NYTimes - Religion and Natural History Clash Among the Ultra-Orthodox

[Coastie for Truth]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/22/science/22rabbi.html

Which could be titled "Even More Mishagas of the Rabbonim Who Support The Settlers"

It was early January when the posters went up in Mea Shearim, Jerusalem's largest ultra-Orthodox neighborhood, and they signaled the start of a bad year for Rabbi Nosson Slifkin.

Twenty-three ultra-Orthodox rabbis had signed an open letter denouncing the books of Rabbi Slifkin, an ultra-Orthodox Israeli scholar and science writer. The letter read, in part: "He believes that the world is millions of years old - all nonsense! - and many other things that should not be heard and certainly not believed. His books must be kept at a distance and may not be possessed or distributed." Rabbi Slifkin, the letter-writers continued, should "burn all his writings."

Fundamentalist Christians have long championed a literal reading of the Bible that suggests the planet is thousands of years old, rather than millions. But the denunciation of Rabbi Slifkin has publicized a parallel strain of thought among ultra-Orthodox Jews, a subset of the Orthodox Jewish community that is deeply skeptical of modern culture, avoiding television and the Web and often disdaining college education.
<snip><
The controversy surrounding him has pitted Jews who are skeptical of science against their more cosmopolitan brethren, who may follow ultra-Orthodox traditions but hold jobs as doctors or teachers. "My sense is there are literally tens of thousands of people who are upset about the ban," said Dr. Andrew Klafter, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, who is ultra-Orthodox. "I'm very, very puzzled by it."
<snip><
The rabbis who signed the letter denouncing Rabbi Slifkin are widely respected Torah authorities; one of them, Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, 91, is a leader of Israel's United Torah Judaism Party and one of the most respected scholars in Orthodox Ashkenazi Judaism.
<snip><
Many science-minded ultra-Orthodox Jews say it is spiritually wrenching to see leaders they revere endorsing views they oppose.

Many of the ultra ultra ultra Orthodox crowd of Mea Shearim support retaining the West Bank.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. All fundamentalist, ultra-orthodox, fanatics, of any and all religions

and political bents, generally fall into the same category of intolerant, hateful, small-minded, xenophobic, and in most cases, violence-inciting, genocidal peoples.
Any group that believes that their beliefs are the one and only true way to "salvation" is a potential threat to the existence of every living thing on the planet.

[pelsar]

2. hmmm

and this is important because......(actually I admit i get a sadistic kick out of when the ultra orthadox go up against the modern religious who both believe that only they can save my lost soul)

[Coastie for Truth]

3. I love the Haredi

When my wife and I were in Mea Shearim with my two "Peace Now" cousins, one of the Haredi came up to my wife and cousins and called them harlots because their elbows and knees were exposed.

[IndianaGreen]

4. There seems to be a pandemic of anti-science all over the world

This is akin to people that are insecure about their own sexuality, they are always trying to "prove" something.