Baal Habos
Don't believe anonymous bloggers.
http://jewishphilosopher.blogspo...s-
bloggers.html
> Don't believe anonymous bloggers.
I don't understand what credibility has to do with anonymity. You can call me a coward. But you can't call me Liar. You need to examine what I say and you can be skeptical of it or anything that I write. But putting my name on it does not change the veracity of anything I write. Come to think of it, that's the whole point of my post. Be skeptical. I see your'e learning, but you'd do well to to extend your skepticism to Judaism as well.
>I guarantee you that Sarah Imeinu would never have passed failed the Nisayon.
Not sure what you mean by this. I know for certain that given a choice I would not do it. Does that mean I "failed"? Perhaps. I pray that Hashem never test me that way.
What strikes me is that if you could out "Reuven", how do you know who has outed you?
I would ask you to please take a few minutes to listen to this by Rabbi Daniel Mechanic.
Please keep an open mind, remember his audiance is a group of high school kids, but do not be tempted to dismiss his words because of his delivery style.
Let me know what you think.
Most of what you've written in this post cannot be independently verified and therefore should be assumed to be fictitious.
"The only thing religion will get you is peace of mind and a good social circle. I'm not knocking these, but they're clearly subjective."
Atheism is a religion, and it won't even get you peace of mind or good friends.
http://jewishphilosopher.blogspo...n-
nutshell.html
MK,
>Not sure what you mean by this. I know for certain that given a choice I would not do it. Does that mean I "failed"?
You'd disobey a direct order from Hashem? Cool.
>What strikes me is that if you could out "Reuven", how do you know who has outed you?
Not sure what you mean.
If you mean 'Out Reuvein' in the sense of Publicly ID him, I certainly did not do that. If you mean how did we hook up, I can't get into that without divulging info that I don't want to. Halevai other frum skeptics would "out me" in the sense you're referring to.
>I would ask you to please take a few minutes to listen to this by Rabbi Daniel Mechanic.
A few? You mean over 70!
>Please keep an open mind, remember his audiance is a group of high school kids, but do not be tempted to dismiss his words because of his delivery style.
I listened to 25 minutes, because he's well known and has a cute delivery. But he hasn't said anything that's convincing at all. (Lot's of name-dropping though!). I had even read that book he mentions, "permission to believe". The arguments are good , until you study them and realize there are strong counter-arguments.
Jacob Stein,
> Most of what you've written in this post cannot be independently verified and therefore should be assumed to be fictitious.
Incredible claims require incredible evidence. What is it about my post that requires verification? You don't believe there are hidden Frum Skeptics?
So how did you discover Reuvein?
"You don't believe there are hidden Frum Skeptics?"
Yes, but this post goes into detail about behavior, motives, etc which again I would have to presume are merely creative writing.
>You'd disobey a direct order from Hashem? Cool.
Not cool, but then I'm not Avruhom Auvinu. "Chotusie, Pushatie, etc."
>But he hasn't said anything that's convincing at all.
What about the argument that there are 600,000+ witnesses to TMS? And I've asked my grandfather, who asked his grandfather, etc.? Personally, this was always one of my strongest reasons for believing.
>I had even read that book he mentions, "permission to believe". The arguments are good , until you study them and realize there are strong counter-arguments.
I didn't read the book, will try to get a copy.
Hedyot,
>So how did you discover Reuvein?
That's not for on-line disclosure. Let's just say we had a Shadchan.
JS,
>Yes, but this post goes into detail about behavior, motives, etc which again I would have to presume are merely creative writing.
Why presume that?
And for the sake of argument let's assume it's pure fiction. What is it about my post that bothers you? Why not accept it as truth? I'm really confused? If I wanted to create fiction I could do better.
MK,
>Not cool, but then I'm not Avruhom Auvinu. "Chotusie, Pushatie, etc."
But a direct order??????????????????
>But he hasn't said anything that's convincing at all.
What about the argument that there are 600,000+ witnesses to TMS? And I've asked my grandfather, who asked his grandfather, etc.? Personally, this was always one of my strongest reasons for believing.
I did not hear that, maybe that was after the 25 minute mark on that video. But that's neither here nor there. The Kuzari Principal has been debated many times. If it works for you, Ashrecha and dee zults zein gebentcht!
"Why not accept it as truth?"
