Yes, in that respect I have a lot of sympathy for them, they are slaves who have actually put themselves into slavery, tethered and fettered themselves to a useless futile ideology based on nothing more than pure nonsense.

Some of the worlds greatest thinkers (past and present) were devoutly religious. To suggest they dedicated their lives to "pure nonsense" typifies the general ignorance, ideological insecurity, and totalitarian mindset of the modern atheist.

Who, Maimonides? His claim to fame is from his secular medical practice. Maybe Martin Luther? He really was a deep thinker and decided the pope is in every human heart, yours and mine also. How about Martin Buber, wasn't he great in his synthesis of religion with mathematics? Now how about secular thinkers: Copernicus, Giordano Bruno, Baruch Espinosa, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, and yes Sagi here. Oh, I forgot, Ovadia Yoseph, the rav, who is among the greatest thinkers humanity has ever known, as evidenced by his Shas party.

Reform Judaism can't blame Orthodox Rabbis for young Jews alienation from Israel & Judaism. In Germany where Reform Judaism dominated there was a 30 % baptism rate , even Rabbi Mendelsohn it's founder saw his grandchildren convert. The situation in Austria & Hungary wasn't much different ; Poland , Romania & Russia where there were pogroms didn't have as many conversions . President Clinton, Vice Presidents Gore and Biden did their children convert when they married Jews ? Reform Judaism just appointed a 1/2 Jewish woman as a Rabbi to a premier synagogue in New York , why couldn't they demand that this woman convert to Judaism ?

You disappoint me. I thought you were more informed and much more clever than the average Israeli shmo. Apparently you are not. No mention of America's de facto bankruptcy in 1970. No mention of the Kissinger orchestrated Petrodollar agreement with the Saudis in 71. No mention of Nixon taking America of off the gold standard in 71. No Knowledge as to why this is connected to the Kissinger and Nixon contrived betrayal of Israel in 73'. No mention that kissinger was in cahoots with Saddat and the Saudis to kick out the Soviets from the ME.

Reality, there are 3 million Jews in the United States, currently. Reform Judaism is a path to Christianity. Most reform Jews are christians pretending to be Jews. Without an intensive, traditional Jewish education, most Jews will intermarry and become part of secular christian Americany. society, i.e. santa claus and pork chops. Most Jews either cannot afford a day school education or they are not interested, for their children. Therefore except for the religious, Judaism is finished in the United States. Harsh reality, but true.

In my experience the majority of American Jews are just disinterested in Religion, even those who attend Reform and Conservative Temples sometimes. It is so hard to go to Hebrew Schools as every baseball game or dance recital are more important. Where I live in NYC more and more temples and Hebrew schools close because Judaism is a waste of time to them. On the other hand Orthodox schools and shuls keep opening people go to Israel to study Torah from America, many make Aliyah others just boost Israel's economy by visiting regularly instead of going on cruises or to more exotic vacation spots. Without Traditional Judaism Jews assimilate and disappear.

I'ld love the "problem" of 1 million reform Jews (I mean real halachic Jews) in Israel...

“Try and penetrate with our limited means the secrets of nature and you will find that, behind all the discernible concatenations, there remains something subtle, intangible and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comprehend is my religion. To that extent I am, in point of fact, religious.” - Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955); lifebeyonddeath.net/author "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." alberteinsteinsite.com Sagi, you're no Einstein. Nor are you expert in logic. Get a grip.

The fascist-like ultra-orthodox definitely push me away from Judaism. They focus more on mindless strict rituals rather than positive values and behaviors. Modern Orthodox are normal, but the ultra-orthodox are something out of 1800's Poland and I don't want any part of that backwards group of people who think they are better than me because they wear a skirt and wig and i wear jeans

I have a suggestion for you. Charles Dickens wrote a book entitled, A Child's History of England. It was written especially for young children and was intended to give them an insight into the history of their country in a language and style that they could understand with ease. I suggest to you that you read from chapter 27 through chapter 31, this will give you an insight as to what religion can do to the mind of any otherwise normal human being. The book is readable on the net if you just punch in the title. As for some of the greatest "thinkers", perhaps so, but it was a sign of the times, great thinkers of today distance themselves from religion. I would add that some of the greatest "stinkers" were deeply religious.

I did say that I am not naive and that I am well aware of the nature of politics and the machinations of politicians, I figured that that would be sufficient for you to realize that, "I know what's what". Permit me to tell you a short story. At around the age of 15 I came across a rather large tome, I have long forgotten the title but not the content. It was a history of the Spanish conquest of The Americas. It made such an impression on me that it has lasted throughout my life. I realized then that something was wrong, preaching "love and brotherhood" but practising death and destruction seemed to me, at that age, to be rather strange. Do you know the scope of death and destruction inflicted upon the indigenous peoples of The Americas by the "Bearers of the Cross", it is one of the saddest episodes of history.

The problem is, growing up Reform, you are essentially taught you have NOTHING in common with either Israel or other Jews other than praying. Jews are nationality, the same as the Japanese, the French, and the Russians. The Reform movement has categorically rejected Jews being a nationalist since its inception. Given that most Jews are OVERWHELMINGLY secular, non-observant on a daily basis, being Jewish "by religion only" is NOT enough. THAT is why there is a disconnect. Being also born in the USSR, I have a strong self awareness of being Jewish by nationality (as it says in the Soviet birth certificate). I am proud to be a Jew by nationality and I recognize Israel as my national homeland. THAT feeling is what connected me to Israel and that is why I made aliyah 10 years ago.

