A Broch--Yiddish Swear Word

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4

Ummm? Rush Limbaugh, you can?t be that stupid?
2007-02-04 14:27:01
In a gist, Rush Limbaugh said yesterday that we need not worry about global warming because God would never let it happen. “I’m not a scientist — in my common man way, I explained to this caller why I do not believe in global warming. I gave as my primary belief that I believe in God.” First, I’m really confused as to how global warming goes against the belief in God… is this a new religion now?  Wait, he says that it is, more on that later. The second thing that came into my mind when reading this was the Jewish though of tikkun olam, “repairing the world.” But that’s a concept way beyond comprehending by the likes of Limbaugh. I am, just as a human being, offended by the notion that the automobile I drive and the way I air-condition my home and the way I barbecue outside and the way all of you do the same things, as life for human beings has never, ever been better, I refuse to believe that a loving God creates creatures abl...
More About: Hat , Stupid , Rush Limbaugh , That

I don?t want my tax dollars to help Christians
2007-02-04 14:27:01
Faith based organizations got a huge boost by President Bush. Just recently in my area alone, the school system farmed out their “at-risk” students’ after-school activity program to a Baptist church. Audit after audit shows all the money is going to Christ ian organizations– eventhough other religions are applying. From the American Jewish Committee: AJC Supports Right to Challenge Executive Branch Spending on Religion February 2, 2007 - New York - The American Jewish Committee today filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the right of taxpayers to challenge presidential spending that violates their religious liberties. The case, Hein v. Freedom From Religion (more…)
More About: Tax , Dollar , Christians

?They deserve to live their lives like anyone else?
2007-02-04 14:27:01
  Irit Rosenblum, director of Israel’s New Family Organization on the registration of the city’s first gay couple: “They deserve to live their lives like anyone else,” she said. “This is more than a legal victory, it is a humanitarian victory and a message for society to be more tolerant.” Like I said before, in the end it’s all about acceptance. Mazel tov Mr. and Mr. Rose!  
More About: Live , Lives , Anyone , Else

Seperation of church and state means you can?t pray to Jesus
2007-02-04 14:27:01
The debate on my last thread has spilled over and I feel it deserves its own post.  To catch you up to speed on the last comment: Are you trying to say that in communities in America where there aren?t any Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, etc, they should be shipped in so that their voice is heard at these townhall meetings? Are you trying to say that the people in these communities should be forced to read from the Koran or Dhammapada simply because the Muslim and Buddhist voice needs to be heard? You say that the Constitution ?clearly states we allow all viewpoints or none at all.? Please show me where this is in the Constitution. The Constitution says that the government will not establish a religion and that religious expression will not be prohibited. Either you are unlearned on Constitutional law or you have a radical interpretation. Also, I don?t understand the last sentence of your post. Are you attacking me because you can?t defend your points? Or am I missing something. You kn...
More About: Church , Jesus , State , Church and State , Stat

Oy vey: How Enemies of Religion Misinterpret the First Amendment
2007-02-01 02:24:01
Oy vey, this makes me mad.  From the John Birch Society: How Enemies of Religion Misinterpret the First Amendment : No organization has done more to pervert the meaning of the First Amendment’s protection of religion from government interference than the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). This should not be at all surprising, when one considers that ACLU founder Thomas Baldwin, a socialist and agnostic, stated, “Communism is the goal.” Since communism is an atheistic political and economic system that views human beings as little more than factors of production, one of the primary goals of the ACLU has been to drive religion from the public square. The ACLU and its allies have twisted the First Amendment, which was meant to protect people of faith, into a sword to be used against them. Thanks to the ACLU’s relentless attacks on religious expression, many courts, instead of allowing religion to flourish, help to suppress expressions of religious faith, desp...
More About: Inter , Men

Religion: The new cultural norm in politics
2007-02-01 02:24:01
Gustav Niebuhr writes in the Washington Post/Newsweek that the latest outpouring of faith based statements by politicians reflects the culture we now live and embrace here in the United States. He makes an excellent point, one’s religion used to be something private and personal. Not anymore, religion is all the rage it seems. Niebuhr wonders outloud if politicians using their facetime on TV for religious statements is a good thing. Regular readers to my blog should already no my point of view.  For those of you new here, no it’s not ok for politicians to use religion.  “I reject the idea of a candidate using religion in a politically manipulative way, as a signal to that part of the electorate with “ears to hear” (to borrow a phrase). That can be poisonous to politics and religion as well. I also believe that a candidate’s religion should not be accorded a status apart from the other formative ideas and influences in his or her life.” We...
More About: Politics , Religion , Cult , Cultura , The N

