<p>POIH – you seemed to have drawn a distinction in terms of keeping kosher between kosher meat and requiring it be cooked in a kosher oven. (Post #444) </p>
<p>For someone who adheres to the laws of kashrut (laws of keeping kosher) it is as important that the meat be “kosher” (from a kosher animal that was ritually slaughtered and “kashered” – ie the blood removed by soaking and salting the meat) as it is for it to be prepared in a kosher manner – meaning with other kosher ingredients, kosher utensils, and kosher oven. Why can you find one part of keeping kosher acceptable but the other “superstitious?” Why do you think you are in an appropriate position to judge what level of kosher observance is reasonable and what becomes unreasonable? </p>
<p>You say you would serve someone kosher meat. But BY KOSHER DEFINITION – if you cook it in an oven in which non-kosher food has been cooked, the meat is NOT KOSHER, unless you take the precaution of double wrapping it in aluminum foil to avoid any possible contact with the non-kosher oven (which I’m guessing you would find a superstitious practice). You seem to be insisting on an illogical position – 1) I would offer kosher meat, but 2) I would insist on preparing it in a manner that makes it non-kosher meat. YOU DO NOT GET TO DEFINE WHAT IT MEANS FOR MEAT TO BE KOSHER. If you acknowledge on ANY level that someone has the right to decide that want to keep kosher, you have to accept that they, not you get to decide what level of observance means.</p>
<p>You cannot understand the simple fact that YOU are not the arbiter of what is reasonable for someone to do or not do in accordance with their religious beliefs. You just don’t get to define what is reasonable for someone else. The fact that YOU do not think something is reasonable does not make it superstitious. I’m sorry if you cannot understand this. Your constant use of the term “superstition” seems to be your way of avoiding deal with the underlying logical flaws in your position.</p>
<p>I don’t suppose any of you wonderfully knowledgable folks has the energy to take on educating the folks who are commenting on the Yahoo site linked in the first post? The level of venom and dismissiveness is even greater there.</p>
<p>DP – I rarely bother to read comments on Yahoo News articles because the comments are usually pretty awful – angry, sarcastic, uninformed, biased, prejudice – you name any negative and its there. Those comments are even more anonymous than this type of forum where people stick with a single name and have at least a defined, though anonymous, identity. Responding to comments at Yahoo probably will do little good and just spawn more ill natured replies – the best thing to do is just hit a thumbs down and hope enough negative votes gets a comment deleted.</p>
<p>The OP may have taken cover due to the level of vitriol on this thread, but I’m curious if he/she realizes that the major organized religions all have days of observation where you aren’t supposed to “work.” Is the OP opposed to taking Christmas off? Just curious.</p>
<p>DP,
I like to believe that most posters on this Forum[ which is after all, dedicated to the pursuit of college education, and the implied resulting wisdom that [ hopefully] will accompany it], are NOT the type of people who care about anonymous comments that follow inane internet posted stories. This isn’t a tabloid fan club.
But the OP’s original post shows that tabloid “journalism” can surface anywhere. Too bad.</p>
<p>I can’t believe this thread is still going strong. Does anyone actually think that POIH will recognize that his question was hurtful and inappropriate? It seems clear that a person who has lived to whatever age POIH believing what he does will unfortunately not have a change in attitude. Reading through this thread made me realize how unfortunate that you live in the United States of America, and you still do not understand one of our basic rights which seperate us from so many other countries and possibly even your own birth country (I thought you were Chinese but now I am unsure if you are from India). </p>
<p>I would like to ask you what made you come to the United States? Was it to receive a world class education for yourself or your children? Was it to gain employment and make a better life for yourself and your family? Ask yourself those things and than ask yourself if you think any of that would be possible if we did not have freedom of religion. It is this basic freedom that has made so many thousands of peoples over so many decades come to our country. They all come here because we are not only the land of great opportunity but we allow people to live their lives and practice their beliefs. Would we have the great schools which you honor if people were not allowed to practice their religion? I think not. We would be like many other countries…clones of each other…obeying quietly the laws which govern such things as religion. Is that what you came to the great United States for? I wonder if you would really be happier if religion were cast aside and all the houses of worship were closed and we America were told to stop our prayers and forget what we have known all our lives. </p>
<p>Your statement makes me wonder if you have trully assimilated to America because after years of being here you still fail to understand this very basic principal. You have hurt many people on this forum Jews, Christians and all religions. You unknowingly tapped in the hearts of people and said we are idiots because we believe in something that is bigger than ourselves. That POIH was ignorant and possibly uneducated.</p>
<p>I also can’t believe this thread is still going. I can’t believe the OP has posted eighty times on this thread alone in two days. For what purpose? </p>
<p>At the very least, this should be moved to the Cafe. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the college application/attendance/acceptance process.</p>