Spiritually Speaking with Laura Weakley בה

Since Egypt

Fri, 6 Apr 2012 23:29:04 -0400

We haven’t been slaves since Egypt. When we were slave in Egypt, we thought we were slaves. Don’t worry, I’ll explain in a bit! I am unaware of any great works of ours, any scientific discoveries, any plays written, etc.

Moses came back after Adonai told him our cries were heard and it was time to lead us to freedom. A little cynicism was proffered when Moses, after so graciously accepting his mission, came to the Children of Israel and told them of his conversation with Adonai. He told them he was here to free us, and lead us to the Promised Land. I am not so sure we today wouldn’t scoff if someone told us Adonai spoke to him from a burning bush, and.... In fact, if they had received Moses with open arms and total belief, the entire story of the Exodus would be questionable!

Then Pharaoh, after meeting with Moses the first time - yes, Aaron was there too - made work even more difficult for the Israelites. This did not help Moses’ street cred! ( A little slang for my nonnative English-speaking readers.) Moses, however, was undeterred. He knew the truth. He knew what he was to accomplish, and he tried, and tried, and tried to make it happen. Even when this worked, it was extremely short-lived, as Pharaoh came running after us. With his army in tow, of course!

We all know what happened next. Adonai parted the sea through Moses, and we crossed over the Sea of Reeds and out of Egypt. Pharaoh, and his army? Well, the sea walls crashed in on them and they were not a problem any more.

Now, we were outside of Egypt; however, this did not mean we were free. Freedom is a state of mind. When we allow someone to hold power over us, we are granting them power, and giving them a godlike status. The Israelites were technically no longer slaves. Yet they still looked for others to make decisions for them. They still were not ready to believe they could run their own lives.

Moses, Moses, we don’t have any water. This was the adults, not the children! Moses, Moses, there is no meat to eat. Really? Weren’t they traveling with cattle, sheep, etc? Of course they were, because they used them for sacrifices. They still were not free. Not until the next generation would our people’s strength and determination become solidified. And we haven’t looked back since then!

Certainly as a people, as the Nation of Israel, we have had to suffer some horrific situations. We are still here! “Am Yisrael Chai!” The Nation of Israel lives! Ever since we initially claimed the land of Canaan, which is called Israel now, we have been free. Yes, of course, the same people who had been slaves in Egypt still freely accepted the covenant. However, when you think about it, they were not used to being asked if they wanted to accept anything. Their children were born free from slavery.

Throughout our history, we have had enemies who have sought to destroy us. We were kicked out of country after country throughout the centuries. We were tortured in the Spanish Inquisitions. Our Temple was destroyed. ( I know, out of historical order, but please indulge me!) We reclaimed our inheritance, and we built another Temple in Jerusalem. That too was not only destroyed, but the Islamic people intentionally and meanspiritedly decided to build the Dome of the Rock right on top of our site. Even today, we are not in their history books, and they want to eliminate us from history, from the world for that matter.

We are still here, and Mel Brooks wrote “The History of the World,” both Part One and Part Two! And why? Because we laugh. We are still free. We all know the horrific travesty of one descended from us, a self-loathing Jew, who tried to kill us all because he was rejected as an artist. Yes, I am speaking of Hitler. Yes, the Holocaust really was his tragic idea of trying to deny where he came from. Out of eleven million people whom he had tortured and killed, six million were Jewish.

Yet, even in the concentration camps, we held services. We celebrated our holidays as best we could, we kept Shabbat as best we could. Great works were even produced by the very same people who were interred, starved, tortured. Our spirit survived. Some of us survived. All of us were not killed. And we kept producing great works.

The bombs have been dropping on the Land of Israel, to try to kill us ever since we re-claimed our inheritance once again in 1948. Am Yisrael Chai! Know why?

Because “never again” has been our motto! Because we laugh! Because we sing! Because we pray to Adonai and serve Adonai. As a people, as the Nation of Israel. Because despite all the horrible ways people have tried to kill us, we still study. We still teach. We still do all we can to help others. We still love. We still work! We still play! Because we have not been slaves since we were in Egypt.

