"You MEAN TORAH is a powerful, coercive political force in Israel. Yes, that is the way it should be." Agreed. Just in the same way that the Koran is a powerful coercive political force and the New Testament has been a powerful coercive political force. I think we should support all religions as powerful coercive political forces. That way lies peaceful co-existence with those who disagree.

As a reform Jew, I am sorry to let the rabbi know that if there had not been orthodox Jews for the last 2000 years, there would be no Jews today. They all would have assimilated--just as the reform Jews in the U.S. are doing now. And what a specious argument anyway--who are the strongest Israel supporters in the U.S. today? Not the reform Jews but the evangelical Christians. Why one wonders aren't they disconnected from Israel. The problem is not with the orthodox--but the education that reform Jewish children receive.

Some double standards are at work here. Apparently Jews are expected to be Jews first and American, French, Canadian, Dutch, or British next. Yet when word comes out on Ynet that some natives of the countries they live in regard them as not as much members of these countries as the natives themselves are, the howling eclipses about everything else. American Jews are American first, same goes for all the other countries Jews live in. It's called civic duty. If you can't accept that, then stop foaming at your mouths when Jews are (often unjustly) regarded as somewhat less patriotic than the rest. It is attitudes like yours that brings these perceptions about.

'Coercive' is putting it mildly. Do Haredi children and youth have the slightest chance to go some other way? No, they are removed from general society and brainwashed from birth. Do Haredim tolerate other points of view? No, they are right and everyone else is wrong, and they seize every chance to force their beliefs on others - no buses on Shabat, no women singing, etc. This isn't just coercion - it's fascism. Shame on Israel for tolerating them.

Like the Tanah, ninety percent of it is loaded with unfulfilled prophecies. So why are you keeping this losing game up, for what obscure reason? Wanting so much wrong to happen to American Jews is a sign of deep depression, I think.

...which can be seen in the Islamic world with various forms of Islamism, and in post-Vatican II Catholicism with the appearance of numerous schismatic groups including self-declared anti-popes.

restoring historical -- pre-Dark Ages -- Tora and correcting the REFORMS introduced during the Dark Ages in Europe???

The orthodox teach that 80% of Israelites did risk the exodus preferring slavery rather than the unknown Wilderness.The US Jews Preferred the Goldene Midina and the Russian Jews a Deluded Messianic Communism rather than Strengthening The Ancient State and and creating a humanistic Spiritual Judeo Christian Islamic Superpower by Respect of Forces .Islam also Failed to be Progressive and Retrogrades with Catastrophic Dangers.

Why do people have to be defined by their religion? My mother, who died in l954, taught me that The Creator of All That is - God to some - has neither religion nor nationality, but was kind enough to have blessed me with a conscience telling me right from wrong, and a good brain, which I'm to use so as not to waste whatever time I was given on running after every man-concocted cause du jour. The BS for which our Creator is being blamed would be hilarious, if it didn't have the horrible consequences seemingly brought on by the constant division of people on threat of even more and worse BS, created by humans with one agenda or the other.

Goes to show how much you know about our Bible and our Prophets. You know diddly squat. The fact that I am writing to you from my office in Israel is a major Prophecy fulfilled. What is happening now in Syria is prophecy being fulfilled, so too Egypt. Libya = prophecy fulfilled. Iran? soon to be fulfiilled. Iraq (Babylon) Prophecy fulfilled. Obama -Prophecy in play and fulfllment. He is Nasi Gog. Mikeee I feel sorry for you bub. The coming war is a signal of guaranteed economic collapse for America. Obama is at the end of his rope and so is Bernanke. Brace yourself for Impact. The pain is going to exponentially increase overnight. Hold on to your hat Mikeee..

The Reform way is a diaspora invention to give Jews the OK to do as they please so that they will stay in the flock. The onus is not on Jews to observe but for the religion to entertain the people and make their wrongs acceptable. It is a narcissistic adaptation of the Jewish religion.

There never lived in modern times a more sane individual as Christopher Hitchens. He put religion in its right place, always with eloquence and occassionally with intellectual derision, using pure logic. Second only to his sanity was George Carlin, non eloquent, but precise, concise and succinct all in one. "It's all BS folks, and it ain"t good for ye"

George Carlin was right about most things when it came to criticising government and the control grid matrix keeping most people down including the institutions of religion. That does not mean that he was all knowing and 100% reliable on every view point he held. He was a clever goy, but a goy nevertheless. His opinions on faith and God were typical of a disillusioned and bitter ex-Catholic. GARDEN VARIETY screwed up ex-Catholic. For me personlly he was nobody to model my faith or spirituality around. He was funny, clever, informative, cutting and biting, but he was just another American goyishe shmo.. You take these people too seriously. Our Sages are a million times more valuable than your modern day comics.

You know, Changing the Rules of Judaism is like changing the rules of the game of chess. Everyone has a right to live life as they see fit just like you can use the chess pieces as you see fit. but the minute you make a triple jump, you can't call it chess.

