Really knowing Judaism: 9-25-09

Now that Jews are in the midst of their High Holy Days, I thought you might be interested in learning some things about Judaism that you may not have known.

For that, I turn to Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, author, speaker and blogger. He writes a blog for Beliefnet.com, a wide-variety spiritual site. And his current entry is called "12 Things You Didn't Know About Judaism."

It starts with "Judaism isn't about being Jewish." Huh? Well, you can read Brad's entry and see what he might mean by that.

There are, in fact, lots of sources for learning about Judaism. I think one of the most readable books is by my book-writing colleague, Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn, co-author with me of the newly released They Were Just People: Stories of Rescue in Poland During the Holocaust. Rabbi Jacques has written a book called Accessible Judaism: A Concise Guide. You can order it here.

Other good books to learn about Judaism and other religions include, of course, the classic The World's Religions by Huston Smith. But for a basic book about what you should know about religion generally, it's hard to beat Religious Literacy, by Stephen Prothero.

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NAMING WHAT IS IMMORAL

Israel's president says Iran's president is "the antithesis of moral." Exactly right. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a dangerous man who stands for things civilized people reject. That doesn't mean Israel is right about everything and Iran is wrong about everything. It just means wise people should place no trust in Ahmadinejad, a reprehensible man with reprehensible policies. And for the Israeli prime minister's U.N. speech yesterday about Holocaust denial, click here.

Comments

[Will Graham]

Holocaust denial is just a form of Jew Hatred.

Other forms are presented by the New Atheists.

1. Richard Dawkins lies about the influence of the "Notorious Jewish Lobby" in his Delusional book.

2. Sam Harris says the Jews have themselves to blame for their own victimhood.

3. Christopher Hitchens laments that the Jews were not wiped out at the battle commemoratd by Hannukkah..."We could have been spared the whole thing."

Other forms of Jew Hatred including Quotemining, Mispreresenting, and Ridiculing the Old Testament...all written by JEWS.

Another form was found in Eugenics and its first practical application by ATHEIST Margeret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, and its attempt to eliminate "undesirables" from the American population; the Supreme court backed up Eugenics in "Buck v Bell, an opinion writtem byt the ATHEIST Oliver Wendell Holmes. This was the true impetus for the Holocaust, not Christianity.

[memberofKCFreeThinkers.org]

I think organized religions have nothing to do with a god.

Holocaust denial? I don’t even understand how anyone can think that. In fact, I think, most people who join and follow religions are the ones in denial.

Red said, “Oh ! for Goodness sake, Dolores, the answer to Charity and Abortion isn't Celibate males....(you really do have a problem with sex don't you ?) You are never going to get any red blooded male to give up sex for the good of the planet - no way !!

I will have to chime in with that. NO WAY, DOUBLED!

Iggy the most religious states (bible belt) lead in many things such as: not reading/knowing their bible, 2nd to Utah with porno watching ( which I find funny), supporting wars, divorces, against gays, against women’s rights and on and on….

Just my opinion from yesterday post. Buddhism is only one step from atheists. We don’t wear robes. Well, at least most of us don’t wear robes in public.

SPARE THE ROD, SPOIL THE CHILD! SOUND FAMILIAR FUNDIES?
Children Who Get Spanked Have Lower IQs
http://www.livescience.com/culture/090924-childhood-spanking.html

According to this next article, maybe some Xs aren’t lying about their faith. But, then again, maybe some know what they say is false and promote it anyway. That is a lie. Perhaps some Xs don’t like atheists because of a few bad experiences, but it doesn’t make their judgments any more true about other atheists. I’m not sure I know what I’m talking about on this, but this article is fun:

The Truth About Lying
http://www.livescience.com/culture/090924-what-lying-is.html

Peace for the Sake of Goodness Cole

[Dolores Lear]

What is Humanity's Promise for the Future?

