Monday, December 25, 2006

Jews behaving badly

So in the past few months, we've had a few examples of Jews doing things that Jews aren't supposed to do. (And I'm not even going to get to the problem of abusing children on this post -- that will be a later post.) Here are some examples:

Christmas is not a Jewish holiday. But you wouldn't know it from the attitudes of these Jews:

Dr. Laura is having a Christmas tree in her home, and is inviting listeners to send an ornament:

http://www.drlaura.com/main/

And Cindy Chupack wrote about her family getting a tree:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/fashion/24PotteryBarn

Michael Medved might excuse them, saying that Christmas trees can be thought of as a secular symbol:

http://michaelmedved.townhall.com/blog/g/abb10fee-2d2b-4625-a868-15161c9bf635

Mr. Medved's fellow Seattle resident, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, isn't concerned about the fact that Dr. Laura or Ms. Chupack are engaged in avodah zarah. No, Rabbi Lapin is more concerned about defending Christmas!


http://www.towardtradition.org/index.cfm?PAGE_ID=235


I agree that it was really silly and stupid for the Seattle Tacoma Airport Authority to remove Christmas trees rather than allow a rabbi to erect a Chanukiah. But when did promoting a symbol that is unquestionably Christian become mutar? There is a substantial body of halachic support for the idea that Christianity is a religion forbidden even to non-Jews. While my own rabbis do not hold like that, and I personally have no problem with Christians practicing Christianity, shouldn't we be more concerned about the souls of Jews who find Christmas tempting? Can't Mr. Medved or Rabbi Lapin call upon their fellow right wing Jewish radio commentator, Dr. Laura, to give up the avodah zarah?

Finally, another right wing Jewish commentator, Dennis Prager, went way over the line in objecting to congressman-elect Keith Ellison's plan to have a symbolic swearing in using a copy of the Koran. Ellison is the first practicing Muslim to be elected to congress. Mr. Prager does not realize that the US Constitution's forbidding of any religious test for public office applies here as well, and if a Muslim must use a Christian Bible, so must a Jew. Even Michael Medved took exception on this one. (This also produced a Gentile behaving badly...more on that later.)

1 Comments:

Blogger Orthonomics said...

Sad to see the route that Dr. Laura has chosen. I tend to agree with her advice. But, the decline in her observance coupled with this, will probably keep me away from listening if I had the opportunity.

11:02 AM  

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