# Idiotic Orthodox Jewish Tradition Leads to Death of Seven Children

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-orthodox-jewish-tradition-leads-to-death-of-seven-children/715666>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [March 22, 2015, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-orthodox-jewish-tradition-leads-to-death-of-seven-children/715666 "2015-03-22T05:39:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 24

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**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2015, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-orthodox-jewish-tradition-leads-to-death-of-seven-children/715666/461 "2015-04-05T00:11:55Z")

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> [@Velocity](#):
>
> Criticizing Jews for a hot plate causing a fire is like criticizing Muslims should a planeload of Muslims heading to Mecca crash. In both instances, a religious tradition is what indirectly led to the fatalities (Jews using hot plates, Muslims making a pilgrimage to Mecca), but isn’t the direct technical _cause_.

No. This has been brought up before, and it’s a surprising example of mushy-thinking that seems to infect those who want to apologize for religion without thinking too hard. They aren’t the same.

The Jewish people of this particular sect commonly use hotplates as a method to avoid breaking the Sabbath law. They do it up to and including sect rabbis, as per the article above. This isn’t the same thing as flying to Mecca. The Muslims in that example are using an airplane for its intended purpose. The Jewish people in this case are using a hotplate all night in contravention of its intended purpose.

> [@](#):
>
> Atheists using hot plates could have a fire, too.

Yes. Atheists could use hotplates and start a fire.  
But Atheists:  
Don’t generally keep hotplates on for more than a day, unattended.  
Don’t generally feel adverse to flipping switches to turn on the hot plate when they need it.  
Don’t generally use hotplates at all, as a dodge to keep from flipping a switch.  
Don’t generally keep hotplates burning all night because they think the creator of the universe wants them to not flip switches.

So, no, it isn’t the same. An atheist could certainly have their home burn down from a fire. But an atheist isn’t likely to keep a hotplate on, on purpose, in order to satisfy a really stupid rule that some ignorant dude came up with long ago.

Not the same. You can say that the religion isn’t at fault, you’d be wrong but you can say it. However asserting that this is the same thing is flat out nonsense.

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**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2015, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-orthodox-jewish-tradition-leads-to-death-of-seven-children/715666/462 "2015-04-05T02:24:45Z")

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We’re all blessed to be Children of God.

And I am going to leave you now (please don’t cry for my absence) with this: Do you think I could run circles around all you woo believers and apologists if I didn’t have free thinking on my side?

Religion ™.

Shout out to all the rational people. And **Kimstu** for his/her dumbassery. Likewise for **hajario** who first started hurling the insults around because of a very reasonable OP.

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