Do not lump me in with Crusaders, Jihadis, Conquisatdors, Inquisitors and the like... The cold response to the obvious betrayal of Israel on the part of Nixon and Kissinger speaks loads on where your moral compass is pointing. Not unlike the very false flag massacre that occured in Damascus. The deliberate and contrived stand down in 73' was a betrayal of our soldiers and our nation for the sake of exopediency and protection from a gangster criminal power that pretends to be a benevolnt force fighting for democracy and freedom... BS Sagi...

By your dancing around the issue with suggestive responses proves to me that it is all true. We were betrayed, sold out, and used by the Americans for their greater financial and economic goals and interests. You seem to not mind being a whore, I actually do mind. Explains allot why you insist that religion and faith in God is pointless. Maybe you are afraid that if there is truly a God you may not be judged very lightly.

I fear that you have possibly not had a good and restful night's sleep. As for my "grip", I assure you it is strong and binding as ever, both my pedestal appendages are attached to a base measuring 47 and hold fast to terra firma, the cabesa upon my shoulders has never encountered a cloud other than with the aid of my ocular accessories, all in all, sane and salubrious. Best wishes.

You shall mature and see the light one day.

In the vernacular of the hood rats of the Amerikakes... Paqid just "owned you..." He did the deed that needed to be done.. Sorry, but atheism is not the answer. Logic and rationailsm are tools of the mind and should not be substitutes for the FAITH IN THE ONE GOD OF ISRAEL..... AMEN....

Let those who wish to define their Jewishness by religion - be it Orthodox, Haredim, Conservative, Reform, etc. - do so. Let those who wish to define it in ethno-national terms and make aliyah do so. Let those who wish to define it in cultural/secular terms do so. One condition: no state, including Israel, should force any individual to behave in any way which contradicts their own Jewish identity.

In re your two quotes from A. E. The second one I believe holds no water and is quite meaningless. The first one is oft interpreted, by the interested parties of course, to mean that A.E. believed in "God". Others, like me, give a much more reasonable explanation, that there are things in the nature of the universe that we cannot as yet(in the context of when it was said) understand, and that science was working on it. I believe that no scientist of A.E's stature could possibly believe wholeheartedly in a creator, and if one says he does then in my view he would be disingenuous to a degree. As you read these words no doubt Leibowitz is crossing your mind. The man was blessed with an exceptional mind but he was a very enigmatic character, a contradiction unto himself, and I have no doubt that he lived a very troubled life plagued by internal strife, even possessed with demons sometimes.

sure make for delightful 'piss on your shoes' claptrap BS. I revel in the endless BS. While we Jews piss on each others shoes the Iranians are building a bomb that will send our beloved Israel to hell in a handcart. And you know what, we are doing jack shit to stop them.

although there are only written, the smoke is all around. Are those people demanding respect by not respecting others? What's the bottom line: haredim are good american jews are bad? what a bunch of cry babies and degenerates.

Leave it to Dror to stay depressed.

''Get a grip''. That's rich for someone who pretends to be a Jew (but isn't, much like Rivkah who also frequents these illustrous message boards). Anyhow, for me the notion that people still believe in a God is truly astounding. But while you are at it, why should your monotheistic God be any more real than Thor, Wodan or Ahura Mazda?

is that the real issue is not wether the current Israël government policy is alienating reform and conservative American Jews. The real issue is that in their quest for legitimacy, the reform and conservative are tearing away the fabric of the Jewish people the same way Christianity did when they started. Liberals want to make it kosher to eat non kosher, kosher to drive on Chabat and so on. But fact is that it is all treife. If somebody doesn't want to follow the rules of the Torah it's a personnal decision. What the liberals do is a public problem

Hint: it starts with an "R". Where Jews were committed to Torah and halacha, Judaism thrived. Where they abandoned observance, Judaism was replaced by intermarriage and assimilation, neither of which Reform sees as a social ill. And when Torah study weakened, observance necessarily weakened with it. Rabbi Jacobs is akin to a typhoid carrier who blames sanitation systems for the disease.

And the answer is Medieval Orthodox rabbinic superstition and intolerance arising in European Dark Ages -- and you're still driving ha-Sheim's flock away from Torah. "R" must stand for Restoration -- after your Medieval Reformation and innovations. Torah declares that the b'rit includes not only the blessing but, along with it, the curse when you disobey Torah with a high hand -- as we read nearly every day. This was true not only in pre-1948 but in pre-1943 as well.

Am Olam pursuing and attaining knowledge leaving off from wickedness and folly in A history of Israel by Howard M Sachar .Thats one of the Ideals .The Reality of Histories Pressures have Made it more complex.

While I support the Orthodox , it be remembered that until the 1960's intermarriage wasn't a problem . Unfortunately Reform Jews met this problem by adopting patrilineal descent , they never made it a requirement to convert the spouse and now you have a situation where Reform Rabbis officiate at intermarriages and accept intermarried Rabbis and Cantors.