[net.religion.jewish] Quoting Rabbi Feinstein and The Jewish Press

ask@cbdkc1.UUCP (A.S. Kamlet) (10/25/85)

>> 	If you thought you could slip the minor change in the heading you
>>  were wrong. Whatever anyone thinks about orthodox Jews and their beliefs
>>  there is no need to belittle a person who has amassed more knowledge than
>>  you in a given field. Calling Rabbi ( or Rav, as you prefer ) Feinstein
>>  Mr. is a disgrace. He is an expert in his field. More of an expert in his than
>>  than anyone here is in their's so he deserves the respect of all who post,
>>  religious and anti religious alike. Shame on the person who changed the 
>>  heading.
>> 
>> 
>> 				Eliyahu Teitz.
> It is not clear to me that Rabbi Feinstein is a more distinguished 
> expert in his field than certain of the readers of this network
> are in theirs.
> 
> In addition, it is also unproven (by its very nature) that the body
> of knowledge in which Feinstein is an expert is based on
> revelation at Mount Sinai.
> This is not meant to degrade Judaism, but just to
> point out that Judaism is not based on any rational foundation.
> (There is also no scientific evidence that G-d does not exist.)
> 
> By comparison, some of the scientists on this network are experts in
> fields which have, if nothing else, made it possible for you to sit
> there reading the news rather than hovelling in the cold night around
> a dismal campfire.
> 
> --J. Abeles

What ever happened to plain old courtesy?  I don't have to love someone,
or like them or agree with them to show them some basic common courtesy.

I really wonder how many readers of this net, on being introduced to
a Catholic priest named Father John Nolan would insist on calling him
Mr. Nolan?  Or how many of us, if introduced to a Catholic nun
named Sister Mary Elizabeth would insist on refering to her as Miss (or
Mrs. or Ms., etc.)
I believe we would all show common courtesy and refer to them as father
or sister...         And yet,    the same courtesy is deliberately ignored
when it comes to a rabbi who is known to be held in very high regard by
many Jews.   WHY??

Isn't courtesy a central theme of Judiasm?  Isn't the 'golden rule' one
of the most basic ethical foundations of Judaism (any brand of Judaism)?
(Isn't there a story that says if one must summarize all of the Torah
while standing on one foot, it would be that one should never do anything
to someone else that would be distasteful to yourself?)

I would like to suggest that we stop attacking people on this net by proxy by
attacking people they admire and respect.  (I'd really like to see
us stop attacking each other, period!)
-- 
Art Kamlet  AT&T Bell Laboratories  Columbus {ihnp4 | cbosgd}!cbrma!ask