Poll: Americans want less religion in public
2007-02-01 02:24:01
A new Gallup poll found for the third year in a row America ns want less religious influence in public life.  The margin however, isn’t that large. Thirty-two percent of American s would like organized religion to have less influence, 27 percent would like it to have more, and 39 percent say that the current amount of influence should be kept as is.  A new trend may be emerging:  Between 2001 and 2004, Americans were slightly more likely to say that organized religion should have more influence rather than less influence in the country. Since 2005, however, the lines have crossed, and now slightly more Americans say that organized religion should have less influence rather than more influence — although about 4 in 10 say the current level of influence is fine. We may quickly jump to the conclusion that this was reflected in the latest mid-term elections.  Don’t be fooled. (more…)
More About: Religion , Public , Poll

No room for Jesus: Part IV
2007-02-01 02:24:01
This is the last installment in my series. There seems to be some recent buzz in the Christian blogging community over efforts to convert Jews.  From one such site: Outreach Judaism, a leading counter- missionary organization based in New York today launched its new website, offering a free, exhaustive library of information regarding Jews for Jesu s ? multimillion dollar worldwide missionary campaigns, including a point-by-point audio response to their plans to convert Jews to Christianity. The report continues, in a delightfully pugilistic tone Yes, God forbid that Jews convert!  Let?s all get together and launch a website urging Christians not to convert to Islam, and Muslims not to convert to Judaism, or Christianity!  Or Hindus? Or Taoists?  After all, freedom of religion and religious conversion is a one way street- you may become US but you may never become other than US. This is offensive to me because I don’t try to convert, in fact my religion frowns on proselytizing. ...
More About: Part , Room

Huckabee: Faith Should Influence Policies
2007-01-31 02:23:01
Former governor of Arkansas and Southern Baptist minister Mike Huckabee threw is hat into the presidential race. In an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press he makes an intereting point: “Christianity doesn’t make me think I’m better than someone. It makes me know that I’m not as good as I really need to be.”  As good as who and what? He also said on the program: “[I wouldn’t] replace the Capitol Dome with a steeple or change the legislative sessions for prayer meetings.” According to Christian Broadcasting Network News Huckabee is a staunch opponent of abortion rights and gay marriage. He also is quoted as saying, his faith would motivate him to improve health, education and the environment, while protecting life and traditional marriage. Sounds more like leading with the Christian Bible and not with the secular thought of separation of church and state.
More About: Faith , Policies , Should , Influence

Public Expressions of Religion Act
2007-01-31 02:23:01
Sen. Brownback’s actions will only setback religious freedom in the United States.  It is the taxpayer’s job to pay to ensure everyone’s liberties are being protected.   Brownback Reintroduces Public Expressions of Religion Act Would require all parties in Establishment Clause cases to pay their own legal fees Contact: Brian Hart, Becky Ogilvie, both for Sam Brownback, United States Senator ? Kansas, 202-224-6521 WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 /Standard Newswire/ — U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today reintroduced the Public Expressions of Religion Act, which would prevent activist groups from using a 1970s-era civil rights law to recover attorney’s fees when they sue local cities and towns in cases related to public displays of religion and faith. (more…)
More About: Press , Ligi

Jews for Jesus and Messianic Jews (and a little about the Reform movement):
2007-01-31 02:23:01
A regular reader of mine brought up an interesting point, are there any other qualities besides religion that you can use to call yourself Jewish? Another reader asked how can Reform Jews be Jewish. All of these questions will be answered in this post. Jewish identity can be confusing to some, we can belong to a nation (figuratively and literally)– as we used to joke in college “are you a member of the tribe?” — ethnicity, religion and culture. There’s the traditional thinking that says if your mother was Jewish than the children are as well.  Reoform congregations take this a step further and say that you’re Jewish if either of your parents are. But what exactly does that mean?  If the child converts to a different religion are you a Catholic Jew or something of the like? This is where some people get confused and believe that there is a Jewish race.  Like I stated before, the general thought in the Jewish community is that there is no such thing...
More About: Jesus , Men , Messi

