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So it's acceptable for governments to be elected that only care about 51% of the country and would not care one whit if the other 49% all starved to death? It's acceptable for them to genocide the other 49%? No, it's not. A republic without minority rights violates the spirit of a democratic...

Tyranny by majority is still tyranny.

The government endorsing a religion infringes on the rights of members of another religion. Particularly so if it's a religion that believes all should and need to follow its doctrines.

General Questions (one religion answer): 1. What religion do you practice? I'm not Jewish, but I appreciate Judaism and would like to convert someday. What religion would you say is the… 2. Most different from Christianity? Hinduism 3. Most different from Hinduism? Christianity 4...

Yup. :D

Technicalities, technicalities... :rolleyes: At least its not any worse than failing to produce a Sefer Torah, and I doubt that's a mitzvah many male Jews get around to.

That would sort of make sense. There's nothing in the Torah that says, at least in a literal interpretation, that *being* gay or lesbian is bad or that having thoughts of that sort are bad. It does say though that sex between men is bad and many of the major rabbis of antiquity and the middle...

It runs the gamut, just like any other religion. On the accepting side are the more left-wing movements (as would probably be expected). For example, the Central Conference of American Rabbis (Reform Judaism's rabbinical organisation) a few years ago voted in favor of gay commitment ceremonies...

I know of cases where women have worn tefillin--It's not a forbidden practice pers se, though the problem that seems to often rear its head is people sometimes take 'exemption' as a 'you should not do this', which it isn't. I wouldn't be asking questions if I did not personally have the...

Correct. It is a fact that some rabbis have interpreted it to be a prohibition (hence why some more traditional shuls frown upon a woman putting on a kipah), but that is an interpretation not actually rooted in the text. The issue that I'm asking is not whether or not its a prohibition, but why...

Referencing this thread, the suggestion was made to perhaps open up a new thread on the subject of Jewish egalitarianism and the role of women in the scope of Judaism. I'd like to discuss the subjects regarding the exemption of women from saying the Shema, putting on kippot, tallitot and...

Ah... Perhpaps I'll start up a thread later today. There's nothing wrong with any individual minyan being all-male... I do think that the Mishnaic law that women should not be counted for a minyan is absurd though. If you have ten Jewish adults, you have ten Jewish adults. I am of the belief...

There isn't one Jewish concept of God... There are in fact several different ideas. Each individual Jew has his or her own understanding of what God is. Judaism isn't monolithic and it has very little in terms of set beliefs regarding the nature of God. God is impersonal, beyond all human...

Did not know this... Point taken.

God.

Not boiling a kid in its mother's milk (beyond the action being inhumane) is pretty arbitary. I can't find any practical or rational reason for it at all. I'm not advocating doing it per se, just acknowledging that there are commandments that, near as anyone can tell, are just God saying do...

Just a comment: I know of no tradition, in Judaism or Christianity that claims Moses was the Psalmist. That book is normally attributed to David.

What important function does it serve? As far as the way it's done? Possibly. Rambam was a doctor, after all.

Just a comment--Orthodox Judaism is that way too. A woman is not permitted to sing in the presence of men. The reason in Judaism is that it would make the men sexually aroused, which would be sinful. It's not a concept I agree with (it's one of the several reasons I would never be Orthodox)...

I read something on another forum a few weeks ago and I was inclined to agree. Paraphrased: 'How do we know circumcision must be from God? Jewish mothers would never let their sons go through it if it wasn't.' Indeed, it's a start. I'm curious--Do you know the name of said rabbi? I don't...