Fires are spreading throughout the “holy” land and so it’s time for our favorite religion-based game, “Who Can Say The Most Ridiculous Thing About A Natural Disaster?” Until recently, Pat Robertson has maintained the lead in the wake of blaming Hurricane Katrina on abortion and gays and the earthquake in Haiti on a pact with Satan. But never count out the region that reigns in religious dumbassery, the Middle East.
And, ladies and gentleman, two old contenders are emerging again for predominance! In this corner we have Ismail Haniyeh of the Hamas Jihadists who has declared that the northern Israel forest fires are a “strike from Allah.” Not to be outdone, let’s hear from his challenger, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef of the Meah Shearim Maniacs:
“Fires only happen in a place where Shabbat is desecrated,” he quoted from the Babylonian Talmud Shabbat tractate in his weekly sermon. “Homes were ruined," he continued, "entire neighborhoods wiped out, and it is not arbitrary. It is all divine providence.”
“We must repent, keep Shabbat appropriately. When the People of Israel repent, God safeguards them with a wall of fire,” but not of the incinerating type, Yosef added.
Keeping in mind that Yosef also attributed Katrina to the wrath of Yahweh (he was punishing George W. Bush for something or other), and with extra points for his bizarre Talmudic exegesis, the winner is...Rabbi Yosef!
Stay tuned for much more religious idiocy because, frankly, it never ends.
I agree with your sentiments but, in the name of accuracy, it should be stated that rabbi Yosef is an ultra orthodox sephardi religious leader and, as such, is not part of the primarily ashkenazi "meah shearim maniacs."
ReplyDeletei think it's a good effort, but pat robertson's comment about haiti's earthquake still wins the crown of stupidity.
ReplyDeleteSo, is the good Rabbi suggesting that when a synagogue gets firebombed and burnt to the ground, the Shabbat has been desecrated there?
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