Those who seek our destruction don’t realize how much the world depends upon our existing. That is an in-depth and extremely profound lesson for another time. Suffice for now to know that we have never lost hope. We do not live in fear. This is not to say we do not fear death. It is to say that while we are still alive, we choose life! Choosing life, means laughing, singing, playing, working, loving, etc. It means, we never just sit and hide and cower and allow ourselves to be enslaved by false gods. We do what we must to protect ourselves, and we keep on contributing to this world, and making a difference in this world.

Am Yisrael Chai! Leadership, which is our yoke, our covenant with Adonai, along with our land, may - as the commercials say - have its privileges, but it is never easy.

As we recount our time as slaves in Egypt, we know: Never Again! We are free, and we intend to remain this way. Despite all of the hate aimed at us, we still love Adonai, each other, and mankind. Chag Sameach! May our enemies finally realize not just the futility of hatred, and not just that it does more to destroy the haters than it could ever do to their targets, but because, well, let’s face it, it is simply stupid! It is! We don’t need you to love us, just treat us with kindness, respect, justice, fairness, and well... We have never stopped treating others this way.

Freedom of Speech

Mon, 5 Mar 2012 16:14:20 -0500

Generally speaking, people tend to choose to act for good and not for evil. Then why are so many people in this world of ours committing unspeakable horrors, you may ask? I know, you think I am naive. Maybe I am.
Here is the source of the problem. Many people commit evil acts in the name of what they think is good. After all, many, many, many, . . . too many wars have been committed supposedly in the “name of G-d”. I know, this is not news. We all know it continues to this day.
Some horrific acts, we will agree, are obviously evil. Even the people committing these acts believe the acts are evil, albeit only when they are committed against themselves. Still, we all know killing is evil, torture is evil, as well as other such atrocities.
We live in a world in which everything changes quickly. This means many people act due to quick decisions. The most important decisions should be carefully considered. Even more importantly, we should take time to think about the real hidden agenda of those who call for action. Any kind of action.
Evil is insidious. This, of course, is nothing new. While we understand this concept, generally speaking, taking the time to realize the most dangerous evil always cloaks itself as good is something we rarely do.
Authors are abundant; however, most people are not authors, therefore I am guessing most people are unaware of the latest forced change in the industry today. You can read about what I am about to tell you in many places, as it concerns PayPal. This is just another manifestation in a long list of ways people use economic restraints to bully others into doing what they want. Let us not forget, PayPal is a conduit for banks and credit card companies. Behind the curtain, Oz is now the banking machine. Its strings are being pulled by religious zealots.
There are so many ways parallels can be drawn between the modern U.S. and Germany, pre-WWII. This is one of them. You see, in the Weimar Republic’s heyday, intellectuals abounded. That is, until the Nazi party gained power and began pushing their evil agenda in seemingly innocuous ways. This is always how it begins.
Right now, PayPal has decided not to do business with any publishers of books with even references to rape, incest, and the like. It is a brilliant plan, actually. You see, how do those protesting against this new policy look? Obviously, they look like degenerates of society. After all, who would defend the right to publish such obviously evil subjects?
Those behind this are well aware that what we feed our brain matters. When our children are so inundated with violent crimes, they are not as shocked, and committing violent acts becomes easier to do. We all know violence abounds in video games, television, news, movies, books, etc.
It is true that if we want a better, more peaceful world, we adults must expose evil for what it is. We are responsible for regulating what our children are exposed to. We must protect our children and our loved ones from violence. We must vigilantly bring an end to the hatred and violence which abounds in this world in multiple forms.
How can we, in good conscience, argue against this without looking like bullies, perverts, or otherwise sinister people? How can I, who writes for Adonai, and who champions peace, write something against this seemingly good and positive new mandate?
How indeed? “Aye, there’s the rub,” quoting a famous and well-celebrated author named Shakespeare. Yet Shakespeare himself, were he still alive, would rage against these so-called do-gooders too. After all, the Bard himself wrote about the more sinister elements of both high and low society. He told it as it was, and still is. People commit unspeakable horrors against even those who they profess to love. For their own good, of course! (I am being sarcastic, in case you are daft!)
