Clipmarks | Judaism Clips

Women: Just so darn tempting.

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 13:15:45 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

In Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, where the rule of law sometimes takes a back seat to the rule of God, zealots are on a campaign to stamp out behavior they consider unchaste. They hurl stones at women for such "sins" as wearing a red blouse, and attack stores selling devices that can access the Internet.

"These breaches of purity and modesty endanger our community," said 38-year-old Elchanan Blau, defending the bearded, black-robed zealots. "If it takes fire to get them to stop, then so be it."

And the significant difference between Judaism and Islam is…?

Hey, I have a suggestion for all those fearful people who want to punish women for being so darn tempting. Instead of targeting women, let's have all orthodox, fundamentalist men fitted with devices that measure penis enlargement, and that set off blinking lights and whistles mounted on the gentleman's hats when significant arousal is detected.

Islam and the West

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 02:47:43 GMT

clipped by: Kelika

Clip Source: www.starbulletin.com

The relationship between Islam and the West has been depicted as one of confrontation and indifference, but there is more to Islam and its relation with the West than violence and confrontation.

Historical and theological facts easily repudiate the claim that Islam is intolerant of Christianity and Judaism. Muhammad signed treaties of peace with the Christians and Jews. In the year 631, he received a delegation of 60 Christians from Najran, about 450 miles south of Medina in present-day Saudi Arabia, who were received in the prophet's mosque, and they were allowed to pray in the mosque.

The Islamic civilization has in the past proved capable of, for the times, astonishing feats of tolerance and acceptance. Under the Muslims, medieval Spain became a haven for diverse religions and sects. Following the Christian re-conquest, the Inquisition eliminated all dissent.

Tags: islam, tolerance

Jewish Holiday Holds Up Congress During Financial Crisis

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:55:25 GMT

clipped by: blueridge
clipper's remarks: Why? Isn't this an "establishment of religion"? This gives some historical background. Apparently this is something fairly new! Is Judaism America's official religion? They have no trouble calling sessions on Sundays. They certainly don't observe any Islamic holidays, or Buddhist holidays, or ....etc.., not that they should. (Christmas used to not be observed by Congress, and is actually a pagan holiday that was "Christianized" by Constantine to unite the Roman Empire).

Where is the ACLU on this one? Yom Kippur will be in October as well. It's fair to ask and question the constitutionality of this as it smacks of official endorsement. Methinks AIPAC holds this over Congress who are afraid to resist. As Orwell said, "some are more equal than others" (Animal Farm).

The Fed chairman Bernanke is Jewish, who ironically has been the very one stressing the urgency of Congress acting immediately.

Clip Source: ap.google.com

Congress quiet on Jewish New Year

WASHINGTON (AP) — A day after the House defeat of a financial bailout plan that sent Wall Street into a frantic downward spiral, the Capitol was largely deserted Tuesday as Congress marked the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana.

Congressional leaders were still actively talking, trying to develop an alternate plan that Congress will approve. But the House was in recess both Tuesday and Wednesday, and the Senate will have no votes until after sundown Wednesday, the end of the holiday according to Orthodox and Conservative synagogues. The holiday started Monday evening.

Taking off on Rosh Hashana and, a week later, the Jewish day of atonement, Yom Kippur, is a fairly recent practice.

There are currently 13 Jewish lawmakers in the 100-member Senate and 29 Jews in the 435-member House.

Tags: jewish holiday, congress, financial crisis, rosh hoshanah, yom kippur, constitution, religion, christmas

US Textbooks Misrepresent Jews, Israel

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 13:11:49 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks: A glossary entry on the Ten Commandments describes them as "Moral laws Moses claimed to have received from the Hebrew God Yahweh on Mount Sinai."

The same glossary describes the Koran as a "Holy Book of Islam containing revelations received by Muhammad from God."

"All in all, there are repeated misrepresentations that cross the line into bigotry," the authors write.

Wow. Talk about getting your knickers in a knot. Outrageous misrepresentations? I daren't say a word.

Clip Source: www.jpost.com

'US textbooks misrepresent Jews, Israel'

American elementary and high school textbooks contain many "gross misrepresentations" of Judaism, Christianity and Israel, according to a book-length study released this week by the San Francisco-based Institute for Jewish and Community Research.

"It is shocking to discover that history and geography textbooks widely used in America's elementary and secondary classrooms contain some of the very same inaccuracies about Christianity, Judaism and the Middle East as those [used] in Iran,"

Ybarra found some 500 instances of "errors, inaccuracies and even propaganda"

Among the "outrageous misrepresentations" the study found was "a denial of the Jewish roots of Jesus," as when the textbook The World relates that "Christianity was started by a young Palestinian named Jesus."

Among the claims

it was Israel that placed Palestinians in refugee camps in Arab lands, not Arab governments.

In some instances, Jews are charged with deicide in the killing of Jesus.

Process theology lambasted by orthodox Christian

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:06:32 GMT

clipped by: jimbo1000
clipper's remarks: I don't support his argument but it clarifies what you are getting with orthodoxy.
Jimmy Carter is a hero for me.