As a non-American Jew living in the US, I am terrible impress by the Jewish community trends here, and this is my way to explain it: "American Jews want to be more average American than the average American...".... For the American Jews, being in a some way different than the rest of the society is horrible... they do not realize than the society itself is diverse and that they are part of that diversity, however, they do not like to be diverse, they like to be like the rest... but what it "like the rest"?

"Just Jewish" - people who recognize they are Jewish but do not follow anything in particular. "Reform Jews" - people who recognize they are Jewish and intentionally pervert the religion for their benefit. From the positions of both honesty, legitimacy, and halacha it seems that it is better that there are higher numbers of "Just Jews" to replace the "Reform Jews"

Replace ''Goy'' with ''Jew'' in your statement and you would be howling antisemitism. But, and rightly so, in your case the world would just roll its eyes, have a chuckle and move on. I am sure the Yanks are pretty darn pleased to have seen the back of you. I wish we could get rid of you and the likes of you, too.

Take heed to what #48 wrote.

They will be thriving again and "we" cannot stop them. Actually, what you are predicting that will happen to Jews in America is also a prophesy that they in Syria and Egypt will thrive. Thrive in place of those who will fail, but fortunately it will not happen, I predict.

I hope that my "heeb" is as irrelevent and unimportant to you as your "goy" is to me :-) As for your Sages and other people's comics, Aesop seems to have had better sense than all of those put together.

Thanks for the suggestion. Not likely to happen anytime soon...

A comment on your opening sentence in your rebuttal. Foolish folk think religion is wise. Wise folk think it is foolish. Politicians make good use of it. Cato, not me. One day as you age and approach the cul de sac, otherwise known as oblivion, you will reflect on what you and humanity have achieved during your short sojourn on the planet. You will debate with yourself and conclude that your adherence to nonsense, fantasy and make believe was, in grand total, an excercise in futility and a waste of resources. All things spiritual, indeed spirituality itself, were invented by Man, and they serve no purpose. All religions, from the totem pole to Monotheism, have caused suffering death and destruction. Logic and reason must rule a community of people, a nation, logic and reason must be the basis of the law and not religion. States run by religion are failed entities and use violence and terror in order to rule. Religion is the opposite of logic and reason and is conducive to making the leaders of such nations arrive at unreasonable and illogical conclusions, ergo death and destruction and poverty rule the day. For a footnote, just think of the plethora of conmen who used religion to get rich quick, the preachers, the Bible pushers, the Billy Grahams and Amie Semple Mcphersons of this world.

A word of explanation. Goy in the Hebrew language and in its usage in the Torah has a very simple meaning, nation, any nation. Its pejorative connotation, tone and meaning, arose from the concept of "Chosen People", as the scribes wrote and the Prophets propagated. If we are the "chosen" then logic must dictate that the others are of a somewhat lesser standing. This is one of the most unfortunate aspects of being a Jew. I personally never use the expression and I hold in disdain those who do so. I apologize for any offence caused.

was insignificant to his audience who were equally stoned. How do I know...well Geez do you think my generation didn't inhale? Damn right we did and it was beautiful maaaann.

I understand the original meaning of goy and how it's used by some people now. That being said, here's another one of my mother's homilies: " Unless and until they can stand you against the wall and shoot you, what others say, think and do has no bearing on who and what you know you are." Most importantly of all, no apology is necessary on your part.

Use your sharp logic to put together the conspiracy facts of Nixon and Kissinger both deceiving and betraying Israel for their own sordid agendas of keeping America #1 around the world if you please. Is your acumen and rational capable of making the connections?

Religion has fixed rules to which he adheres. Independent free thinking is not available to him, to them. This is the tragedy of religious people: they are in a box, ba'kluv sgurim l'netzah. But their children are different and there is hope through education, the correct kind of education.

protect child sexual abusers, treat women as second class citizens in so many ways, refuse to educate children in secular subjects so they can get good jobs to support their large families, blindly listen to their rabbis without using their common sense and good critical judgment, etc, etc. You are on a different planet. I want nothing to do with your value sysyem.

If you think that I am naive when it comes to politics and the machinations of politicians then you are wrong. I was around when Nixon gained his title "Tricky Dickie", and when he become the proverbial car salesman "that you would not buy a car from", that was way back in the 1950's and 60's. I am well aware that he was a slimey character as was his sidekick Mr. K. Having said that, all in all he was not such a bad President for the US and as far as Israel 1973 is concerned his actions were motivated by what was in the best interests of America, and yes, that included keeping Russia from gaining the upper hand, that was his job, that is what the American people expected of him. I was, and still am, only interested in the bottom line. What came to Isreal in those days, and with such urgency, is the stuff of fairy tales. For that he deserves credit, be his reason as it may be. I can tell you a few stories about that and your hair would stand up on end, not second hand stories, first hand, my hand, empiricism is also one of my stalwarts.