Hiding ugly truths has only served to help evil to proliferate further. Ironically, as more and more movements are afoot, shining the light where darkness has prevailed, the powers that be behind this new censorship racket are taking us in the opposite direction of the progress we are making. Society is exposing bullies for what they are. We are doing this through education, not from continuing to hide the truth. These new censors are using money as a means of sublimating atrocities.
Rather than helping victims of violence, and of sexual crimes, these people would rather pretend these sordid acts do not take place. They currently place the blame on the writers who, in any way, shape, or form mention or allude to these acts. They challenge, once again, the freedom of speech, and this time they are cleverly utilizing a seemingly untouchable right. You see, you could write all the sexual violence you wish to write about, you just cannot, under PayPal’s new policy, publish your work through any publisher or distributor who accepts PayPal payments. Any publisher or distributor of anything coming under this new policy, whether the e-book is old or new, even if it is only a small percentage of what the publisher, or distributor, or store makes available to consumers, can no longer accept PayPal as a form of payment.
Is PayPal the only game in town? Of course not. We all know, however, due to its reputation for insuring the security of payments in this day and age of identity theft and hacking, accepting payments through PayPal has its advantages. This is but the latest way so-called do-gooders are hiding their evil book-burning agenda. I personally have grieved the loss of the brilliant works housed in the library of Alexandria (Egypt), which was burned in antiquity. I grieve the loss of the Mayan writings burned by the Spanish Conquistadors. It has made me sad ever since I have been aware of the loss of so many brilliant works throughout the world and throughout history, due to so-called do-gooders, because these people did not recognize or understand the horrors they were committing when they burned scrolls, books, art, music, libraries, etc. These violent acts are being committed today, as we speak, as I write this, throughout the world, especially in the Middle Eastern Arab countries.
This new policy of PayPal’s means no company who sells Shakespeare, or other brilliant authors such as he, can do so and still accept PayPal payments. Do you now understand I am not the one who is naive? May I remind you, bibles of all religions contain such references too. Should these be included in this policy? It is a sweeping policy with no room for exceptions, so I guess this means one will no longer be able to purchase a bible through a vendor who accepts PayPal. Yes, I am serious. Stand up for what is truly good and right, and stop these foxes in sheep’s clothing from their bullying! Stop them from their attempt to hide the truth. Will some perverts, and other criminal elements, benefit from allowing authorship of gratuitous violence if PayPal changes this new tactic? Yes, sadly they will.
The puppeteers behind this latest policy of PayPal’s are counting on our fear of nefarious elements who publish what we all may agree is pure smut, with no redeeming value, to permit this censorship to take place. It is true that in order to protect those who are good, the policies, rules and laws we pass to this end benefit the criminal element too. We know this. As criminal elements in society, evildoers need to be stopped and should be stopped, and our children and our families must be protected. Just not at any cost. The ends do not justify the means. Please, do not be naive. Write, call, march, act in any nonviolent way to let PayPal know this policy will not be tolerated. Not by consumers, not by authors, not by anyone. In the war against evil, the first line of defense is education. If you want to stop authors and publishers of smut, do not buy their works. Do not buy violent movies, videos, games, etc. Just keep in mind, plenty of brilliant works, plenty of good works, contain a reference to some sort of violence. This includes Shakespeare, and all bibles, religious movies, etc. Those who have the most to hide are usually the most radical in their sweeping agendas to curtail our rights.
Since the U.S. is in the midst of the presidential primaries, it is only fitting I remind you, Newt Gingrich, who was sleeping with his intern, and was a married man, is the one who most vociferously and vigilantly wasted millions of tax dollars promoting exposure and legal wrangling about Clinton’s dalliance with Monica Lewinsky. Oh my, under this new policy of PayPal’s, we can no longer purchase books having anything to do with this, including ones about the trial and impeachment proceedings. If you did not understand just how important it is to protect our freedom of speech before, I hope now you understand!

Think, and Learn, and Think, then Act Accordingly!

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 20:34:35 -0500

Think, and Learn, and Think, then Act Accordingly!
What Is It You Are So Afraid Of?

Question for those who are killing others who want to live democratically. What is it you are so afraid of? When it comes right down to it, the truth is, you are afraid of being wrong. This is why you feel the need to eliminate anyone with an alternative view. Here’s a news flash. If you have to kill others in order to prove you are right, you have completely missed the point. Since eliminating all others who think, pray, and/or believe, differently than you is actually impossible, and history proves this, then what you actually prove is just how wrong you are.

