Posted on 12/28/2011 2:46:34 AM PST by KantianBurke
BEIT SHEMESH, Israel — The latest battleground in Israel’s struggle over religious extremism covers little more than a square mile of this Jewish city situated between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and it has the unexpected public face of a blond, bespectacled second-grade girl.
She is Naama Margolese, 8, the daughter of American immigrants who are observant modern Orthodox Jews. An Israeli weekend television program told the story of how Naama had become terrified of walking to her elementary school here after ultra-Orthodox men spit on her, insulted her and called her a prostitute because her modest dress did not adhere exactly to their more rigorous dress code.
The country was outraged. Naama’s picture has appeared on the front pages of all the major Israeli newspapers. While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted Sunday that “Israel is a democratic, Western, liberal state” and pledged that “the public sphere in Israel will be open and safe for all,” there have been days of confrontation at focal points of friction here.
Ultra-Orthodox men and boys from the most stringent sects have hurled rocks and eggs at the police and journalists, shouting “Nazis” at the security forces and assailing female reporters with epithets like “shikse,” a derogatory Yiddish term for a non-Jewish woman or girl, and “whore.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Your solution is to believe nothing, then? That, in itself, would constitute a belief.
The Neturei Karta, who have been denounced by every mainstream Orthodox denomination, were friendly with the Ayatollah Khomeini and are friendly with Ahmadinejad. They held prayer vigils for Arafat and took blood money from his kleptocracy. They are best thought of as the Jewish version of the Westboro Baptist Church which pickets military funerals, complete with gloating messages after terrorist attacks and assaults on other Orthodox Jews.
I believe the topic was zealotry but feel free to build a straw man
(google) site:www.nytimes.com "Orthodox Jews" About 2,850 results (0.20 seconds)
With articles like the posted article and "Oct 13, 2009 – Brooklyn's ultra-Orthodox Jews, long discouraged from informing on one another, are turning to law enforcement to deal with child molesters . . . ."
(google) site:www.nytimes.com islamism About 807 results (0.13 seconds)
Islamists gets more than 7,000 hits but with articles about such Nytimese feeeeeeeeeeeelings as "Excluding Islamist parties from politics is dangerous; inclusion makes them more moderate. . . . "
(Like in Iran after they took power via elections? Like Hitler ditto?)
Of course I am the first to admit that a thorough examination could result in a balanced conclusion. But I doubt it, it's the New York Times.
The home of legendary and honored employees like Walter Duranty who praised Stalinist Russia and James "Scotty" Reston who was among the leading spokesmen blaming the emerging modern conservative movement for the violence and intolerance that assassinated JFK.
Yes, they are completely unattractive, and carry on in a way that is almost like a parody.
However, I have some doubts about the this particular case, which has made such a splash in the media. The innocent young attrative girl is an ideal image. Yet the story presents few details as to why she is menaced - it just says she believes she is. Other women living in the area have been harassed by the loons, but these ones are either not so photogenic, or don’t want to be in a media campaign.
Spitting on a child is wrong.
I do not care what damn holy hat you think you wear.
But then shooting a child with a .308 is worse...
Actually, it is through the zealous that one knows a faith. And nothing compares so dramatically as the concept of “martyr” in the Catholic vs Islamic mindset.
As all zeal (no one’s excluded) can cross the line of truth, goodness and beauty, it is important to have a final “papal” authority imposing orthodoxy. Zeal rightly directed is a wonderful and blessed thing. I often thank God for “our” fanatics... for that’s what the likes of a St. Francis or a Don Bosco were to the ben pensanti of their age: nuisances. Upsetters.
My point is that zeal, or an excess of zeal, can itself cause one to leave the path of ‘Truth’. Where ‘zeal’ manifests itself (as here) to the exclusion of basic human compassion and understanding, as a rejection of the freedom, dignity and beliefs of others, it in and of itself (like most things, when taken to extremes) becomes error, regardless of the nature or validity of the beliefs producing it.
I accept, of course, that the very definition of ‘zeal’ is a subjective one. But then, as previously mentioned, so is the nature of truth. Given that we do not, and never will, all share the same understanding of ‘truth’, there must of necessity be limits imposed to the ‘zeal’ with which any individual can promote his own version of it.
Such limits in no way have to equate to a lack of passion. Strength of belief and passion for a principle are generally good things, but not in themselves incompatible with consideration, respect, tolerance and human decency. It’s when held to the exclusion of these, however, that they become ‘zealotry’ and thus potentially dangerous.
This story almost sounds like it's been put out there as a direct, in-your-face response to that infamous advertising campaign recently cancelled by the Israeli government -- which was aimed at American Jews in an attempt to build some kind of relationship between them and their "home."
It's only subjective if one starts from a human perspective. It one bases truth on God's revelation, general or special, it's the only objective thing there is.
