----- Original Message ----- From: "Alberto Monteiro" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Brin-L" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2002 8:41 AM Subject: Israel and Atheism
> Dan Minette wrote: > > > >> I know it sounds strange, but we *are* religious country, > >> most of which population is atheistic. > > > > Thanks to proportional representation. :-) I know the > > reason for this, I think. The religious parties are a > > small swing group that has a few seats in the Knesset. > > When the vote is close, they will push both Labor and > > Likud (sp) for concessions on religious laws. Thus, > > though they are a small minority, they are able to have > > very strict religious laws passed. > > > But what is the purpose of having strict religious laws, > if the people isn�t religious and won�t obey these > laws? > > BTW, I don�t think most of Israel can be classified > as _atheist_, because even those that claim not being > religious still obey some religious laws, like resting > on Saturdays or not eating pork. Well, I don't think most folks in Israel keep kosher. The laws do not regulate that. The laws in question regards what shops can be open, and what can be done publicly. If Ms. O'Hare were to have visited Israel, she would have had to obey the laws too. > IMHO, this is a religious behavior, like the USA superstition wrt the number 13. I understand why some superstitions are religious, because they are means of not offending the gods. I think the superstition with regards to #13 is more akin to a belief in the world working magically. Such a belief does not inherently require thoughts about appeasing gods. IMHO, science and religion are on orthogonal axis. Dan M.
