In the interest of fairness I should point out that traditional Judaism also prohibits women from wearing men’s clothing and vice versa. That’s why Orthodox women generally don’t wear pants. Adult men and women are also not supposed to be alone together. A cab wouldn’t be a problem since the driver is there.

rokemronnie on May 8, 2007 at 7:05 PM

Only among their own. They do not force their ways on us. I cannot recall at any time when Jews insisted we follow their ways to the exclusion of all other ritual or law. There is the problem. Islamists do. Sharia law does.

A major difference between Judaism and the two other Abrahamic faiths is that both Christianity and Islam look forward to the whole world becoming either Christians or Muslims as the case may be. Judaism looks forward to the day when all men worship God, but that doesn’t mean everyone is going to become Jewish. The 613 commandments in the Torah, and by extension, halacha, Jewish law, is only obligatory on Jews.

Judaism does require all humans, however, to observe the Noachide Code, the “seven commandments of the sons of Noah”. Murder, idolatry, adultery, theft, blaspheming God, and animal cruelty are prohibited, while courts of law must be established. There’s no enforcement procedures, however. Jewish courts have no power over goyim.

Muslims are aggressively stretching the concept of accommodating religious practices. The notion of asking a state institution to provide interdenominational locations for prayer to begin with is constitutionally problematic, but setting aside exclusive Muslim religious facilities (prayer rooms, foot washing stations) funded by government agencies like universities and airports most certainly violates the establishment clause.

rokemronnie on May 9, 2007 at 12:37 AM