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Moses. I have a message from Adonai.
No time today, sorry.
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Adonai.
Hey, I believe in you. I pray to you. However, up close and personal? Not ready. If I know you personally, I can no longer say I am doing things in your name. Could you send back Moses? At least then, because he is a man, I can decide to believe him, or not.

How many people are just like this? It is so much easier to say one is acting in the name of G-d, (or what ever name one chooses to use) to try to justify one’s actions. This way, without direct confirmation, it is easy to pretend to know what Adonai wants.
We do have the Torah, which tells us what Adonai wants from us. As Rabbi Akiba said so very long ago while standing on one foot, “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. The rest is commentary. Now, go and study!” Yes, it really is this simple.
The Torah gives us laws for how to treat one another fairly, kindly, and justly. We humans, after all, need details in order to explain exactly how to accomplish this. We have them.
Moses led us out of slavery towards freedom, and we have never stopped talking about this. Not just Jewish people, but all people talk about this to this day. We must remember oppression of any kind is wrong. The Jewish people have a long history of fighting oppression wherever it is found, right up to this day. We do this for others as well as ourselves. Teaching people to value human life is part of our charge. Another, of course, is there is only one G-d, there is none else, Adonai is the G-d of everyone and every thing, and not to worship false gods.
Sadly, here we are somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,500 years later, and we are still needing to teach this. Why? This question has a multitude of answers and I am asking it with all of my heart, and full of sorrow. The easy answer is people generally worship the false gods of money and power. People mistakenly think they actually have some control over others, or even over the way things turn out.
We are told repeatedly in the Torah to separate good from evil. We seek the garden of Eden. Some look forward to the Messianic age; the time of redemption when evil will no longer exist. It is up to us all to achieve this goal. But some miss the point. We can live in a wonderful world of love, kindness, respect, justice, etc. Only we each must actually be this model if the world is to become it.
How is it logically possible to achieve this through violence and oppression? What makes absolutely no sense at all to me is why people would fight and kill those who want their rights, and their freedom, and by the way, by extension this means yours too? Not freedom to perpetuate evil mind you, but freedom from oppression, freedom to act fairly, justly, and kindly.
In case you have been living in a cave, you are well aware the violence, nurtured by hatred, fear, and a longing for control is at a horrifically high level now. Some of this is due to the world’s economic problems, which is also directly due to oppression and desire to control, but I am speaking right now about the violence being used to gain control of countries.
The spin, of course, is that these radicals are doing so in the name of G-d, who they call, Allah. Are you kidding me?!!! The truth is the leaders want money, power, and control. They are using the excuse of perpetuating violence in the name of Allah in order to gain help for their selfish and evil plans. To those who are aiding them, do you think your lives will be better if they gain control of their respective countries?
The truth is, they will keep you oppressed, and poor. Why poor? Simple. It is easy to fight for something when you have nothing to lose. After all, if the people who actually want freedom and rights for all win, it would mean you would still be free to worship as you wish. You see, either way you sort of win. The difference is, if the people who want freedom and rights for all win, then democracy wins. If democracy wins, you will have the opportunity to earn more money. If democracy loses, you will remain poor. (This is why I wrote “sort of”). Of this, there can be no doubt. You see, if the radicals win, the only way to keep everyone in line is to keep them dependent on what the government gives them. In order to keep people dependent, they need to be poor.
To achieve the goals of the radical leaders’, they use the “G-d card”. It is quite effective. Get people to believe they are acting the way Adonai wants, and that their violence is righteous, and as history has proven time and again, these would-be leaders gain followers willing to do anything for the ones in charge. The ones in charge always are the only ones with money. They keep their followers dependent on them for their survival while preaching this is what G-d wants. Of course these would-be leaders promise the sun, moon and stars, in order to “sweeten the deal”. Yet history proves that if these would-be leaders actually gain control, their subjects are worse off then they were before.
I will guarantee you this too; those in the highest ranks supporting these radicals are well compensated with money, food, and other things. Maybe with some promise too of some reward in the after-life, but without even personally knowing these people I guarantee you I am correct. Do the leaders themselves become suicide bombers? Of course not. Neither do they send their own children. I am also sure they are not personally guaranteeing the rank and file any sort of plan for a better future. No, they tell their followers, G-d, or Allah, will provide.
I’ve got more news. G-d gave us wheat, not bread itself. We have to take the wheat and process it, cook it, etc., in order to have bread. We are co-creators and as such, it is up to us to do our own part. And we are not supposed to oppress others either. The Torah even tells us not to be cruel to animals.
The fact that in Egypt for example, the radicals want to destroy pieces of history, world history, speaks volumes about these would -be leaders. Among other things, it tells us they want control so badly, they are afraid of any reminders of any other thinking or belief system. They want their followers to forget there was ever any other way of life.
I saw a picture in a news article yesterday where in Syria, some people who wanted democracy were being wrapped in American flags before being killed. While America is far from perfect, at least we are all free to worship as we choose as long as that does not mean doing so in a violent manner. Again, democracy means freedom to worship as one chooses, therefore, tell me why you radicals are so against destroying others, oppressing and killing others in order to worship G-d the way you want to?