Reform Jewish Leader Condemns Eilat Suicide Bombing
2007-01-31 02:23:01
Feldman: Our thoughts and sympathies are with the families of those wounded and killed today and whose names have been added to the heartbreakingly long list of Israeli men, women and children whose lives have been cut short by the violence of terrorism.Contact: Rachel Slomovitz or Elissa Froman 202.387.2800 | news@rac.org New York, New York, January 29, 2007- In response to today?s suicide bombing in Eilat that claimed 3 innocent lives, Rabbi Marla Feldman, Director of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement: ?We are deeply saddened by today?s tragic suicide bombing in Eilat that took the lives of 3 innocent civilians.  This base action has again targeted innocent people trying to function in their daily lives and persevere in a climate already rife with tension. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the families of those wounded and killed today and whose names have been added to the heartbreakingly long list of Israeli men, women and child...
More About: Jewish , Suicide , Wish , Bomb

Suicide Bomber: Update 4
2007-01-31 02:23:01
Now several hours after the attack we get a full description and reaction from US officials.  So from incident to full report it takes the US media about six hours to turn a complete story. AP-Israel-Explosion (Tops) New reaction to Israel attack EILAT, Israel (AP) - An Islamic Jihad Web site says today’s suicide attack in Israel was meant to bring rival Palestinian factions together. The bomber and three people died in the blast at a bakery in the southern Israeli resort town of Eilat. It’s the first such attack in Israel in nine months. The Islamic Jihad Web site says the attack was — quoting here – “necessary to end the infighting and point the guns toward the occupation that has hurt the Palestinian people.” Hamas praised the bombing as a “natural response” to Israeli policies. (more…)
More About: Update , Suicide , Bomb , Suicide Bomber , Bomber

The attacks continue: update #3
2007-01-31 02:23:01
Note:  If you look at the three posts I’ve written so far it gives you a good idea how the media reports on incidents like this. It starts out as a news alert on the wire, then background information is provided and now with this update enough information is given to run with the story on TV because sound is provided. AP-Israel-Explosion (Tops) Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for blast EILAT, Israel (AP) - Radical Palestinians claim responsibility for a deadly suicide attack in Israel. A bomber attacked a bakery in the southern resort town of Eilat, killing himself and three other people. (more…)
More About: Update , Attacks , The A , Tacks , Attack

The attacks continue: updated
2007-01-31 02:23:01
I work in the news biz, hot off the wire.  AP-Israel-Explosion Suicide blast kills bomber, three others in Israel JERUSALEM (AP) - It’s the first suicide bombing in Israel in months. Police say a bomber attacked a bakery in the southern resort town of Eilat today, killing himself and three other people. There’s no claim of responsibility. Police initially suspected the blast might have been an accident or a criminal act unrelated to terrorism. Eilat is located on the Red Sea, near the Jordanian and Egyptian border. It’s been largely insulated from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The last suicide bombing in Israel was in April. Ten people died in Tel Aviv. %AP Links Sound: Pursuing
More About: Update , Attacks , The A , Tacks , Attack

The attacks continue
2007-01-31 02:23:01
BC-APNewsAlert,0033 JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli police say a bombing in the southern resort town of Eilat that killed three people was a suicide attack. AP-NY-01-29-07 0348EST
More About: Attacks , The A , Tacks , Attack , Conti

Carter called anti-semite live on TV
2007-01-27 08:19:02
I haven’t weighed in yet on the whole President Carter craziness yet, and I told myself that I wouldn’t… but I came across this on You Tube today. A caller actually calls President Carter an anti-semite live on TV, his reaction is interesting, watch the way his eyes move. But before that clip, if you’re unaware of the controveresy, here’s what he had to say on Meet the Press, hard words to swallow if you’re a supporter of Israel. Taking on the Jewish lobby? Like I said, hard words to swallow. (more…)
More About: Arte , Live , Call , Semi , Calle

Graphic anti-semitism on popular entertainment site, why won?t they do anyt
2007-01-27 08:19:02
Entertainment site TMZ.com is all over the media these days with exclusive videos of this and that celebrity breaking the law and messing up. Now it seems like a brief story on a rabbi suing a porn director over the use of the kosher symbol has sparked the interest of close-minded haters. This was really hard to write but it needs to be shown that people like this can be right next door to you. Christians don’t have a clue as to what religious discrimination is about and I’m tired of you coming on my blog saying that you’re being discriminated against. Why isn’t TMZ getting involved? How can organizations like NBC, ABC and the other networks use such a service that allows free expression of hate? You have Christians on TMZ saying these things, and I asked before if Christianity promoted anti-semitism: 10. This is similar to what Jesus said to the religious leaders - the Pharisees - of His day. They’re more concerned about the externals (caring about a...
More About: Entertainment , Pop , Men , Site , Popular

