http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090408/ts_afp/israelreligionjudaism;_ylt=AovEfJ0EfwIRp1cnEm12THU DW7oF


JERUSALEM (AFP) – Tens of thousands of Jewish faithful turned out before sunrise on Wednesday in front of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and elsewhere in the country to bless the sun in a prayer said once every 28 years.
Dressed in white prayer shawls, men and women, adults and children filled the plaza in front of the wall, Judaism's holiest site, and crowded onto nearby rooftops to catch a glimpse of the sun rising over the Holy City.
As the faithful swayed back and forth in prayer, the area filled with the din of the Birkat Hakhama prayer.
Elsewhere around Israel and the occupied West Bank, tens of thousands of observant Jews sought out hilltops and rooftops to catch the first rays of the sun to recite the prayer.
Birkat Hakhama is said as the sun comes up to mark what according to Jewish tradition is the sun's return to its position at the moment that the universe was created 5,769 years ago. It returns to the spot once every 28 years.
The prayer has special significance this year because it coincides with the start of the Passover holiday, one of Judaism's most important, at sundown on Wednesday.
The Wailing Wall, also called the Western Wall, sits below the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third-holiest place.

So what you are saying is that The Flintstones is a cartoon based on conceptual reality?

This just in, religious idiots are stupid everywhere. Oddly, despite not believing anything else in Jewish dogma, some non-Jewish idiots still use their celestial accounting.

Are you even a fundamentalist Christian, or are you just fully accepting of the fact that they comprise the majority of the Republican base, so you're duty-bound to defend them?

I like Sarah Silverman's attitude on religion:

Who cares? Different religions. I guess the only time it's an issue I suppose would be if you're having a baby, you have to figure out how you want to raise your baby or whatever, which still would not be an issue for us. Because you know, we'd just be honest, and say "Mommy is one of the chosen people, and Daddy believes that Jesus is magic."

LOL, I like her attitude.

She's as talentless a hack as has ever graced...err fucked it's way onto the screen.

Hope I wasn't too subtle ;P

Awww, but she's !@#@ Matt Damon!

Of course she is, she wants to get into film now..../blech

She's hilarious, and the Matt Damon reference is a joke, you should research on youtube, its pretty funny.

I dislike religion highly, but faith i can find stock in. The movie Kingdom of Heaven had a GREAT little dialogue that really gave me a good way of explaining it.

[to Balian] I put no stock in religion. By the word religion I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of God. I've seen too much religion in the eyes of murderers. Holiness is in right action, and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves, and goodness. What God desires is here (points to Balian's head) and here (points to Balian's heart) and what you decide to do every day will make you a good man...or not.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090408/ts_afp/israelreligionjudaism;_ylt=AovEfJ0EfwIRp1cnEm12THU DW7oF

Where do you think Christians came from, exactly?

The Torah is the first five books of the "Old Testament" (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) with the following books of the Old Testament making up the Halftara.

Since they both use the EXACT SAME religious documents, is it really surprising they would share beliefs?

Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are all so unbelievably similar when put side by side - yet everyone bickers over the differences.

'She's as talentless a hack as has ever graced...err fucked it's way onto the screen.'

- Couldn't agree more. But I must admit, the fucking Matt Damon thing was pretty funny. Perhaps the only funny thing she's ever done.

Religion was created to fulfill two needs of humankind: 1) to provide for something greater than ourselves that can affect our daily lives; and, 2) to provide some concept of a continuance after death, because it is too difficult to believe in the finite aspect of life for many.

Each religion has it's own bells and whistles and chrome and upholstery options, and it is worth taking several out for test drives before making any firm decision. But, basically, they all worship the same thing with only the process being different.

Religion is fine.

Organized religion......not so much. Besides, people forget Asian faiths frequently, which tend to be subtle and more metaphysical and philosophical as opposed to the rest that are dogmatic where you have a set of rules to follow or the Almighty curses your existence.

Christianity, Islam and Judaism have done wonders to give organized religion a black eye. As far as bringing up a family, join a church/mosque/temple for the community and not so much for the doctrine.

Are you even a fundamentalist Christian, or are you just fully accepting of the fact that they comprise the majority of the Republican base, so you're duty-bound to defend them?


Neither. I just thought it rather interesting that small bit of text, which is regularly chucked around to show how stupid fundamental Christians can be, showed up in a story about Judaism.

Yes, Kelraz the 'Big 3' tend to be variations of each other, so one shouldn't be suprised that there are similarities between them. I just wondered about the reaction on this board if I highlighted the tidbit that is regularly used to beat fundamental Christians about the head and shoulders on the stupidity of thier beliefs, putting Jews in the 'whipping boy' role instead. Can't say I wasn't disappointed.

And my take on religion is that is just another means of control. Faith is a great thing, individually. However, like many of Human endeavors, when people tend to gather into groups, stupidity abounds.

But I thought only fundamental Christians thought this way...

Why?

All hail Crom! Strong on his mountain!

Tell us the riddle of steel.

Tell us the riddle of steel.

If you don't know it Crom will laugh at you and toss you out of his mountain.