This post is bad and you should feel bad

You guys seem to like Jews here.

I have to admit, our noses are sexy.

The day will come when hysteria hits the streets, and I will be there to wear your skin as my own. Wolves in wolves clothing

Okay, then.

Are we to understand you are a U.S. citizen?

My take on the current relationship, U.S. & Israel is:

The insane and violence loving bigoted conservatives who have taken over the dialog and government in Israel, is not different from our own violence driven, bigoted U. S. conservative movement.

The odd thing in the U.S. is a sizable number of our own conservatives are bigoted against Jewish people at the same time they defend more wars to support Israel. The dichotomy of it all is a head spinning experience.

Do you think this aggressive, violence driven and bigoted conservatism is the problem?

Well, I'm not an Israeli or American politician, so I can't answer with absolute certainty.

The Israeli government has their own agenda, largely in trying to push Muslims off of land they consider holy and which, by all accounts including the Quran, the Jews had a claim to first. It's like two brothers fighting over their father's estate because the will was very ambiguous.

As for American politicians, I'm not certain that a sizable number are anti-semitic, since other posts on this subreddit claim that the majority of government elected officials are Jews. I do know that America's best interest right now is to keep the Middle East regions from imploding into all-out civil war, and supporting the existing stand-off/status quo is the probably easiest way of doing this. As long as the Middle Eastern nations are relatively stable, they can produce oil.

If real war did break out in the region, world superpowers would be forced to take sides. In today political climate, there's a good chance that this would put the US opposite to Russia and China. Nobody would really win, and nobody would ever gain anything.

There is this on r conspiracy hot page today, it echoes what you say about a belief that our Congress is Jewish, an exaggeration, to me.

http://forward.com/articles/191283/the-economist-pulls-anti-semitic-cartoon-on-barack/

I honestly don't know what politicians are Jewish or otherwise. For the most part, we're indistinguishable from most Europeans.

I just found out yesterday that a member of my engineering team is Jewish. I've known him for over a year.

Oh, come on, you guys recognize each other. Admit it. That's why you get circumcised. When you meet another of your tribe, your scalped tips tingle.

Actually, my parents had me circumcised at a hospital for hygiene reasons.

To concept of a flap of skin around your wiener strikes me as stranger than having 4 extra molars that grow sideways, which I also had removed.

The conservatives would have their perpetual war to be used to oppress the people.

Aren't /r/conspiracy the conservatives? Worried about atheist liberals trying to force a gun ban?

While all the conservatives are being told the liberals want their guns, the liberals have been busy arming up.

File under: The problem with believing propaganda.

I was hoping for some question about my alleged shapeshifting abilities

You shape-shift? Let me guess ... a rat, right?

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Yes. And it's still delicious, though I rarely have any myself.

My favorite breakfast is a slice of pizza.

[deleted]

From Wikipedia:

The word jewellery is derived from the word jewel, which was anglicised from the Old French "jouel" round the 13th century.[1] It has also been suggested that the word is derived from "Jew", as the Jews were important jewelry artisans of that time.[citation needed] Further tracing leads back to the Latin word "jocale", meaning plaything. Jewellery is one of the oldest forms of body adornment; recently found 100,000 year-old beads made from Nassarius shells are thought to be the oldest known jewellery.[2]

What is the Jewish viewpoint on Catholicism? Is the Pope an ally?

I can't speak for the majority, but historically Jews haven't approved of many Catholic ideals, Christianity vs. Jewish Orthodoxy aside.

The new pope, on the other hand, seems like a cool dude. No lavish clothes, no golden throne, and a message of tolerance and moderation. He acts like a spiritual leader, not like he's God.

As a bit of backstory, I am Jewish in heritage but was raised Christian. Respect for both worlds has made me a sort of Judeo-Christian. I focus on trying to lead a clean life and doing nothing that could make Christianity itself look bad. I also ignore the concept of denominations and rarely attend a brick-and-mortar church. Terrible things have been done in the name of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. I try to show people that most of us religious folks aren't violent, hateful, holier-than-thou jerks.