Since you live in a country which guarantees freedom of expression, there is no legitimate reason to write anonymously. No reputable newspaper has anonymous articles. Even when people sign their names they may still lie, however if they refuse to sign they are guaranteed to be lying.
Some people may claim that they must remain anonymous because if they would sign their articles, their family or neighbors would be angry with them. My opinion is that if what you are saying is something you would not tell your wife or your next door neighbor, then it is not worth sharing it with the rest of the world.
>Since you live in a country which guarantees freedom of expression, there is no legitimate reason to write anonymously.
But I live in a community that abhors my expression.
>My opinion is that if what you are saying is something you would not tell your wife or your next door neighbor, then it is not worth sharing it with the rest of the world.
I disagree.
But you are evading my direct question. You may legitimately call me a coward, but what is it about my post that so discomfits you, that you seek to dis-credit it?
BHB,
Why are you arguing with a crazy person?
Bos, quite frankly I suspect that all Jewish skeptic bloggers are just one guy in Brooklyn.
Suy, do I detect a tiny drop of disrespect for My Holiness?
Also, incidentally, as many Jewish skeptic bloggers know, this year I proclaimed the holy month of Elul as a time to refrain from all cocaine and prostitutes.
Now, for the next week until Yom Kippur, I would like to kick this up a notch - NO MASTURBATION!
Use the time you save to read inspirational literature.
You're welcome.
it would make an interesting blog series posting things you wrote on the blog or in comments that you no longer agree with
>Why are you arguing with a crazy person?
Because no sane person would dare argue with me? 
> Bos, quite frankly I suspect that all Jewish skeptic bloggers are just one guy in Brooklyn.
Finally, we get to the crux of the matter. If I understand you correctly, it turns out you're like me in the sense that you feel that people for the most part are just like you and you can't imagine how anyone can come to a different conclusion wth the same set of facts?
This reminds me of one of our first spars in which you accused me of being a conservative Rabbi.
It's painful because the admission that people have conflicting views opens up the door to one's being mistaken.
Such is life.
> it would make an interesting blog series posting things you wrote on the blog or in comments that you no longer agree with
It might be but don't think I have the inclination for that right now, I'll be closing up again for another six months very soon.
BHB,
You will never get a rational discussion out of him. It will all come back to cocaine, prostitutes and masturbation.
You're better off playing minesweeper if you got nothing better to do.
>You will never get a rational discussion out of him.
Sometimes, we do gain ground, as in his admission now as to why he felt my post had no credibility despite it being merely a human interest story.
"It will all come back to cocaine, prostitutes and masturbation."
Now we know what your mind is on Mr Suy!
Frankly, it's clear to me that no one honest, sober person reviewing the evidence even briefly would deny the truth of Orthodox Judaism.
"It will all come back to cocaine, prostitutes and masturbation."
Now we know what your mind is on Mr Suy!
Yep.
Stark. Raving. Mad.
What kind of name is Suy? Is it like Sue? Or Stu?
there is nothing halachically wrong with cocaine or prostitution min-hotirah.
>What kind of name is Suy? Is it like Sue? Or Stu?
I'm a convert
there is nothing halachically wrong with cocaine or prostitution min-hotirah.
Nor with Masturbation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=G...re=channel_page
"I enjoy cocaine because... it's a fun thing to do"
http://www.videosift.com/video/C...and-
prostitutes
> "I enjoy cocaine because... it's a fun thing to do"
Cute.
>http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=G...re=channel_page
What's your point.
Suy, as a fellow convert, I feel that I can count on you to respect the NO MASTURBATION UNTIL AFTER YOM KIPPUR resolution, on top my No Blow and No Hos Elul campaign. Thank you.
This comment thread has sunk to new lows. Thanks, Jacob.
Jacob, I fully support it - neither physical nor mental masturbation until Ne'ilah. So, I guess no blog posts from you for a little while.
Far from masturbation, my comments are gifts to a spiritually impoverished world. You're welcome.
And good luck with preparing for Yom Kippur. When you face God you'll need more than a few obnoxious wisecracks.
http://jewishphilosopher.blogspo...-
suffering.html
BHB,
Don't feed the trolls. Besides you're not an anonymous blogger. You're a pseudonyminous blogger. There's a difference.
If you want someone to argue with I'll argue with you. How about this. I think it's fine for Reuvein to wear a black hat on Shabbos and Yom Tov.
>Don't feed the trolls
That doesn't count for Tashlich?
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