What is Moral? Naming What is Immoral? Blaming Iran for the Evil on our Home Planet Earth, because they want the Equality of Nuclear Weapons, owned by their Enemies?

Who made the First Atom and Nuclear Bomb? Are there really Moral Humans with Nuclear Bombs? Were there Ever Moral Humans since Human Original Sin?

What is Religious Literacy? Faith Against Faith. Country Against Country. Male against Female. What does the Future Forecast, for the Faith Life Species on Planet Earth? Death to our Planet By God, in a Planetary Judgment Day Fire?

Total Death to All, with our Nuclear Waste and Bombs? Total Death to our Eco System with our Toxic Pollution? Total Death to Life as we Know it on our Home Planet, like Mars?

Who is our Enemy, God/Us, or our Brothers/Sisters of LIFE? Or our Misbred Flesh and the Evil Killing World Lifestyle Created by Misbred Body Birth Humans?

Did God/Us really Create Life on Earth? Did they make the Human Species in their Human Image? Or was God/Us that walked and talked like Humans, some other Higher Life Species than Body Birth Humans on Earth?

Was God/Us a Spirit 'Being'? What is That? Ideas by Body Birth Human without High Tech Science, about High Tech Human 'Beings'?

Did Life Evolve on Earth, from some type of Element that reached Earth from Space, and changed Earth's Soupy Atmosphere, to a Climate that would support Life Species and Humans to Evolve?

Did God/Us really Create Life on Earth, and the Female Human from the Male Human's Rib? How? Supernaturally? Not by Human Body Birth? How about High Tech Science Human Birth?

Continued.

[Dolores Lear]

Continued.

Did God/Us, in Genesis, in our Image, Travel in Space in Spaceships, Colonize our Planet, and Reproduce Male and Female Clone Humans in the High Tech Lab?

Humans Know a Planet can be Colonized. High Tech Fetus' can be Reproduced, in a High Tech Lab, and Same Sex Animals Cloned.

Why not Clone Humans Also? Is this a Sin Against a Religious God/Us? Or a Supernatural Human High Tech Reality?

Is Killing Each Other and the Life on our Polluted Home Planet, a Moral Sin against our God/Us Creation?

What was the Original Sin of the Adam and Eve Human Clones, not reproduced by Body Birth? Eating the Apple, or making a Human Child Cain, by Body Birth. That would take two Humans, a male and a female.

Was Cain the Child of the Snake/Lucifer/Satan, a Human, not a Spirit, after Eve ate the apple? Of did Eve have Cain, after Adam also ate of the Apple? Who was the Father of Cain?

What was the Result of this Original Sin of Reproducing Misbred Children, by Purebred Human Clones? Misbred Body Birth Humans, instead of the Purebred Bodies by God/Us Humans?

Children, Incest, Killing, Hate, Lying, Rape, Pedophiles, GLBTs, War, Death, and all the Lesser Sins, were caused by the Original Unforgivable Sin of Reproducing Misbred Humans by Body Birth.

Now Humans are faced with the Destruction, of Life as we Know it and Our Home Planet's Eco System, not by God/Us, but by Killer Body Birth Earth Humans.

What is Humanity's Promise for the Future? Is Human Peace Possible?

[Dolores Lear]

Wow! The USA, England and France have drawn the line in the sand for Iran.

Will this be the action give Peace on Earth, Good Will to Humans? Or start the Last Day's Nuclear' Arm'ageddon War, predicted in Religion?

Now Humans are faced with, the Destruction, of Life as we Know it and Our Home Planet's Eco System, not by God/Us, but by Killer Body Birth Earth Humans Nuclear War.

Humans cannot make Peace, by going to War. There can never be Peace on Earth as long as Humans put their Life Elements in War Machines, to Kill Each Other and their Home Planet. Sharing All is the Only Way to Eternal Physical Life After Birth.

What does it Profit Humans, to Own all the Massive Weapons of Destruction and then Die?