I find it interesting that Catholicism supports both an Israeli and Palestinian state, but does not support Zionism. They also respect Jews as God's chosen people and the founders of Christianity, but that the Church is the New Israel.

That sums it up pretty well.

I totally agree w the second half of your statement, but am recently craving a "ritual" I can find truth in. Maybe it's the Catholic school girl in me, but when I've been trying to talk to God lately, I feel like "I'm not doing it right." I have a hard time w a lot of dogma, but my intuition has been letting me know that I am seeking "what's right for my soul". Fundamentally, I'm not happy and I am one of those "research nerds" that needs references. (Though I suppose were all on reddit for that same need for source, please!)

Well, I get most of my stuff from the Christian Bible.

If you want ritual, the catholics have it. Gold talismans, mummified body parts of saints, popes appointed to the papacy after slaying dragons, etc.

Nothing wrong with that, of course. But when I study the ancient Jewish patriarchs like Abram, and then the early Judeo-Christians, I see something far from the pomp and circumstance of the papacy. It's what the Lutheran reformation was all about, really. The idea that you don't need a complicated ritual, a fancy building, or an old man wearing a dress that costs more than your net worth to relay messages.

You just sort of talk and have faith that someone's listening. In my case, everything seems to work out. By medical experts, educated and talented as they may be, I should be blind, brain damaged, and not conceived in the first place.

1. When I was conceived my mother was on a hormone therapy that, unknown to her, is also prescribed as a contraceptive. Her doctor was flabbergasted.

2. As a toddler, I was running, slipped, and ran right into a corner. My skull split open. I was put back together and stitched up and sent home, apparently stable. The next day I jumped on my bed, fell off, and ripped all the stitches out. I've got a little scar on my forehead, but that's it.

3. In high school, I tried opening a D-cell battery without wearing goggles. The chemical sprayed into my face and dissolved the whites off of my eyes. Two hours of saline drip later, I was sent home with dark glasses and a grim prediction. A month later, my eyes had healed completely and even my mild astigmatism was gone.

Ironically, I discovered the magic of computer engineering less than a year later and have since developed severe nearsightedness.

The point is that I have to think that I've got someone looking out for me.This makes me think that my simple approach to faith is approved.

The idea that you don't need a complicated ritual, a fancy building, or an old man wearing a dress that costs more than your net worth to relay messages.

You've never heard of the Temple at Jerusalem, right?

Times change.

All of which you stated about Catholicism is currently being reformed by the new pope. Which makes me wonder if that's the biblical prophecy of the second coming, or if he's the Antichrist and the church has been the "whore" the whole time!

We are living in odd times indeed. I guess what I meant by ritual is that I fundamentally believe that faith without works is dead. One can't pick when to be spiritual, we are spirit all the time. Yes, we're human and will make mistakes, but we aren't given a free pass to err on & on without consequence. (Example, I can't have casual sex anymore. If I'm not in love, it hurts my soul to its core. It's not fun. It doesn't bust any stress, it only adds to the "shit". I will not have sex again, outside of a healthy, stable, committed relationship.)

But even in my example, how do I proceed? Do I believe people should be married to have sex? Prolly yeah, because if someone is willing to wait, it means they're committed to a lasting relationship. Is it realistic that I will find a man that believes that too, who can also be secure about my past? Idk. But I'm not willing to risk my mind, body & soul again for "charm".

I guess I think we've all lost a fundamental belief and that in turn, shapes our behavior. I don't know who "has it right", but I don't think God approves of the smorgasbord view of religion. I know when I experience God in my soul, so maybe I need to start journaling to sort out when & how that occurs.

There you go. I can't be sure that I'm doing anything the best way, but I feel at peace so I don't think I could be too far off.