Jews for Jesus: Part II (With unsolicited advice from a pastor)
2007-01-26 14:17:01
I had a Seventh-Day Adventist pastor email me the other day saying Judaism is wrong.  This goes in line with the Messianic Jew debate that I’ve started and why being a Jew and believing in Jesus doesn’t work.  But first, the email. I wanted to send an attachment with the messianic prophecies that are listed in an appendix in my Bible, but I can’t get the scanner I have to work properly. If I had your regular postal address I could send them to you, or alternately, I just found a DVD at amazingdiscoveries.org  “Just another man?” I’d be happy to order, at our expense, and have sent to your residence.  To turn from Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah is such a profound and stupendous thing to do, we would urge you to pray and study carefully and reconsider. Have you studied the many Messianic prophecies clearly fulfilled in the life of Christ? (e.g. Isaiah 7:14; 53:1-12; 61:1-3; Micah 5:2; Psalms 22 (”They pierced my hands and feet”); Ps....
More About: Advice , With , Jews , Past

Why I call Messianic Jews ?Jews for Jesus? and why they offend me: Pt. 1
2007-01-25 20:15:02
I feel that I need to clarify a few points and answer more directly some of the questions posed to me. This will be the first installment in a series of articles on this topic. First, these are my opinions, nobody can speak on the behalf of Judaism as a whole– it just doesn’t work that way.  But I do use the resources available to me and the thoughts of other Jews both past and present. And also, I’m not saying being a Messi anic Jew is wrong.  You can believe whatever you want to believe, no prosetelyzing here.  These are just one person’s thoughts and observations. I am aware that Messianic Jews are not technically “Jews for Jesus .”  That was a movement by the Baptist Church to convert Jews to Christianity.  So, then why do I call Messianic Jews “Jews for Jesus?” (more…)
More About: They , Call

Israel?s President: Bad for Judaism?
2007-01-25 20:15:02
Are Jews held to higher standards? Better yet, are Isra el i politicians held to higher standards because they represent a Jewish state? Will Israeli President Moshe Katsav’s alleged sexual indiscretions add to anti-semitism worldwide? I don’t know. (more…)
More About: Judaism , Side

Jewish leaders holds new Congress accountable
2007-01-25 08:15:01
It seems that a new type of religious leaders are courting Congress — among them Jewish .  They at least think they have a shot with the Democrats in control and after the 100 hours it seems the religious right has something to be scared about. This has gotten the attention of what we call the traditional right and I think it’s safe to say they’re feeling squirmish. From the Florida Baptist Witness, the Reform Action Center’s response follows. (more…)
More About: Tabl , Wish , Count

Google Apologises to Jews?
2007-01-25 02:14:01
An explanation of our search results. If you recently used Googl e to search for the word “Jew,” you may have seen results that were very disturbing. We assure you that the views expressed by the sites in your results are not in any way endorsed by Google. We’d like to explain why you’re seeing these results when you conduct this search. A site’s ranking in Google’s search results is automatically determined by computer algorithms using thousands of factors to calculate a page’s relevance to a given query. Sometimes subtleties of language cause anomalies to appear that cannot be predicted. A search for “Jew” brings up one such unexpected result. (more…)
More About: Jews , Polo , Logi

In response to Jews for Jesus
2007-01-24 08:13:01
I didn’t expect as much of a response to my original post as I got.  And I sure didn’t expect a messianic rabbi to respond.  Here’s my two cents. First Mr. Bernay, the Torah, Talmud or any other way of Jewish thinking doesn?t say you need to have a masters degree in order to understand it. Your masters degree does not give you anymore understanding than me, or any more of a right to your opinion. I?ve been kvetching without a masters degree since the day I was born. What was that story? Two rabbis were arguing, one appealed to God, God gave his answer, the other rabbi says ?so, it?s two against one let?s find another person.? Christians believe that the world has already been saved by the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesu s . The difference between the belief in future redemption and realized redemption is the chasm that separates Jewish from Christian thinking. God is not human, the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation that God assumed human form, goes against t...
More About: Jews , Response