I will tell you something else too, and again, history proves this to be true. You cannot control what anyone thinks, nor what anyone feels. In places where only one religion was allowed to be followed, and according to only one set of dogma, other religions were not eliminated. People who did not think the same way, nor worship the same way, went underground, so to speak. They still worshipped as they chose, just in secret.
In ancient Rome, they fed the Jewish people and the Christian people to the lions. Horrific, absolutely. Fear inducing, you bet. Yet the Jewish people and the Christian people are still here. Know who isn’t? Those with the prevailing religious beliefs of that time. Another words, those who thought they could instill their belief system on others through the means of violence. Interesting, yes?
If you do not like your food, do not eat it. If you do not like your clothing, get different clothing. If you do not like your home, friends, job, spouse, religion, then make changes in your own life. Here’s another example. I personally do not like pornography. I do not watch it, nor do I participate in it in any way, shape, or form. Do I think it should be outlawed, or worse, those who produce it, or watch it should be killed? Absolutely not. I believe people have the right to decide for themselves, as long as they are not exploiting or oppressing others in order to produce or watch it. I am also staunchly Jewish, through and through, yet I still believe others have the right not to be. Guess what else. That not everyone, not even most people in the world, or even my community where I live are not Jewish, does not scare me, nor does it even make me question my beliefs.
If you truly want people to believe a certain way, the most you can do is to teach them, and live accordingly. You can never force others to believe anything. Oh, you can try, but again I say, you will fail. I will even go so far as to say that I do not think everyone who is a part of this violence and radical use of force going on in the world right now wholly believes violence is the answer. I would wager to say that those who have their doubts participate in this movement out of fear. Yet, fear does not change what one believes. It cannot. It can affect what one does, but not what one believes.
Ultimately, as always, Adonai will have the final say. One did not have to be present at Mount Sinai to have proof Adonai exists. The proof is everywhere. You can ignore it, or pretend your way to connect with Adonai is the only right way. It does not change the fact Adonai has the final say. Were there mass killings of peoples in the Torah? We all know there were. However, we are told it was due to the insidiousness of evil which prevailed in those societies. Everyone who was not a member of the Jewish people, (or Israelites as we were called in those times), was not killed. In fact, a mixed multitude went with us as we left the oppression of Egypt.
The Torah tells us to treat everyone kindly, fairly, respectfully, and justly, but to also vigilantly eliminate evil in our midst. This was not exclusive of ourselves either. We were told we had to eliminate anyone who was evil, including family members. We were told we had the responsibility to protect those who are oppressed, help those who cannot help themselves, and to take care the basic needs of others are seen to. We are told not to place a stumbling block before the blind. This gets expanded upon when we are told not to place someone in the position of feeling the need to act illegally or violently just to take care of their basic needs, and the needs of their own family. We are told everyone deserves respect; everyone, and this includes women and children. Above all, we are told time and time again, there is only one G-d, the G-d of everyone, and everything. We were told to pass our beliefs along to our generations through knowledge of Torah. Teaching others through our words and deeds, not through force.
If one truly believes in G-d, by whatever name one chooses, then one would spend their time, and energy being good towards others, including animals, and all which is upon the earth. Not by exerting energy and spending time and money on all manners of destruction. If one wants a world of peace, one must build schools, places of worship, hospitals, playgrounds, homes, etc. We must teach our children responsibility, kindness, justice, love, respect, history, and about Adonai. Not about hate, fear, and violence.
Perhaps the biggest question I have is one I am far from alone in asking. If there is only one correct way to worship Adonai, and if your way is the only right way, why would you need to kill others to prove it? Rhetorical question. You wouldn’t. For as long as more than one person inhabits the earth, there will be differences of opinions on many things. Why should this be a scary thing?
It is one thing to feel sad when one sees another dressed in a way you would not. It is quite another to kill that person because they dress in a way you would not. Every religion I am aware of teaches some version of the “golden rule”- treat others as you would like to be treated. Not, treat others who believe as you believe, dress as you dress, act as you act, or belong to your religion, and I’ll break it down even further to not only those who are of your religion, but who also practice your religion in the way you practice it. Simply, treat others, all others, as you would want to be treated. We are our brother’s keeper. We are all brothers, or siblings if the term offends you, or worse, if you think it means men only.
It is one thing to say one believes in Adonai, and loves Adonai, it is quite anther to actually act this way. G-d created man in His image, man and women We created them. Man and woman. Not Islamic man, Jewish man, Christian man, or any other description. No caveats, or delineations. Merely man and woman. So simple, but then again, the truth usually is.
There are some mistakes we make which we can try to rectify. We think, act, and speak according to our own world-view. Our own beliefs arouse more passion than anything else can. Wars in the name of “G-d”, are certainly nothing new.
Finding out everything you fought for was a lie, that your leaders are not the pious ones they pretend to be, and you killed people or in any way promoted their demise for a bunch of lies will be absolutely devastating. What happens when you find out all of the promises your leaders who you fought to put into power were lies. When you find out the only ones who will benefit, (should you win the battle for ruling your country by strictly enforced Islamic extremism), will be those in actual power. When you find out your life is no better off, and most likely, worse than before; when you find out you have been played for a fool, what then?
I hope and pray you think about all I have written before you lift another finger in violence. You know what? Read your own Koran. Don’t sit back and allow others to tell you what it says, read it for yourself. Ask yourself what you hope to accomplish, what you hope to gain. Study history, and learn there is a reason history repeats itself.

