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From: martillo@mit-athena.ARPA (Joaquim Martillo)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Ann Landers on Judaism
Message-ID: <243@mit-athena.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 12-Aug-84 00:49:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: mit-athe.243
Posted: Sun Aug 12 00:49:56 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 13-Aug-84 00:50:51 EDT
References: <154@mhuxv.UUCP>, <585@ihuxs.UUCP>
Organization: MIT, Project Athena, Cambridge, Ma.
Lines: 88


>I beg to differ with you, Susan.
>Ann Landers hit the nail on the head.
>You can't live with the rules of the
>past while whipping into the future.

Either Tischler is saying each generation should reject its intellectual
inheritance from the previous generations and start out new,  or  he  is
saying  the  Jews  alone  should  reject their inheritance from previous
generations.   Since  the  first  possibility  is  clearly   impossible,
Tischler  must be making the second statement.  Since the Jews are being
singled out, clearly Tischler is expressing some anti-Jewish bigotry.

An unbiased observer -- and  I  doubt  that  a  Westerner  could  be  an
unbiased observer -- would note that in terms of social organization and
understanding of legal principles, Jewish thinkers 600  years  ago  were
more  sophisticated  than  modern  Western thinkers.  An honest observer
might suggest Westerners reject the outmoded Western tradition for  some
Judaizing tradition.

>Things change, and it is our duties
>as human beings (not Jews, Christians, ...)

Another call to attack the Jews.  Those disgusting traditional Jews  are
ignoring their duties as human beings.

>to keep up with the changing times.
>Kashrut is ancient.  Sure, it may
>be a nice idea for someone to do,

Tischler  has  an extremely unsophisticated viewpoint.  All peoples have
some form of Kashrut.  Americans avoid eating dog  or  monkey,  but  the
Chinese  see  nothing  wrong  with  these foods.  Americans will not eat
locust but I eat the  kasher  ones.   They  taste  just  fine.   Judaism
differs from Western traditions only in that kashrut is given the status
of a religious ritual.  Judaism merely tries to make  ordinary  everyday
acts expressions of sanctity.

>but you can't live your life without
>thinking of what is going on in life
>around you.  

That  is  observing  kashrut  might  make  you  look silly at a business
luncheon.  Or observing  Shabbat  might  prevent  you  from  putting  in
overtime.   If  tradition  interferes with your money grubbing chuck the
tradition.

>	      The mother's concern
>about an emergency call is a very
>valid one.  

Many have already given replies to this moronic point.


>	     The fact that the son
>has basically cut himself off from
>his parents, not to mention the
>world, is sad.  

A non-sequitur.  My family observes kashrut but within  my  lifetime  we
have  entertained  members  of  the  Briganza,  Wittelsbach and Hapsburg
families.  These people value tradition.  Some observant friends of mine
recently  entertained  the former ruling family of Tunisia who of course
would never even consider eating with Tishler --  he  does  not  observe
kashrut.  How have we cut ourselves from the world?

>		 He has some duty
>to his family members, and I feel
>he is being selfish.  Oh well, to each
>his own.  I just hope my kids never
>do that to me.  I would be very hurt.

I  can understand.  The kids were telling their parents, "You could have
given us a spiritually, culturally and  intellectually  fulfilling  life
within   the  Jewish  community;  instead  you  chose  a  materialistic,
spiritually-,  culturally-  and  intellectually-  empty,  money-grubbing
Western life-style; your choice sucked!"

>				Mark Tischler
>				(312) 355-4254 (home)
>				(312) 979-2626 (work)
>				ihnp4!ihuxs!tischler

Yaqim Martillo

An Equal Opportunity Offender

Flames via the net -- I do not like to answer telephones.