There is an interesting entanglement case filed in Atlanta, Georgia where Rabbi Shalom Lewis has challenged Georgia’s Kosher Food Labeling Act (OCGA Sec. 26-2-330 ff.) on the ground that it codifies the definition of kosher by the orthodox rabbis.
The state defines kosher food as “food prepared under and of products sanctioned by the orthodox Hebrew religious rules and requirements.” Rabbi Lewis insists that this ignores other Jewish sects, including his conservative teachings, and how they defined the term in violation of the establishment clause.
Here is the entirety of the provision:
26-2-330.
As used in this article, the term:
(1) ‘Food’ means any meat, meat preparation, articles of food, or food products, either raw or prepared for human consumption, and whether to be consumed on the premises where prepared or sold or whether to be taken elsewhere for consumption.
(2) ‘Kosher food’ means food prepared under and of products sanctioned by the orthodox Hebrew religious rules and requirements and includes foods prepared for the festival of Passover and termed as ‘Kosher for Passover.’
(3) ‘Person’ means any hotel, inn, delicatessen, grocery, butcher shop, restaurant keeper, or any individual, firm, or corporation operating a boarding house, eating house, lunchroom business, or catering business.
The lawsuit raises a fascinating question. The government is essentially supporting one group’s interpretation of a religious tradition. It is not clear why the government should not leave such questions to the individual buyer and remain neutral on such religious questions. Customers can then look for their own certification of kosher from Orthodox or Conservative groups. We have already seen that customers are more than able to shutdown businesses that lack such acceptance, here.
This is a debate that has also raged in Israel, here.
Here is a copy of the complaint: lewis_v_perdue_complaint
Curious to learn what you think of Obama’s Hope and Change, now that a year has gone by and all of his liberal and ultra liberal companions have been assigned to their various functions and the liberal agenda has at least partially been implemented.
Get Real writes: it is vital that Orthodox Jews still have access to those products that allow them to live the traditional definition of what it means to be a Jew. A Reform or Conservative Jew can ALWAYS consume Orthodox kosher food but an Orthodox Jew will not be able to eat what many a Reform Jew might find acceptable.
while I’m not unsympathetic to the plight of the orthodox jew lets get serious. Even the most observant Jews can find kosher food in just about any town in America. really. Even in places where there is no synagogue food can be ordered online and shipped. Or one can go vegetarian.
let me rethink this: I guess I am unsympathetic to the plight of how stringent O jews make themselves.
Most of the laws defining kashrut (what is religiously acceptable, or kosher) have been followed by the Jewish people for centuries. It has only been since the German Enlightenment of the nineteenth century that the Jewish community has started to question the need for certain laws or the narrow interpretations of these laws.
While many of these liberalizations can be considered lifestyle choices, it is vital that Orthodox Jews still have access to those products that allow them to live the traditional definition of what it means to be a Jew. A Reform or Conservative Jew can ALWAYS consume Orthodox kosher food but an Orthodox Jew will not be able to eat what many a Reform Jew might find acceptable.
Let the word Kosher really mean kosher. Unless Georgia wants to drive away every Orthodox Jew, this law makes sense. Meanwhile, everyone else can still do what they’ve always been doing. We can all make room for those with the greatest need.
This is a law against fraudulent advertising. Saying “it should be left up to the consumer” makes no sense. No consumer wants to be told something is Kosher when it is not. In defining what “Kosher” is for the purpose of preventing fraudulent advertising, I think it makes perfect sense to use the stricter guidelines, which is exactly what they are doing.
GWLSM:
“me: you don’t know. for all you know I weight 500 lbs and have my muu- muus custom made and I sit in one chair 24/7 chain smoking Parliamnents and guzzling non-alcoholic beer, haven’t washed my hair in about a month and this is what liberal democratic jewish women look like to you.”
Actually I have known several and they were all pretty. So my view of liberal Jewish women is a cross between Jennifer Lopez and Kelly LeBrok(sp?)
Although that was when I was younger so they may look like you now, I dont know.
IS writes: GWMommyDearest:
First of all you are continually asking me to kill myself, so how do you want me to respond?
Hanging, shooting or slashing my wrists my dear madam. I think calling you a twit and vapid was fairly restrained under that circumstance.
me: it’s not my fault that you don’t get irony. you were the one ranting about liberal medical plan death squads. my suggestion was appropriate given your level of paranoia. and I made it once. which is hardly “continually” if suicide is your fantasy that’s not my problem. clearly Liberal Death Panels are your fantasy. Tell us. when you go before the Liberal Death Panel what will we be wearing?
call me a twit. call me vapid and get over what passes for good manners and call me what you have wanted to call me. bitch. just get it over with. you will feel so much better. I promise.
IS I care not one wit what your political orientation is, I just disagree with it and offer my opinions on the issues of the day. Take them or leave them or offer your own, but please don’t ask me to kill myself when you disagree with me or expect some sort of return fire.
me: if you don’t care what the politics of others here are, what are you doing here? your issue of the day? like that makes any kind of significant contribution to anyone’s edification?
IS:Finally how do I know you even have a child with autism? And how do you know I am not sorry if you do? I may disagree with you politically but I can certainly comment on a purely human level about life’s frustrations and disappointments.
me: you don’t know. for all you know I weight 500 lbs and have my muu- muus custom made and I sit in one chair 24/7 chain smoking Parliamnents and guzzling non-alcoholic beer, haven’t washed my hair in about a month and this is what liberal democratic jewish women look like to you.
you know nothing about what it is like to raise a child with special needs and your ignorance on this subject grows every time you sit yourself down at your keyboard.
mothers know when their kids are different from the others in baby group. they know when they are at the park and the zoo and the whole rest of the time. autism isn’t ADHD. it isn’t anything like ADHD. this means that you are incapable of being sorry.