Clip Source: frontpagemagazine.com

Religious Liberals used to be chronic optimists who assumed that Providence at any moment was about to establish the Millennium.

That confidence in Providence is now almost gone among the hardcore Religious Left.

For them, Process Theology has largely won the day, denying that God is omnipotent, and asserting that God is an evolving relational force.

As with ancient Manichaeism, Process Theology supposes that good and evil will go on struggling for eternity. At odds with orthodox Christianity and Judaism, Process Theology offers no hope of a final triumph for goodness.

counsel from the Apostle of Malaise, Jimmy Carter: “My country will never again torture a prisoner. We will never again attack another country unless our security is directly threatened. Human rights will be the foundation of our foreign policy.

Very inspiring! Carter’s bitter musings are what passes for hopefulness to Winkler.

More orthodox believers,

can have faith that an omnipotent Providence still rules the nations

Jewish 'ultras' defend morals with menace

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:26:57 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: The terrorists within.

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

An Orthodox Jewish woman heckles women defying a law that they should not pray out loud. Photograph: Elizabeth Dalziel/AP

Four months ago in the middle of the night, six men dressed in wide-brimmed black hats, black coats, white shirts and black trousers burst into the Jerusalem apartment of a young Jewish woman and taught her a lesson.

Mikhail, who is reluctant to give her full name, had scandalised members of her ultra-orthodox Jewish community by leaving her husband and embracing a secular lifestyle. The men, all members of the theologically conservative Haredi branch of Judaism, tackled her to the ground, slammed her head against the floor and tied a rag around her mouth. One assailant sat on her head as the others kicked her while demanding to know the names of the men she was seeing.

the orthodox are imposing their rules more forcefully than before and the lives of the city's women are becoming more circumscribed, and sometimes more dangerous, as a result.

Tags: religion

Scholar claims to find medieval Jewish capital

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:20:43 GMT

clipped by: vinitjain
clipper's remarks: A Russian archaeologist says he has found the lost capital of the Khazars, a powerful nation that adopted Judaism as its official religion more than 1,000 years ago, only to disappear leaving little trace of its culture.

Clip Source: theunexplainedmysteries.com

Scholar claims to find medieval Jewish capital

MOSCOW - A Russian archaeologist says he has found the lost capital of the Khazars, a powerful nation that adopted Judaism as its official religion more than 1,000 years ago, only to disappear leaving little trace of its culture.

Dmitry Vasilyev, a professor at Astrakhan State University, said his nine-year excavation near the Caspian Sea has finally unearthed the foundations of a triangular fortress of flamed brick, along with modest yurt-shaped dwellings, and he believes these are part of what was once Itil, the Khazar capital.

Tags: lost city, temple, temple texas, temple tx, temple university, temple edu, temple bar, masonic temple, temple inland

Scholar claims to find medieval Jewish capital

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:22:05 GMT

clipped by: sunstreak509

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

Tags: archaeology, judaism, history

Why is pleasure so suspicious?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 06:48:49 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: "The best sort of life, says Epicurus, is one that is free from pain in the body and from disturbance in the mind. That sounds a rather negative credo for a 21st-century devotee of the good life. Were he writing self-help books today, Epicurus would probably acknowledge that you can aim a little higher than that. He might point out in his own defence that health and peace are essential preconditions of happiness, and are easy to belittle if you are lucky enough to have them. But perhaps his most useful observation for the discerning hedonists of today, when such an intoxicating variety of gratifications are dangled before them, is a reminder of caveat emptor: "No pleasure is in itself evil, but the things which produce certain pleasures entail annoyances many times greater than the pleasures themselves."

Clip Source: www.moreintelligentlife.com

Why is pleasure so suspicious? None of the greatest western philosophers has produced a proper guide for today's enlightened hedonist, writes Anthony Gottlieb. But Epicurus, that much-maligned Greek, was on to something ...

Where is a hedonist to look for his heroes? Not to the religious traditions of the East, to be sure: they lack enthusiasm for the illusory pleasures of this world. The Buddha may have rejected the stony path of asceticism, but he was keener on eliminating desires than on satisfying them. Islam and Christianity are not much help either. They are more interested in pleasing God than in pleasing man. Judaism has managed a happier compromise with the ways of the world. Yet it too, like the other monotheisms, keeps a wary eye open for recriminations from above.

But there is one Greek philosopher whose name has become synonymous with the life of pleasure--especially sensual pleasures, and above all those of a gourmet.

Why is the #18 lucky in Jewish religion?

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 02:22:09 GMT

clipped by: netgrlrush
clipper's remarks: Very interested thing to learn after 42 years as a jew and only vaguely remembering something about this.

Clip Source: judaism.about.com

Question: What is the significance of the number 18 in Judaism?

Answer: The word for "life" in Hebrew is "chai." The two Hebrew letters that make up the word "chai" are chet and yud. In Gematria (the numerical value of Hebrew letters), chai is equivalent to 8 and yud is equivalent to 10. So "chai", chet and yud together, equals 18. Giving money in multiples of $18 is symbolic of giving "chai" or life. Many people give money in mulitiples of $18 as presents to someone celebrating a birth, a bar or bat mitzvah or a wedding.

