The choice of poverty under the excuse of God

Taken from: Walla.co.il

This is a news report is following a previous one about children starving in Bnei Brak, a seclusive Ultra Orthodox residential neighborhood where the level of poverty is one of the highest in Israel. The head Rabbi of Israel - Yona Metzger commented "If children are starving in Bnei Brak, the state has bankrupted morally."

I hate to break it to people of his sector, but living off of welfare to provide for 10-12 (and more) children with just one parent financially supporting the family as the other one studies the Bible 24/7 and blaming the state for this condition is absurdly ridiculous. If this truly bothers the Ultra Orthodox sector they should start working in order to provide for their families rather than demand and complain about anything and everything that is within their responsibility as concerned parents.

The Ultra Orthodox sector chooses to live in disgraceful poverty under the excuse of religion and God yet they have the nerve to demand the Israeli government taxes the secular sector higher so they can get more money off of social security. It is not within the responsibility of the secular sector of Israel to provide for these families through the Israeli government.

The Rambam Moses Maimonides has said it better than I ever will:

"Anyone who decides to be engaged in Torah [study] and not to work, and will be supported by Tzedaqa (charity) - this person desecrates God's name (*Chillel et Hashem*), degrades the Torah, extinguishes the light of our faith, brings evil upon himself and forfeits life in *Olam haBa* (The world to come); since it is forbidden to derive benefit from the words of Torah in this world. The Rabbis said (Avot 4:5): Anyone who derives benefit from the words of Torah in this world, forfeits his life in Olam haBa. They further commanded and said: (Avot 4:5) Do not make them [the words of Torah] a crown to magnify yourself or an axe with which to chop. They further commanded, saying: (Avot 1:10) Love work and despise positions of power (*Rabbanut*). And: (Avot 2:2) Any Torah which is not accompanied by work will eventually be nullified and will lead to sin. Ultimately, such a person will steal from others."

Shelly

Religion made Bigotry

I'm part of deviantART, and it was brought to my attention that someone has suggested there should be a homosexuality filter just as there is for mature content, because they don't like seeing homosexuals kissing in photography. Of course, they are perfectly fine with lesbians doing the very same.

Heterosexual couples kissing photography doesn't require mature content tag and homosexual couples kissing photography shouldn't either.

I don't want to see anyone kissing because I don't care either, but I don't see why there should be a filter for homosexuality. People should just mature a little and know when to look away/move on if they see something they don't like/disagree with. I don't like to see couples kissing or doing couple-like things in the streets, regardless of their sexual orientation. So I look away.

Its people's right to celebrate their sexuality and love and its every person's right not to look at those pictures. However, whining about encountering this kind of photography  or behavior on the streets instead of moving on(which I highly doubt has damaged the person in any way) is unacceptable. Kissing is not explicit content.

My suggestion: Bigotry filter.


Shelly

Tired of turning the other cheek?

BFree Israel is a non profit organization and the first to publicly fight religious coercion in Israel. Their new campaign is part of a new movement in Israel - Israeli citizens are tired of turning the other cheek as our government enforces us to live under the financial burden caused by the Ultra Orthodox sector. We aren't suckers, from now on, we stop turning the other cheek and fight for a secular Israel.


Shelly

YouTube and Atheism - The Thinking Atheist Radio Podcast #14

Despite not being able to assist and attend this podcast, I would like to thank James for helping The Thinking Atheist in this podcast and congratulate Seth on a fantastic, interesting show. The 3 guests this podcast are a few of my most respected members of the Atheist community on YouTube.


Shelly

Podcast This Saturday - YouTube and Atheism

Sadly, I will not be co-hosting and screening calls this time, however The Thinking Atheist and this podcast's guests will make sure its as entertaining, informative and interesting as ever.


Shelly

Am I Jewish Enough?

When discussing Atheism with an Israeli theist I'm often confronted with the question "If you don't consider yourself as Jewish then what are you doing here? What gives you the right to live here?"

That question alone infuriates me – as if my belief, or the lack of it, determines the legality of my citizenship. It reminds me of the No True Scotsman fallacy, which I'm sure many of you are familiar with. Can one not be a true Israeli if they don't consider themselves Jewish?

76% of the population in Israel is Jewish; however the majority of them don't practice Judaism religiously. Depending on your religious upbringing, those who weren't brought up the same way are not real Jews. Where do you draw the line?

With over 10 different movements in Judaism (Orthodoxy alone divides into 3 sub-groups, Haredi, Hassidic and Modern) that can't even decide what a true Jew is, how can one determine who is Jewish enough to be eligible to live in Israel as a citizen.

"According to traditional Jewish Law, a Jew is anyone born of a Jewish mother or converted to Judaism in accord with Jewish Law. American Reform Judaism and British Liberal Judaism accept the child of one Jewish parent (father or mother) as Jewish if the parents raise the child with a Jewish identity…

…The question of what determines Jewish identity in the State of Israel was given new impetus when, in the 1950s, David Ben-Gurion requested opinions on mihu Yehudi ("who is a Jew") from Jewish religious authorities and intellectuals worldwide in order to settle citizenship questions. This is still not settled, and occasionally resurfaces in Israeli politics."

Why isn't it enough for people that I, despite being an Atheist – am attached to this place because I was born and grew up here?  I consider myself as Israeli because I love this country enough to fight for equality for secular Israelis. If I didn't care about my country, I wouldn't have been politically involved since my early teens to promote topics that are close to my heart. The question whether I am Jewish enough to be considered a citizen is irrelevant and pales into insignificance considering the amount of effort, time and care I've spent to promote causes that are dear to my very-much-Israeli heart.

The question should never be how Jewish you are (or whether you consider yourself Jewish at all) nor should it be how much you contributed to your country. I am Israeli by law and I have every right to live in Israel. No justifications needed.

Shelly 

We're (not) all Mad Here

"I have to ask, is it difficult to live in such a theocratic country? You must feel like a lone voice of sanity in a mental asylum. Have you lived there all of your life?" 

Dave

I've lived in Israel my whole life, and despite how theocratic Israel is (and its getting worse) there are many, many free-thinkers, seculars and atheists alike. I don't want to make this a too long of a post and I will address the issues in separate posts in the future - I'll just say that while most of the laws based on and originated in the Jewish religion and religious motives do not effect me directly, there are many that subliminally - do.

For instance, non-religious Israelis have to carry the burden of paying higher tax rates because Orthodox Jews don't pay taxes at all. One of the many reasons Israeli economy is in the mess its in nowadays, is because the Ultra Orthodox sector has the highest rate of non-working men and women with 5 to 10 (and more) children whose financial life line is their monthly Social Security pension paid by, you guessed it, non-religious, tax paying Israelis. The Ultra Orthodox sector has the highest poverty rates and is a significant percentage in the national poverty rates to date.

Another example is that religious, practicing Jews (mostly Orthodox) are automatically given exemption for religious reasons and do not serve the army, and those who serve the IDF are given better benefits to their service than a secular Israeli who has been drafted, and I won't go into how many of those who don't serve cause Israeli soldiers to risk their lives protecting them in illegal settlements while tolerating bad mouthing, violence and disgraceful treatment.

There is also the issue of how the Israeli government, over the past 60 years, has constantly given monstrous budgets to the very same sector in order for them to continue living their religious way of life while burdening the non-religious sector and shrinking the budgets for education, health, security and more.

This is what its like being a sane Israeli in an insane Israel.

Shelly