Judaism on the rebound in Cuba
2007-01-24 08:13:01
Interesting…. HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters) — Salomon Mitrani sat through his wedding ceremony. At 84, he finds it hard to stand. By Cuban law, he has been married to his wife, Pilar, for 55 years, and they have eight grandchildren. But, in a ceremony last week, he was finally getting married under a Chuppah canopy according to Jewish custom. It was no ordinary ceremony. Twenty other couples of all ages took their marriage vows in a ritual officiated by three visiting Argentine rabbis. The grooms smashed their wine glasses underfoot as a cantor sang age-old blessings in Hebrew. It was the largest wedding members of Cuba’s depleted Jewish community can remember and a sign of a revival of Judaism in a country where there has been no resident rabbi since an exodus of Jews fleeing President Fidel Castro’s communist government in the early 1960s. “I’ve always felt Jewish. I went to fight for Israel’s independence in 1948,” said Mitrani, a painter...
More About: Bound

Jesus was a Jew: But can a Jew be for Jesus?
2007-01-23 14:11:02
“Jesu s was Jewish,” the girl said to me. “Jesus was a Jew,” you see it posted here on my blog by my Christian readers. Jesus was a Jew, but can a Jew be for Jesus? That was a topic of a lecture given by Rabbi Yerachmiel Gorelik from Ft. Collins Colorado the other day to Jewish college students. Why the need for such a talk my Jewish friends may say.  The answer seems obvious to us, but maybe not as obvious as you’d like to think.  What might not be so obvious are the efforts by Messianic Jews, or better known as “Jews for Jesus.” Messianic Jews are just like any other Christian group, they have missionaries and they proselytize.  That gives real Jews a bad name because proselytizing goes against the Jewish faith and is wrong.  Messianic Jews live and operate in a dual world, they’re able to blend into two unique religious landscapes– Jewish and Christian. There’s good reason why Jews, us — the real ones, often disasso...

Muslim convert to Judaism faces terror charge
2007-01-23 14:11:02
The enemy among us: Jerusalem: Asaf Ben-David, an Israeli Jew, is facing charges of conspiring to carry out a terror attack with a wanted Palestinian militant - his brother. The exceptional story of Ben-David, a 38-year-old father of four, begins in Tubas, a village in the West Bank, where he was born a Palestinian Muslim named Hussam Sawafta. (more…)
More About: Terror , Faces , Charge , Judaism

Attention Wordpress Admins, judaism.wordpress.com is a Hate Site!
2007-01-23 02:10:01
Update 1/22/2007 No response from Word press admins.  _________________________________________ ___________________  Update 1/20/2007 Wordpress admins have been contacted, still no response. _________________________________________ ___________________ This site needs to go, and we need to get the attention of the Wordpress admins to remove judaism.wordpress.com from the Wordpress site. I’m all for free speech and understand an individual’s right to free expression and thought. But a top level domain such as judaism.wordpress.com shouldn’t be used as a hate site. Excerpts from the site: Here is your ultimate resource for Judaism and Torah, approved by World Famous Rabbis. We will explain the teachings of Judaism. Then we will detail the fundamental beliefs of Judaism. Judaism is like Nazism, just another fascism. Judaism and Zionism are fascisms. They state that followers of Judaism and Zionists are ?the Chosen Ones? and thus should rule the world. Judaism is a major ...
More About: Press , Hate , Site

To Fight ?Fascism,? New York Times? Author Wants to Ban Religious Right
2007-01-23 02:10:01
Don Feder, President of Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation, in his latest article argues that liberals who condemn the religious Christian right are wrong for doing so. True, both sides tend to argue and yell at each other more than debate.  I myself have used what I’ll call figurative language to incite passions in order to stir up responses. However, Mr. Feder says: “He actually is comparing evangelical opponents of abortion and gay marriage to the monsters who burned books, ran death camps and plunged humanity into a world war that left 63 million dead.” He’s speaking about former New York Time s’ correspondent Chris Hedges’s latest book “American Fascists — The Christian Right and The War on America.? First off, fascism only began with a thought and it snowballed into what we now know as WWII.  I am not saying the same thing is happening here, but we in America are trying to spread our democracy by the gun, much like the fascist...
More About: Fight , New York Times