What is the Proper Lifestyle on a Planet? Equal Birth by High Tech Science, instead of making weapons of massive destruction, like it was in the beginning in in the Holy Book 'Genesis'?

Equal Sharing of the Earth's Resources,and Humans being the Caretaker of All Life on Earth, instead of Humans owning and buying and selling the Earth's Resources, and Killing Each Other Over our Life Needs?

Wow again. What can Iran do, against the Big 3 Giants of today's World, that have Nuclear Bombs?

What can all Humans do against the 9 countries of the World, that have Nuclear weapons,that are against each other, that have Nuclear Weapons? Have a Planetary War and Kill our Home Planet?

[Will Graham]

The U.N. has admitted that Iran has the ability to make the bomb.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2009/09/18/un_document_says_iran_has_ability_to_make_nuclear_bomb/

What will Obama do about it?

He will "talk" to the Iranian President.

Like Chamberlain "talked" to Hitler.

But as the Israeli President pointed out, if there is another Holocaust, it WILL NOT be the JEWS that are taken out this time.

Got it?

[Will Graham]

I see that in Cole Morgans first post he tries to pretend that there are no Holocaust Deniers.

He simply proves the point of my first post.

Q.E.D.

He thinks the JEWS are in DENIAL...he says most people who join and follow religions are in denial.

Cole, your Jew Hatred is showing...of course that goes along with telling believers to CRAWL UNDER A ROCK and SHUT UP.

I am still waiting for you to try and make me do that!

[Will Graham]

Of course, if someone wants to spew Jew Hatred, they will.

But they should keep in mind the SAMSON OPTION.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samson_Option

[Dolores Lear]

Humans should keep the SAMPSON OPTION, of our Eco System Collapsing on Earth. Planet Earth's Eco System is in Peril of Collapsing in, on All Life on Earth, from our Pollution and Nuclear Waste, and Nuclear Bombs on Land and Sea.

Which small country is going to be the David, to the Goliath/Giant Countries today, to start the Nuclear War? Iran? North Korea?

While the Big 3 Giants are fighting Iran? Will the China Giant be fighting North Korea?

The Nuclear War would get rid of most of the population, and the ones left would die when the SAMPSON OPTION, of the Ozone Canopy collapses, and all remaining Humans and Anything with Life in it Dies.

After the SAMPSON OPTION collapse of our Eco System, Earth will be like our Moon and Mars, no Living Atmosphere for Life as we Know it.

What a High Price for Humans to Pay for Peace, Good Will to Humans and All Life on Earth, with their High Tech Pollution and War Machines.

What will God/Us do about the Humans they put on Earth, that Killed their Colonizing Work on Planet Earth to make it Livable?

Why are Humans so Hell Bent to Destroy our Home Planet and All Life on it? For the Love of God? Or the Hate of our Brothers/Sisters of Life?

Why?

[Susan]

Bill, I learned a lot reading Rabbi Hirschfield's essay about Judaism. Most of all I learned not to make quick assumptions about any group of people or their religion. One thing that's really neat about Judaism is the belief that people of other faiths can be right with God, too.

From yesterday -- Red Biddy, I'm glad you had a good experience with your pitocin drip. And I never claimed to be a birth-expert, simply by virtue of giving birth to 2 babies, LOL. But you asked me why "I" thought our country didn't didn't do as well on infant survival as many other developed nations, so I was sharing my opinion.

I guess you can say my opinion is ridiculous -- I'm certainly not going to dismiss what you say as ridiculous just because my experience was different. However, I'll provide a link that shows that I'm not just talking about "my" experience. Here's a quote from it --

"About 80% of women who have had pitocin say that there is more pain with pitocin than without." Also, under "Problems with Pitocin" it talks about the detrimental affects it can have on infants. I think there are situations where this and other interventions are warranted, when the benefits outweigh the risks of not intervenening in a labor that's not progressing normally.

