & magnificent creatures that they were, dinosaurs can't possibly be a threat to the religious Jew. As G-d's creations, they are another example of His wondrous might. There's nothing to be afraid of in acknowledging the fact of dinosaurs or learning about them.

Maria Gaetana Agnesi

Hi All,

Today is this person's birthday, having been born on 16th May 1718 (died 9th January 1799), follow the link here if  U would like to know the full story.

This woman contributed greatly to the fields of mathematics, becoming (via the Pope) a Professor.  She spent the last years of her life studying theology and donated much of her wealth to the poor and charity. So an inspiration to all of us really. Long before the suffragettes or the culture wars, here we have a woman being able to do what she did well in life and not being prevented from doing it, because 'the woman's home is in the kitchen'.

There are lessons and inspiration for us all.; rather than raving about whether or not the Bible was literal or being told she couldn't do something because of who she was she just went and did it, look her faith
seriously without obscurantist fundamentalist.

Real life. Real people. Real faith.

 If only we could tilt that balance back here in 2014.

Pharisees & charity

One of my Christian friends- surprise, surprise that an Orthodox Jew has Christian friends- was bemoaning the other day the 'world vision' decision to first allow gay married couples to work in their organisation and then with 48 hours, under pressure from 'fundamentalists', they reversed this decision. Predictably, perhaps, liberal Christians pounced on this these 'fundamentalists' as 'Pharisaical' & then the other side came back with arguments about the need, even with people in need, to stick to the gospel truth. This particular friend was most distraught, as to her it didn't seem very Christian.  I think she was in favour or at least didn't see a problem with gay people, married or not, serving a charity, but she asked me for a Jewish perspective. 

Of course, I can't claim - never do- that I speak for all of Judaism here, but my thoughts are : 

• I don't actually give to openly Christian charities, not because I don't think they do any good in the world, I just personally feel that there is more to them than simple charity, such as the desire to convert people. I'm not a fan of forcing those in need to revert to an ideology in order to be fed.

• I dislike the phrase of 'Pharisaical' because Jews are often referred to in such as way in Christian lore, because we follow a bunch of ancient, impossible to follow regulations, which aren't necessary anyways because of Jesus (putting aside the confusion Christians have with Torah, as they can never seem to make their minds up about which bits to choose).

• The Jewish concept of charity is rooted in 'justice', which we called Tzedakah, traditionally at least 10% of our income. There are different 'levels' of  giving, which I've listed below... none of these mention whether or not a particular organisation employees gay people & I doubt the people in need actually care either.  I also guess you could note that giving does not involve pumping in massive amounts of money to large charities, but can also be done at a local, community level.  

1. Giving begrudgingly
2. Giving less that you should, but giving it cheerfully.
3. Giving after being asked
4. Giving before being asked
5. Giving when you do not know the recipient's identity, but the recipient knows your identity
6. Giving when you know the recipient's identity, but the recipient doesn't know your identity
7. Giving when neither party knows the other's identity
8. Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant

As ever,readers can contribute  & come up with their own conclusions.

'This Jew died for you' - a Jews for Jesus - crap video

Hey all,

A Christian I know enthusiastically sent me a note about this one called 'This Jew died for you', as done by the Jews for Jesus organisation, saying it really explained Jesus as a Jew and why we needed to believe in him. I'm not going to put this video up, as I have no desire to give a free add to a group I have no time for. This video has been doing to rounds since Passover  when it was released on you tube, link here. So far it  has got thousands of comments and a million hits.

With all due respect to our Christian and non Jewish readers, I have to say what the fuck do these people think they are playing at? This has to be the shittiest and most crassest video our friends Jews for Jesus have yet come up with, surely? It isn't just that the acting is appalling, but  the fact you have Jesus carrying a cross into a concentration camp actually highlights the fact that to Christians he is not 'Just another Jew'  or else historically,  Christians wouldn't have gone around accusing Jews of killing him, thinking up blood libels and arranging expulsions of Jewish communities, whenever there was something up & a Jewish scapegoat needed to be found.

I disagree with the message anyways, but it is like, do they really think they'll convert anyone with vids like this? A dude is tempted to say 'as you were', because vids like this will stop them in their tracks as it such a crappy, shitty, vid, which might make them feel better, but will have no success in converting anyone. 

Who I'll be voting for in the Euro Elections

Who knows if this will be a protest vote on my behalf or something more permanent. But as a lifelong conservative, I am stick to the back teeth of this current Conservative party -Liberal Democrat coalition.  So when we get to vote for the British representation in the Reichstag the European Parliament, the  'fig leave of democracy' in the Euro leviathan,  on the 22nd May , here's why (& then who) I shall be voting for - 

1. Duncan Smith. I cannot abide his extreme right wing views when it comes to poverty, welfare reform and the Daily Mail esque smearing of anyone in receipt of welfare as scroungers. The attitude on food banks (the very bloody fact that a FIRST WORLD country has sodding food banks in the first place is a utter disgrace upon the nation)  just made me sick. If you create a policy, which then has consequences you should be there in the House defending it , not scuttling off  or refusing to respond to criticism. 

2. I simply don't trust David Cameron and Nick Clegg went back on his biggest pledge- NOT raising tuition fees for university, which has fit our family financially .

3. I'm fed up generally with what is called the ' liberal urban metropolitan elite' (I might be urban and metropolitan myself, but I'm not liberal and I'm not an elite), condescending to any one who disagrees with their outlook as a Neanderthal bigot. Conservatives who have loyally served the party, never get listen to and it is time they responded to this and the broader feeling in the country.

4. Gay Marriage- No, no, no, no! I'm  fed up of people saying that anyone who has a traditional or religious outlook on marriage as being bigoted (see point 3). Even worse is the fact that a conservative government has done this , when it was never pledged before the election and the fact that it has clearly been done to 'detoxify' the apparently 'bigoted' Tory brand. (which is strange because conservatives accepted the established compromise of civil partnerships.  

5. Numerous bungling policies, not least has been Cameron's outmanoeuvre by the SNP, which could see the break up of our country 

6. George Osbourne - I've seen too much of his smugness 

7. Europe - the EU gets more dictatorial by the day. For our own sake, we need to leave this behemoth and leave it to the  French. 

8. The constant cutting of the defence forces has left us extremely vulnerable to attack

9. HS2- we don't need another railway that does bugger all, except to funnel state funding money to certain businesses.

10. The conservative party needs to listen to the people and undertake sensible, popular policies, which look after jobs, create wealth for all, not for a narrow few. 

So.... I shall be  protest voting UKIP :