IS Most peoples lives have some disappointment and sorrow, some more than others. Grow the f$%# up and get over yourself. I am sorry your parents promised you a rose garden and a knight in shining armour and that it did not work out for you. You appear to be very self centered and self indulgent.
Me: grow the $%&* up? that’s all you have left? get over myself?
you know what? I don’t think I will. I think I will do and say say exactly as I please. by the way… that knight in shining armor? I got him. He is exactly who I’ve always dreamed of and it worked out great.
as for how I appear….you have no idea how I appear. you just wrote that you have no idea who I am. why not stick with that.
IS: If you dont ask me to kill myself, I will not call you a twit, banal, vapid or insipid.
me: no sale. you see the names you call me are strictly junior high. you can ratchet them up several notches and it still won’t bother me.
GWMommyDearest:
First of all you are continually asking me to kill myself, so how do you want me to respond?
Hanging, shooting or slashing my wrists my dear madam. I think calling you a twit and vapid was fairly restrained under that circumstance.
I care not one wit what your political orientation is, I just disagree with it and offer my opinions on the issues of the day. Take them or leave them or offer your own, but please don’t ask me to kill myself when you disagree with me or expect some sort of return fire.
Finally how do I know you even have a child with autism? And how do you know I am not sorry if you do? I may disagree with you politically but I can certainly comment on a purely human level about life’s frustrations and disappointments.
Most peoples lives have some disappointment and sorrow, some more than others. Grow the f$%# up and get over yourself. I am sorry your parents promised you a rose garden and a knight in shining armour and that it did not work out for you. You appear to be very self centered and self indulgent.
If you dont ask me to kill myself, I will not call you a twit, banal, vapid or insipid.
IS writes:
I am sorry to hear that. I certainly understand the day to day concerns of a parent with a child with special needs and you are to be commended for your efforts in being the childs advocate and care provider.
me: you are not sorry so don’t pretend you are. you’ve called me just about every name short of bitch and insulted me in myriad ways because you disagree with me politically. your behavior here is insulting and you should be ashamed. you have no idea what it is like to rear children let alone kids with special needs. you have no idea what it is like when your HMO tells you that diagnostic and treatment is not medically necessary and you have to go out of pocket to be an advocate and give your kid what you know she needs to be successful.
IS I was responding to Gyges and his thoughts about vaccinations as the cause of autism. I have a feeling that there are many different “forms” or levels or severity for children diagnosed with autism, some may not even have autism but other issues that mimic or present as autism. Thus my comment as to my thought that some autism cases may not be autism at all but something entirely different.
me: yeah, I know what you were doing. you were setting yourself up as an authority in an area where you know nothing. your “feeling” about the spectrum of the disorder is again, another area where you know nothing but love to postulate as if you do. try this: learn something. read. educate yourself.
IS: I have learned from protracted exposure to the medical profession that they are not the gods they (at least some of them) pretend to be or the face they put on for the general public. They are human with the same limitations as the rest of us. The good ones know this.
me: you are incapable of learning. what you is this: jump to conclusions based on limited exposure and experience and then tout that as some kind of expertise. again. you should be ashamed of yourself.
Buddha is Laughing:
I was not trying to make light of autism. We have friends that may have a son with Asbergers as well. He is functional, is highly intelligent as far as math and music goes but does have some issues. They do not have a diagnosis as yet. But some of the behaviour can be described as ADD and so I am wondering if some cases of autism are severe forms of other diesease processes and are lumped into the autism category for lack of a better diagnosis or because of lack of experience on the part of the doctor(s).
the brain is still a mystery for the most part and we are only beginning to unlock its complexities and subtleties.
IS,
I have a good friend who has a son diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism. I’ve discussed him with Mike S before.
I second GWLSMom’s sentiments.
“Examining the increased incidence of autism”
Autism rates have been rising steadily over the past two decades, causing much concern. Now a study in Epidemiology rules out diagnosis criteria and early diagnosis as possible reasons for that increase.
By Jonathan M. Gitlin | Last updated January 14, 2009 4:11 PM CT
Rates of autism, a developmental disorder that affects communication and social skills, are on the rise. Earlier in the 20th century, the incidence of the disorder was around four or five cases per 10,000 children; currently, it’s more than an order of magnitude greater, being closer to 80 per 10,000. This precipitous rise is obviously quite worrisome, more so since we’re no closer to knowing the reason for the increase.”
Read the rest of that article here:
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/01/examining-the-increased-incidence-of-autism.ars
It references epidemiology that addresses misdiagnoses issue.
It’s a real problem, believe it or not. And until you’ve met the face of autism for yourself, I’m thinking that orifice from which you are speaking was not originally designed for that task. It’s an interesting party trick sure, but that’s about it. Whatever is causing increased rates of autism, it’s a real observable growth. Thee only reason you’d think it isn’t an issue is you simply don’t have any exposure.
Give an hour of your time volunteering for an autism support group.
You’ll realize your mistake soon enough. It won’t take the entire hour if you have a soul.
Meet some of the people. Read the numbers.
Then respond, preferably thoughtfully, with your mouth.
For now you know not that of which you speak.