I just also think that when obstetricians attend low-risk pregancies, they tend to have a narrower range for what they consider "normal." I.e. my obstetrician felt strongly that they needed to induce labor when my pregnancy with my first went 2 weeks overdue -- but I later learned that most midwives see even 3 or 4 weeks as within normal range.

http://www.childbirth.org/articles/pit.html

[IGGY - www.KCFreeThinkers.org]

The Atheist's Guide to Christmas - charity book release

Amazon Product Description
42 atheist celebrities, comedians, scientists and writers give their funny and serious tips for enjoying the Christmas season. Last year, Guardian journalist Ariane Sherine launched the Atheist Bus Campaign and ended up raising over GBP150,000, enough to place the advert 'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life' on 800 UK buses in January 2009. Now Ariane and dozens of other atheist writers, comedians and scientists are joining together to raise money for a very different cause. The Atheist's Guide to Christmas is a funny, thoughtful handbook all about enjoying Christmas, from 42 of the world's most entertaining atheists. It features everything from an atheist Christmas miracle to a guide to the best Christmas pop hits, and contributors include Richard Dawkins, Charlie Brooker, Ben Goldacre, Jenny Colgan, David Baddiel, Simon Singh, AC Grayling, Brian Cox and Richard Herring. The full book advance and all royalties will go to the UK HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust.

http://richarddawkins.net/article,4367,The-Atheists-Guide-to-Christmas-,Ariane-Sherine---UK-charity-book-release

[Dolores Lear]

#5.

Sampson holding up the Temple, and collapsing and killing himself and the people, reminds me of Atlas Holding the Earth on his Shoulders.

That really shows the Responsibility of Earth depends on Humans, especially the Male Humans.

The Adam in Genesis was a Virgin Male, and his Helpmeet/Partner was a Female Clone made in his Image. Equal Male and Female were responsible for Planet Earth, and the Life on it. God/Us in Genesis did, make Humans in their male and female Human Image.

As long as Human Clones are Reproduce by High Tech, not made by Body Birth, they can stay True to Each Other, as long as the Male is Celibate.

Why did Adam and Eve 'fall' from Grace, and start Reproducing Defective Children by Body Birth?

Are there any ancient writings that explain this, better than eating The Forbidden Fruit from the Tree of Good and Evil?

Genesis 3:4,5. KJV. "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."

Our 6000 Year Lifestyle of Reproducing Children, has been full of Evil, and we do Die. Eternal Human Life is for After Birth, not After Death.

Humans with Generation Birth, Death, Kill Each other, and Their Planet, with Toxic Pollution, Nuclear Waste, and have Nuclear Bombs on Land and Sea.

So the weight of Planet Earth is on the shoulders of All Male Humans, as they Control whether Males are Celibate Pure-bred on a Planet.

With Celibate Males and Equal Female Clones, they do have Peace and Eternal Physical Life After Birth, on Planets and in Spaceships.

[IGGY - www.KCFreeThinkers.org]

Are you a Christian History/Evolution-Denier?

How are you Different from Holocaust-Deniers, Birthers, or Truthers?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-a-rizvi/are-evolution-deniers-any_b_295254.html

[IGGY - www.KCFreeThinkers.org]

It’s my life and I demand to end it when I want

Seventy years ago Sigmund Freud’s doctor helped him to die. Now more and more of us want that same final choice.

...Over the years we have come increasingly to believe that our judgments about ourselves, albeit as informed by some experts, have a sovereign quality. We have gradually applied this to our clothing, our sexual existences, our capacity to choose and change partners, our fertility, our spiritual beliefs — and now, inevitably, to our deaths. The choice to do as Freud did, to say: “I want to die now, please help me,” is no more or less than the choice that I want for myself.

FULL STORY - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/david_aaronovitch/article6843426.ece

[Just Thinking]

"It's my life," he says, as though he created it. Even our government does not recognize your life as your own. There are laws against attempting suicide, too.