Comments on: What if Christmas were a Jewish holiday?

By: Matthew

Matthew — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:13:29 +0000

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By: Sean P

Sean P — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 23:32:35 +0000

I actually celebrate both Christmas and Hannakah in my house, and we teach both traditions to my daughter. On Christmas Eve (Hannakah day 3 this year) we lit the Menorah candles and gave her a present. Then we turned the lights on the Christmas tree and put out cookies and Milk for Santa for his trip down the chimney. She sat on her Christian grandmothers lap and read “Where is Baby’s Dreidel” and sat in her Jewish grandmother’s lap to read “Olivia Helps with Christmas”. I’m sure our family tradidions violate more Orthodox kosher laws than I am capable of counting, but our daughter has a blast this time of year, and I think that’s ultimately what really matters.

By: Ira

Ira — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 04:13:29 +0000

Hi pitchforksntorches,
I think Kishnevi’s comment #11 starts where my comment 8 (“While reminders to be righteous are fine, after a while the messages just become meaningless background noise”) left off. About your family’s rejecting you because of your choice of mate, you have my sincere sympathy. Another custom followed (foolishly in my opinion) by a few.

By: pitchforksntorches

pitchforksntorches — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 12:23:39 +0000

Ira,
Look at Kish’s #11. Then reflect on all these rules that govern the mundane. I married out of the faith. A headstone erected to my memory. Fine, ‘thems the rules’. Then the Conservative Jewish Union and other Jewish organizations rule that Gay marriage is permissible. Here’s the ‘bathwater’
a. Oppression of women is the higher expression of this religion.
b. The heterosexual family is less important than “Jewish’ family.
Meh & Feh.

By: Ira

Ira — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:30:14 +0000

Re pitchforksntorches’ comment # 10: “I thankfully have rid myself of my ties to Judaism, for the very reasons parodied here.”
Thus the need for the advice,

“Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.”

By: DRJ

DRJ — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:23:29 +0000

Also, I don’t see a danger in having trivial rules, apart from arrogance as I mentioned above. Having rules is a way of making a blessed life simple, humble, and easy for believers to understand and follow. Almost every religion has a parallel: The obedient sheep of Christianity, the humility of Buddhism, and the patience of Hinduism.

By: DRJ

DRJ — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 01:32:02 +0000

Kish,

I think the danger is the rules will overtake the religion, and some people will believe they are more Godly than others because they do a better job conforming to the rules. In that case, the rules become an example of arrogance. But to me having detailed rules is not a flaw, it’s a benefit. It sublimates free will to humility and faith, but doesn’t eliminate free will because people can still choose to live or not live by the rules.

By: kishnevi

kishnevi — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 01:18:28 +0000

DRJ–but there’s a limit to how trivial the rules can get. Do you really need to be told which shoe to put on first? The danger is that some people get focused on that sort of rule and skimp on some of the other rules, like the ones that say don’t lie or steal; and there are, even worse, some people who are willing to excuse people who skimp on those rules because they seem so devoted to following the petty rules. And these same people think that a woman should never appear in front of anyone other than her husband with her hair uncovered or an inch of her skin (except her face and hands) uncovered. Ever. And sometimes not even in front of her husband. And that she should never pray aloud in synagogue because, G-d forbid, some man might be tempted to have a sexual thought.

By: pitchforksntorches

pitchforksntorches — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 23:45:06 +0000

I thankfully have rid myself of my ties to Judaism, for the very reasons parodied here.
Cute take on the ritual laws though, a great deal of time was spent and I can approeciate it all. Thanks for the fun!

By: DRJ

DRJ — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:52:44 +0000

I know this is a joke and it’s a clever one, but I think religious rules are comforting. Most rules are reasonable limits on free will that benefit the person and society. And the more detailed the rules are, the easier they can be to follow.