More Judaism Q&A

Synthesis or Sinthesis?

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:23:44 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks: When REligion turns to eVOLUTION we may call it REVOLUTION

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Rabbis and Christian leaders say that Darwin's theory of evolution is compatible with faith

The Clergy Letter Project, which aims to demonstrate that using the Bible as your moral compass is not inconsistent with an acceptance of evolution by natural selection, is extending its call to the Jewish community.

We the undersigned, Christian clergy from many different traditions, believe that the timeless truths of the Bible and the discoveries of modern science may comfortably coexist. We believe that the theory of evolution is a foundational scientific truth, one that has stood up to rigorous scrutiny and upon which much of human knowledge and achievement rests.

The equivalent letter from American rabbis has 107 signatories to date. It states:

As rabbis from various branches of Judaism, we the undersigned, urge public school boards to affirm their commitment to the teaching of the science of evolution

environment which is supposed to be free of such indoctrination

Tags: evolution, religion, synthesis

"Religious literacy" courses now required in Modesto, CA public schools

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:43:11 GMT

clipped by: enbar
clipper's remarks: More religious knowledge has got to be a good thing, I think. On the other hand, a course like this has got to be fantastically easy to screw up. It would be interesting to study what they're doing and how it's working out. Thanks to ~C4Chaos at Friendfeed for the link.

Clip Source: www.cbsnews.com

Teaching Not Preaching In CA Bible Belt

Most Schools Avoid Religion, But It's Required In Modesto Schools

Modesto, Calif., is home to the only school district in the country that requires the teaching of world religions to high school students. (CBS)

Like many other places, Modesto is becoming more religiously diverse.

But unlike any other place, religion is a required course in high school here.

"And now we're going to be looking at Judaism, Christianity, and Islam," Taylor said to her class.

"The United States is one of the most religious countries on Earth. And yet Americans know almost nothing about religion," said Stephen Prothero, author of a new book, "Religious Literacy."

But in Modesto, the lessons aren't about distant cultures, so much as about the student at the next desk.

While there are many religions here, the goal is to create one community where everyone is accepted.

Tags: religion, schools, education, teaching, california, pluralism, america, news

Hands Off Mohammed!!!

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:36:06 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Fear seems to have censored the publishing of a book about Mohammed. As the author of the piece points out:

"It is condescending to treat Muslims like excitable children who cannot cope with the probing, mocking treatment we hand out to Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism. It is perfectly consistent to protect Muslims from bigotry while challenging the bigotries and absurdities within their holy texts."

Doesn't seem like too much to ask.

Clip Source: scienceblogs.com

An author named Sherry Jones has written a book, called The Jewel of Medina, that will never see the light of day because it novelizes the life and times, with particular focus on the marital details, of the prophet Mohammed.

The Jewel of Medina was bought by Random House and primed to be a best-seller - before a University of Texas teacher saw proofs and declared it "a national security issue". Random House had visions of a re-run of the Rushdie or the Danish cartoons affairs. Sherry Jones's publisher has pulped the book. It's gone.

Hari goes on to criticize the kid gloves with which Islamic issues are dealt the world round, contrasting it to the relative ease with which people question the tenets of Christianity and other more 'docile' world religions. Although his East End perspective may not allow him to fully appreciate the rebounding resistence to criticism sought by Christians in America, his general conclusions are spot on:

Tags: islam, religion, criticism

Four Points for Israel

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:48:09 GMT

clipped by: maquser
clipper's remarks: Excellent synopsis of Arab antipathy and hypocrisy, with links and references to further articles. Israel is now 60, and the arabs are still assholes.

Clip Source: www.aish.com

Jews can live in Mexico City, Bangkok, St. Louis, and any city in the world (except in Saudi Arabia) -- but the PA wants to forbid Jews from living in the very cradle of Judaism.

The only period in the last 3,000 years without a continued Jewish presence in the West Bank was the 19 years between 1948-1967 when the Jordanian government banned Jews from living there.

There would be no refugee problem if seven Arab nations had not attacked Israel upon its inception in 1948.

800,000 Jewish refugees were expelled from Arab countries in 1948, but their descendents are normalized today because they were absorbed by Israel and other countries.

The real PLO invented the idea of skyjackings in 1970, and instilled fear in travelers across the world.

The very formula "Land for Peace" indicates that Arabs compromise for what they want most -- land, while Israel compromises for what it wants most -- peace.

Tags: israel, peace, world, hope, jerusalem

10 Ways to Discover the Life You Want-10

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:00:12 GMT

clipped by: katmarie23

Clip Source: www.beliefnet.com

Repairing Yourself Can Change the World

So, why should you try to live the life you dream when it is easier just to live the life you already have? Because you matter and your life will be an inspiration to those around you--your children, your friends, their children, and their grandchildren.

In Judaism, we have the task of tikkun olam, repairing the world. However, the first step in repairing the world is to repair yourself. It's true for every one of us, regardless of time, place and situation--once you begin, you too will change the world and discover the life you want.

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Tags: inspiration, discover, life