Banning Christmas in Jerusalem

[S.A.M.]

Should Christmas be banned in Jerusalem?

Jews have only one holy city and they don't believe in Christ. Besides, Idol Worship is forbidden in Judaism.

On the streets of Jerusalem, the religious war on Christmas is on. Last week, the "Lobby for Jewish Values" started handing out fliers condemning the holiday and inciting the public to boycott restaurants and hotels that sell or put up Christmas trees and other "foolish" Christian symbols.

Backed by rabbis, and with the self-righteous air of the American Christian right, lobby chairman Ofer Cohen told the Israeli media that he had considered publishing a list of businesses bold enough to put up Christmas decorations, call for a boycott against them, and - with a little help from Jerusalem Rabbinate - revoke the kashrut certificates of said hotels and restaurants.

According to the Israeli media, the fliers distributed by the Lobby for Jewish Values contain the following call to arms:

"The people of Israel have given their soul over the years in order to maintain the values of the Torah of Israel and the Jewish identity. You should also continue to follow this path of the Jewish people's tradition and not give in to the clownish atmosphere of the end of the civil year. And certainly not help those businesses that sell or put up the foolish symbols of Christianity."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1135512.html

 

[Lori_7]

intolerance is the plague of the middle east, is it not? seems appropriate.

 

[Captain Kremmen]

Perhaps a Kristallnacht will be called for.

 

[Baron Max]

Should Christmas be banned in Jerusalem?

Hmm, why don't we just ban anything and everything from everywhere by everyone at any time of the year?

Let's ban posting on Sciforums? Let's ban talking? Let's ban fucking, too, while we're at it - there's too freakin' many people on Earth anyway.

Baron Max

 

[Asguard]

actually sam about 2 weeks ago i would have surported a notion to ban Christmas in Australia. Do you have any idea how irritating it is to hear the SAME 2 christmas songs again and again and again because you happen to work in a retail store?

 

[GeoffP]

Should Christmas be banned in Jerusalem?

Jews have only one holy city and they don't believe in Christ.

Hmm: possibly so. Trade for Bethlehem. Jerusalem is really more about Easter, and I think Easter tourism would be a fair trade.

Thanks for pointing this out. I like the idea.

 

[S.A.M.]

I'm not sure how a crucifixin blamed on the Jews would be more in accordance with Jewish Values. Do they even celebrate Easter in Jerusalem?

I agree, most of Bethlehem would be happy for the tourism, as would Nazareth

 

[Michael]

Maybe Xians should stop all trade with Jews in Israel?

 

[S.A.M.]

Wouldn't that be antisemitic?

 

[CptBork]

It's a lobby group, I thought those were only supposed to represent the interests of a selfish elite, unless that's just how it works in America.

 

[S.A.M.]

It's a lobby group, I thought those were only supposed to represent the interests of a selfish elite, unless that's just how it works in America.

True, this for example would have been a very different story if it was in a Muslim community in America:

The "Freedom Ride" is designed to protest against the removal of a bike lane in Williamsburg, a long-time Orthodox Jewish neighbourhood that has in recent years been taken over by young artists.


The activists intend to go topless in front of Hasidic residents who "can't handle scantily clad women" on wheels, Heather Loop, a bike messenger, told a local newspaper earlier this week.

The newspaper, The Brooklyn Paper, suggested the scantily clad protesters might roll into the neighbourhood at sundown on Saturday - just as families leave synagogue services on the Sabbath.

Cycling advocates claim Mayor Michael Bloomberg erased the bike lane because conservative residents objected to seeing scantily clad riding through the neighbourhood every day.

Members of the Satmar branch of Judaism "don't want to see women in shorts," said Baruch Herzfeld, who runs a bike-sharing programme in a community where Jewish women wear modest long skirts and blouses with long sleeves and men heavy coats and hats, even in the hot NY summer.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...the-snow-to-protest-NY-bike-lane-removal.html

 

[Cris]

I believe Israel isn't a religious state and they have a constitution that supports freedom of speech and freedom of religious practice. It would be against their constitution to ban a religious celebration of any type.

 

[Michael]

RE: Freedom Ride

hahaha... i love it

oh, its good to see it's legal to be topless in NY.