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When Judaism Meets Science
Have Some Lost Their Yiddishe Kups?
The picture above first appeared yesterday, to my knowledge, on www.failedmessiah.com. Apparently, the sponsoring group, whose members I suspect do not read this blog, also issued a public relations piece, which follows replete with all original typos:
“Wednesday afternoon on the upper westside on Manhattan,home to New yorks largest secular Jewish community will witness a scene never seen anywhere before. Young Chareidi activists will display stuffed animals with their babys and cubs to proove evolution is a myth. This is the first time that such a program is going public as a means to do outreach to secular Jews especially before Rosh hashonah,the Jewish new year. It is being organized by a small very vocal group known as JPAC Jewish political Action committee. In the past JPAC had its anti gay marriage campaign carried by Associated press which posted pictures of a stuffed dog hinting that today man marrys man and soon man marrys dog.The picture was picked up by over 2000 newspapers worldwide. In fact the iconic dog used in that photo is once again going to appear this time to fight the ideas of evolution.”
Needless to say, both the picture and the press release have provoked considerable comedic commentary about Jews, New York, the Upper West Side and stuffed animals among other things. Maybe you have to laugh at the absurdity, but somehow it’s just not that funny.
Roger Price
I have to admit, I’ve heard many arguments lately from the right wing about creationism, but none as compelling as a collection of stuffed animals. After seeing that, I don’t know how you can argue. I think Rick Perry should have his campaign sponsored by Gund.
Read the entire blog before you condemn orthodox Jews.
The post does not mention much less condemn Orthodox Jews. What it does, and all it does, is (1) display a picture and a quote, the accuracy of which you do not dispute, (2) note that there is a controversy and (3) opine that the situation portrayed in the picture has an absurd quality. If you look at other posts on this site, you will find references to Jewish sources from a variety of perspectives, including Traditional and Orthodox. Your faith and your practice are yours to choose. This site focuses on science.
I have, though, looked at your blogsite, JPAC NYC. Its stated goal is to turn Israel into a theocracy, and believes that God made men taller than women so that women would look up to men, that God sent AIDS to punish gays, and that evolution is science fiction. Did I get that right?
Because this is a free country, and not a theocracy, you are entitled to push your agenda. And you are entitled to your beliefs, although there is no scientific basis for them and it is at least arrogant of you, or anyone, to think that you know the intent of God. With respect to evolution, I suspect that you would not be swayed by books written by respected scientists like Richard Dawkins or Jerry Coyne, as both are atheists, but you might learn someting from Rabbi Natan Slifkin’s book, The Challenge of Creation: Judaism’s Encounter with Science, Cosmology and Evolution.
Roger Price