Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Explaining the earthquake

I fully expected the Pat Robertson types to try to blame the earthquake that hit Washington, and even shook New York buildings, on the recent adoption of gay marriage in the state of New York. The city of Washington already allows it.

It was, remember, Robertson who predicted that raging wildfires in central Florida would burn Orlando for displaying banners about Gay Day at Disney World. Only they didn't. Fifty miles out, the fires turned and went a different way. A few months later, a fierce hurricane hit Virginia Beach, where Robertson's office are located (although they were not damaged).

I proclaimed that it was a warning from God to Robertson not to be speaking for Him.

Maybe he learned his lesson. So far, the blame game hasn't come from the Christianist preachers but from a Rabbi.

Orthodox Rabbi Yehuda Levin said this in a video posted on YouTube:
“One of the reasons that God brings earthquakes to the world is because of the transgression of homosexuality. The Talmud states, 'You have shaken your male member in a place where it doesn't belong. I too, will shake the Earth.'”
The Talmud, and the Bible too, say a lot of other things that only the ultra-orthodox of either faith take literally these days.

Ralph

2 comments:

  1. Oye - at times, I am challenged to respect an orthodox rabbi - a teacher, traditionally a title given for 'his' scholarly knowledge. The Ultra Orthodox, would never accept a female rabbi.

    The Judaic Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist movements are much more open, accepting and validating their congregants.

    Ultra anything, zealots, those that believe G-d is in on their side, are myopic in their view points, and certainly a cause for concern.

    Thankfully, I believe there is an enlightening trend for rabbis whose discourse is a positive, worldly interpretation of The Talmud

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  2. Well . . . better late than never, I guess.

    Pat Robertson's age must be catching up with him. It took him a few days longer, and he was more vague.

    But he did weigh in on the "meaning" of the earthquake today. Seems he takes the crack in the Washington monument as a "sign" of the "coming of the Lord."

    He didn't blame it on homosexuality -- at least not directly. But he says the monument is a symbol of America's power, of "one nation under God." And now there's a crack in it.

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