Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: mejicovs@eniac.seas.upenn.edu Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: the Sabbath Message-ID: Date: 4 Jun 91 03:59:45 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of Pennsylvania Lines: 59 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article tblake@bingsuns.cc.binghamton.edu (Tom Blake) writes: >In article , >mejicovs@eniac.seas.upenn.edu writes: >|> (Thomas Blake, That's Me!) wrote: >|>>It is this picking and choosing among the laws which so bothers me. >|>>"You must obey *this* law!" "I need not obey this other law!" In this >|>>way, we strain out gnats, and swallow camels! (Never let it be said >|>>Jesus didn't have a sense of humor.) >|> >|>What are you talking about? I don't know of any laws that it is >|>possible to follow today that aren't taught and followed by Orthodox Jews >|>(and some of the other sects too!). >The question is about you yourself, and me myself. I suspect that there are >a number of laws which you disregard. I am converting to Judaism, so I am *obliged* to disregard a certain law. Besides that you'd have to point me to a specific law you think I might be disregarding... If you choose to disregard certain laws >as not being applicable to you, then I don't see how you have any right to >hold another accountable for disregarding the same, (or other) laws. If I'm disregarding any laws, I hope that someone will point it out to me so that I can correct my behaviour. Judaism *does* teach, however, that there are areas where one who acts in ignorance isn't necessarily wrong. Knowledge makes one guilty. > This >other is no more of a sinner than you are. You trust that your G__ will not >hold you accountable for those laws you have chosen to ignore, or those laws >which you interpret differently from the Orthodox members of your faith. Aaahh - now you're getting into a whole 'nuther ball o' wax that isn't for this group, and isn't for me. I don't go around saying that those who aren't Orthodox the way that I'm Orthodox are wrong. There are cases where it is merely a matter of difference in custom. There are also cases where it is a matter of ignorance. The worst cases are those who know and choose to do wrong. But I don't choose to tell every Reform or Conservative Jew I meet that they're wrong because of such and such wherever. There are those that choose to try and reach out to those people, but even they do this with respect and an honest desire to teach. In this matter I think we are agreed to some extent. Although I still would like you to show me some commandment that you believe me to be disregarding. > Tom Blake > SUNY-Binghamton James mejicovs@eniac.seas.upenn.edu