Book Review for “Anything”

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:41:29 -0400

Book Review by Laura Weakley:
For: Anything, by Michael Baron

Most - if not all - people wonder what life would be like if we could go back in time and change something. If only we had the chance to do this for ourselves. When we love someone, we may wish we could fix something about this person’s past for them. If we did so, what in our lives, lived through a new timeline, would be different?

“Anything” is a well thought-out exploration of this theme. The romance is the kind most women, perhaps men too, dream about. While romantic novels are usually considered to be for women, this one is unique. Both men and women of all ages (pre-teen and up) would love this book.

Not only is it idealistically uplifting, but at the same time, “Anything” manages to realistically explore the deep questions of what would be different, and just how many other lives would be affected if just one thing in the past was changed. While many may be familiar with the “butterfly effect” theory, this story helps us to relate to this theory utilizing peoples’ lives, rather than that of a butterfly.

Everything which happens to us, or around us, affects our lives. While we know this on some level, do we actually realize just how true it is? This book is not easy to put down. For you men out there, despite the romance that many of you don’t like to read, the intriguing twists and turns this story explores will keep you enthralled too! It makes one think about just how far we may be willing to go for someone we love, and also just how much what may seem, at the time, to be only a very quick and small part of our lives, actually affects the decisions we make thereafter.

Just how many decisions have we made not necessarily consciously connecting them with an incident from our past. How many other lives do we actually affect through the experiences of our own lives? Especially when our particular experience was unique to us alone? Everything and everyone is connected; therefore, every action we take on our own, and every situation we find ourselves in, doesn’t in reality affect only us alone. Even if no one else knows about a decision we made, an experience we had, our deepest dreams, desires, or any other part of our lives, those around us are still affected by all of these things.

I enjoyed reading “Anything”, as a well thought-out exploration of this idea. Michael Baron is a good and thoughtful author, and this book will most likely be made into a movie. At least this is my opinion.

