Cheese Louise, Shayna, he just wants to know what CMIIW stands for. There’s no need to get all up in his grill.
Skald, I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m mistaken, but I think it stands for “Correct Me If I’m Wrong.”
Takes a bit longer than two seconds to spell it out. Especially the way I just did it.
ETA: D’Oh!
… and, of course, this discussion itself is on Rosh Hashonah, so most observant Jews won’t be able to reply.
However, let me comment that rabbinic authorities have always said that when life or health are at stake, almost any Jewish rules* can be set aside as secondary. So, if your life or health is at stake (for instance, the Yom Kippur War), then you can defend yourself. However, “life” and “health” are not the same as finances or money. Setting aside ethical rules (and Rosh Hashonah observance is pretty much about ethics and morality) just because you might lose some money… well, that don’t fly.
*[sub] There are a few exceptions: for instance, the law against murder cannot be set aside, not even if your own health is at stake. If someone waves a baseball bat at you and says, “Kill that other person or I’ll kill you,” the Jewish laws forbidding murder cannot be set aside even though that will mean physical harm or death to you. But I want to make the main point, that heath and physical wellbeing come first, and not get sidetracked into the few exceptions.[/sub]
Not to mention that your thread title is “Fuck Rosh Hashana” not “fuck the people taking it off etc”.
That was obnoxious and unnecessary to your main point- irritation at a specific group of people, not against anyone observing this holiday.
Actually that’s a good point. The specific group of people I’m pissed at is Congress, not Jews, and not really the holiday. I should have used a more thoughtful thread title.
Wow. Thanks.
So I suppose come Christmas, Easter, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and whatever other silly religious circle on the calendar comes up we should send home our Firemen and Policemen too.
All the more reason why all this religious pandering during the Election cycle should be viewed as a negative, not a positive. If the Jews feel that their observance of the holiday is more important than their participation in this crisis so be it, but everyone else ought to be back to work and they can explain it to their constituents.
Explain how risking the entire life savings and future livelihood of an entire nation is moral. I could understand and admire a person willing to loose some money for their beliefs but when they are willing to jeopardize an entire nation it is a whole different kettle of matza. Or if the situation is not that bad, why don’t they stop the 9/11 style posturing and say so?
Well to be accurate, it’s el Presidente and Paulson who are claiming that this requires immediate attention - congress has been trying to take care of it expediently if not immediately.
(Reminds me of one of my favorite pieces of dialog from Futurama:
Kif Kroker: Captain, may I have a word with you?
Captain Zapp Brannigan: No.
Kif Kroker: It’s an emergency, sir.
Captain Zapp Brannigan: Come back when it’s a catastrophe.
[a huge rumbling is heard]
Captain Zapp Brannigan: Oh, very well. )
Seriously, if skipping the Holiday to work for the Nation is outside of their religious beliefs I have to say that the religious people are simply unfit for public service.
This isn’t about the well being of a few Jewish Senators it’s about the whole fucking country.
Get to work, you fucking hypocrites.
Uhm, knee jerk much? Did I quote anyone? If not, you may safely assume I was posting a reply to the OP.
Cheese Louise, indeed.
I believe you’ve been whooshed. (Or at least I hope.)
To the OP:
It was good to acknowledge that the title was unnecessarily inflamatory.
In a country where Jews are a tiny minority, stopping Congress for that holiday seems unnecessary. Observant Jewish congress(wo)men should do as their consciences tell them and of course be prepared to answer to their constituents.
However, even though it is a valid point, if we take it just a bit further it would mean cancelling all non-civic holidays (Christmas in particualr comes to mind). And if we took it even further we could make the point the Sunday as a “day off” is also a religious observance based of a “magical book’s” account of creation and the supposed resurrection of a Galilean carpenter.
I am not religious at all, and I think it might be a good thing if Congress took the rest of the year off. Have we no faith in the free market?
The people in Congress are politicians. They’ve never solved anything. What kind of cynic are you, anyway?
Shoulda used a smilie, I guess.
Have a blessed observance, Shayna. 
You’re preaching to the choir, but I was only talking about a time of crisis and only Congress. I wasn’t complaining about anybody taking a religious holiday off in normal circumstances.
No. None whatsoever
The christmas issue is tricky because of the sheer number of people in this country that would take that day off anyway, I’m not sure if much would get done. That said, I have no problem with the gov’t not acknowledging religious holidays in general. The problem I mentioned is a practical one, not a philosophical one.
The 40 hour work week is a completely different issue than the “day of rest” thing, I don’t particularly care which two days they decide to make the weekend. A pretty big chunk of the world has settled on saturday and sunday, though, so it makes sense to stick with that for competely non-religious reasons.
As a Jew, albeit one who is posting on Rosh HaShanah so obviously not the most orthodox, I agree that stopping Congress completely (for 7%) is bizarre.
However that is not Rosh HaShanah’s fault and observant Congresspeople should be allowed to take the day off - in a prepared manner so that things can continuing going forward in their absence.
Truly, I think God would be more concerned about the souls of his believers than the financial machinations of mankind.
There’s no argument that this economic crisis should be taken seriously, but guess what: mankind will survive. Heck, I’m pretty sure the U.S. will survive. There is going to be some unpleasantness regardless of whether they come up with a plan today or next week. I’m already afraid to look at my 401(k).
So, you don’t hold any respect for religion. We get that. For those that do, regardless of what’s going on, people ought to be allowed to practice their religious beliefs. Whether you agree with it or not.
Actually, their survival chances might be better if they don’t. Ever seen that stuff up close? “Pre-digested for your convenience”.
Blarggh.