hjb@hlwpc.UUCP (H.J.Bassman) (08/31/85)
*I'm delighted to at last see participation in this group by other than scholarly, orthodox jews. I have been a reader for some time now and frankly have been intimidated as well as educated by the scholarly dialog. However I am moved to comment on the topic of charity to groups whose religious values don't match one's own. The argument that the poor and deserving shouldn't be punished because I don't agree with the position of the people who are helping them is hogwash (pardon the non-kosher epithet). There are certainly enough charitable institutions with which I agree who will support the poor and deserving just as well. When I give to an organization whose position is antithetical to mine, I acknowledge the position and tacitly support it. Furthermore I support the organization itself since some percentage of my gift (or someone else's) is used for overhead. I can't support an organization that refuses to recognize conservative and reform rabbis because that position is most divisive to Judaism. How do some of us come to recognize Ethiopian Jews, Indian Jews, Iranian Jews, Syrian Jews, and Chasidic Eastern European Jews, all of whom practice the religion differently and have different observances and laws, yet not recognize American Jews who adhere to another set of traditions? Don't we have enough problems with non-Jews? Why must we bicker among ourselves about who is a Jew and whether Martillo is a better Jew than Rosen? Let's get on with facing the real threats and taking advantage of our unity! Henry
mbr@aoa.UUCP (Mark Rosenthal) (09/05/85)
In article <595@hlwpc.UUCP> hjb@hlwpc.UUCP (H.J.Bassman) writes: >Why must we >bicker among ourselves about who is a Jew and whether Martillo >is a better Jew than Rosen? Let's get on with facing the real >threats and taking advantage of our unity! Hear! Hear! -- Mark of the Valley of Roses ...!{decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!aoa!mbr