Obama, Obama, Obama

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:09:03 -0400

This is my response to the article to the right which was posted on Beliefnet.com

Just when I think nothing will surprise me anymore.... Everyone who works in, or attends a religious institution, should expect all of its employees to adhere to its tenets. Just like everywhere else in the secular world, if you don't like something about your workplace, then leave, or don't apply there at all. The only true reason those people first mentioned applied for jobs with those faith-based institutions was in order to win some money from a lawsuit against them. Had individuals like those actually been hired, they would find another reason to sue, since clearly, "easy" money was their objective.

Now, having said this, clearly we should not take away all remedies to unfair ethical and moral obligations. I write this in answer to the supposed reason the President took the stance he did. However, any and all resolutions and remedies for protests should be sought within the religious institution itself, or if someone feels the need to go outside to get help, I believe there are ruling bodies within most religions to which individual places of worship belong.

The teacher missed a lot of school days, and any business would fire her. In fact, there are normally policies for this type of situation. When one seeks a job in a religious institution, one is automatically a representative of the tenets and beliefs the institution holds. The community would naturally assume any employee of said institution as holding the same beliefs as the institution itself. Employees there absolutely should be held to higher standards, as this is and should be naturally expected by all who attend or work there. Teachers by nature are role models, and whether or not this specific teacher had a medical reason for her lack of attendance, and I assume, no call to the school to find a substitute, she made a commitment to not only the school, and the religious institution, but also to those children whom she taught.

What I find astounding is that any of these lawsuits were filed, much less accepted by the lower courts as being worthy of being heard. It is unbelievably disrespectful of the selfish and obnoxious people who do so. Not to mention the fact that religious institutions are considered second homes to most people, and all who are either members or employees there - in whatever capacity - think of those associated with it as extended family members. Quite frankly, who would want to continue a relationship, or even begin one, with someone who is basically a bully? Rhetorical question.

The fact that the President of the United States sent down instructions on arguing to any court, as was done, clearly demonstrates his own lack of respect for the JUDICIAL branch of the government, his own and other religious institutions, and - also albeit a little more subtilely - a desire to eliminate them all together. I wasn’t aware we elected him KING. I won't even go into the fact that our country has a very, very, basic and fundamental principle of the necessity for the separation of church and state. Inherent within this is the need to extend respect for all religions. The only time an exception to this should occur would be if the institution teaches, demonstrates, and promotes truly illegal activities, such as torture, murder, and any and all other forms of violence. Neither of the cases mentioned fall under that aegis, nor even come close. Discrimination in hiring employees who don't believe in nor choose to act in accordance with the beliefs of a religious institution, should be expected, and respected; otherwise, the institution is not able to act in the beliefs which are fundamental to it. I would also like to point out that the children who attend should be treated with respect, and be a priority for the teachers and leaders there. Narcolepsy, for those who don't know, is a disease where someone falls asleep quickly anywhere, anytime. It is a very dangerous disease for a multitude of reasons, but what is pertinent here is not only the position this teacher continually placed the school in, and the total disregard of the needs of her students, but how effective can a teacher with narcolepsy actually be? If she was a truly good and caring person, and teacher, she would and should want what is best for the children. I for one would do all I could to see this woman never teaches anywhere, as her blatant disregard for her profession, students, responsibilities, and her religion makes her quite an awful role model for the reasons I have mentioned, and many, many more.

Thank G-d the court ruled against these people and against the President's wishes. At least I know there are still people out there who care about doing what is right, not to mention who see bullies for what they are. As we all know, our court system has failed miserably in this area far too many times. As for our President, after so many obviously seedy, immoral, unethical, and just plain stupid actions, do you really want to vote him back in for another four years? Let us not forget either, he has not been forthcoming, nor honest, about his own religious beliefs, and his actions speak loudly and clearly.

One last thing: we are all responsible for and to each other, and it is appalling anyone would actually take the cases of the aforementioned people to bring to court in the first place. Those who took those and other frivolous, self-serving, and bullying type lawsuits shouldn't be allowed to practice law in the first place. It is our responsibility as members of the family of human beings, to stop evil in its tracks wherever it is found. This is not a religious judgment-type of evil I am speaking of, but of the bullying, thieving, and violent nature we can all agree is evil, legally, ethically, and morally.

These people were clearly looking for an "easy" way to make a buck, as were those who helped them, so don't for one second think this was about truly unfair practices by religious institutions.
I’d love to know what you think!