Being human, I am naturally writing from a human perspective. I think it is fair to presume that everyone here, including your good self, is doing likewise. ‘Truth’ as referred to by any of us here thus remains a subjective term.
To: expat1000
Anyone who knows nything about neturei karta would not even waste spit on them.
http://www.masada2000.org/Neturei-Karta.html
“JUDENRATS FOR A SECOND HOLOCAUST”
Whenever a convicted mass murderer is finally captured, the first prayer that usually passes over the lips of a Jews is, “May the murderer not be Jewish!” Even the case of David “Son of Sam” Berkowitz, the so-called “.44 Calibre Killer,” caused a degree of consternation among the New York City’s Jewish community. Fortunately, it turned out that Berkowitz may have had a Jewish father, but he converted to Christianity long before he went on his rampages! And, there might even be a kind word to say about Arab terrorist, Yasir Arafat... “At least he wasn’t Jewish!”
And then there was Neturei Karta!
Neturei Karta is Aramaic for “Guardians of the City” or “Guardians of the Gates.” Others say it’s Aramaic for “Nut Kases!” They are a group of Ultra-Orthodox pseudo-Jewish heretics who reject all forms of Zionism and actively oppose the State of Israel. They claim to have a membership of about 5,000 but it is probably one zero less... about 500. However, what they lack in numbers, they make up in enthusiasm and outrageous behavior. Even though these freaks may act as if they’re raving lunatics, they may actually be quite sane for, in both words and actions, this cult-like flock of devotees really do believe they are doing God’s work!
The Neturei Karta were originally set up as a splinter breakaway movement in 1938, mainly by fanatical ultra-Orthodox Hungarian Jews. They are best known for marching arm in arm with Arafat and endorsing every anti-Israel terrorist and anti-Semite on the planet. They also want Israel destroyed and does not care if a Second Holocaust must take place in order to achieve this lofty goal. Israel, they feel, should be wiped off the map for it should never have been re-established by man but, rather, by the Messiah when He finally does come. In more general terms they also hate Israel because so many of her Jews are secularists and some eat pork!
Neturei Karta is driven by intense hatred not only toward secularist Jews but for all orthodox and observant Jews who happen not to share its ideas. It openly calls for Israel to be destroyed and it quite visibly supports the worst genocidal anti-Semites on the planet from Arab terrorists from Fatah head, Yasir Arafat, and Hamas leader, Sheikh Yassin, to, more recently, Iran’s worldwide Islamic terror funder and Holocaust denier, Mamoud Ahmadinejad!
In total number Neturei Karta may represent merely one-half of one percent of the total ultra-orthodox rabbinical community but they seem to get 99½% of all the attention when enemies of Israel look for “useful idiot” Jews to parade before the media! In the past few years, members of this extreme messianic movement have increased their involvement in anti-Israeli activities, participating in demonstrations calling for Israel’s annihilation. This is precisely why Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of the Iranian Republic of Iran who has called for the annihilation of Israel, invited Neturei Karta spokesmen to his December 2006 Holocaust denial conference! It is also why so many anti-Israel, pro-”Palestinian,” Holocaust-denying and other openly anti-Semitic internet websites feature, quote or refer to Neturei Karta! The hyper-links listed below are but a tiny fraction of those sites: [Our web host only allows us 200MB of storage space on his server!]
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When you see “Haredi Jews”, you might not realize that the press night call them Haredi, but all Haredi are not naturei karta. They attended homodinejad’s Holocaust denial conference with the likes of david duke.
They live to cause trouble for Israel but a backlash is coming as we speak,
DO NOT TRUST anything that even remotely suggests that these people are anything but evil. They have no place in legitimate Jewish society.
They are kapos as bad as those who existed during the Holocaust.
3 posted on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 7:19:51 AM by MestaMachine (obama kills)
Extremists are bad....period.
And that would be a very worng assumption. Christianity teaches that God is the object and we are just subjects and that is how we percieve reality. My presuppositions start with revelation, thus my conception of truth is a purely objective metaphysic. As with any Christian. It is only the world which views realitly from a self centered inherently subjective vantage point.
Defined religious truth is not subjective among Catholics and principle of generic zealotry need not be considered subjective among anybody since zeal can serve any cause. Zeal manifests itself here in the service of falsehood, namely, that rabbis posses divine authority define a universal dress code. They do not, yet they violently attempt to seize this authority in the name of religion.
The girl dressed modestly but apparently did not comply with precise, exacting requirements. People within a group may agree to dress a certain way but the rabbis do not possess God-given authority to make up and enforce exacting rules upon everyone. Such pridefulness and megalomania constitutes diabolical falsehood, objectively condemned by Jesus.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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“but the rabbis do not possess God-given authority to make up and enforce exacting rules upon everyone. “
I see. Only your Priest has that authority. Right?
Exactly. Either the rest of the ultra-Orthodox community puts a lid on these schmucks, or the Israeli police should get really serious about enforcing laws against assault.
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