Maybe I'm paranoid?

[mamadeb]

Was there a reason that the sign-ups for Yuletide were announced on a Jewish holiday?

Seriously - it was hree days ago. If someone on my flist hadn't said something this morning, I'd never have known. Add to that the fact that nominations were done during the week of Yom Kippur and Sukkot, so I had NO time to do it.

A girl could get a complex.

Comments

[merryish]

If I could think of a *reason* -- which is what she asked for, a *reason* -- for the yuletide admins to deliberately arrange for signups to open on a Jewish holiday, that did not involve purposely excluding observant Jews? Maybe then I could say, okay, fair enough, a misunderstanding. As it stands, it's a blatant suggestion that the date was deliberately chosen because it's a Jewish holiday. And there's only one reason I can think of that anyone would do something like that

[ladycat777]

Hi, nonymouse! I explain why I think that -- and nobody has to agree, as I'm not trying to make Merry defend herself, just explain why I was so uncomfortable with her comments (the way I wasn't with (almost) anybody else's response) -- you can check out my journal.

And I don't think she's antisemitic. I think some of her rhetoric got pretty close, that's all.

[maraceles]

Unfortunately, you've hit upon one of the differences between the two religions, and why I hesitated about using that as an example -- most Christian holidays do not have a prohibition about doing anything 'work' related, or a fairly strict idea about what ‘resting’ should consist of.

Oh, lovely. People are supposed to research your observances of the different holidays, but obviously you can't be arsed to do the same for everyone else.

I'm Christian, and my denomination would probably take up less then the Jewish 2% of the population, so I can't claim majority rule, either. On holidays, my church doesn't use the computer, watch TV, read non-religious books; I'd be surprised if your restrictions overcome ours. People in my church couldn't sign up for 2 of the 14 sign-up days, but I'm not crying persecution over here.

So your assertion that there are family and friends to deal with, and Mass to attend, it doesn't have quite the same kind of ... weightiness? I guess? that the High Holy days have for Jews.Your arrogance astounds

[mamadeb]

ladycat777 used the word "most", so she's not ignoring your existence, although I can understand how it can feel that way.

And you're still missing the point. It's not the length of time given for the sign-ups - if it hadn't been the holiday season, I still would have had Shabbat. And I wouldn't have cared, anymore than members of your church would have cared. I was bothered because a major announcement was made far enough back that I wouldn't have found out except that it was mentioned on my flist, and since there was almost no warning beforehand, I wouldn't have thought to check.

[maraceles]

...I only found out today, because of my f-list. What makes you any different?

My personal obligations, which get in the way of someone else's LJ announcement, aren't an excuse to go implying that other people are oppressing me. I'm just surprised that you think you warrant special consideration for your personal obligations.

Man, they provided a comm so that these sort of things wouldn't happen, so that no one would miss an announcement. Like me, if you didn't utilize it, that's your problem.

If you're just upset that you missed it, that's one thing. But you are basically accusing others of excluding you on the basis of religion, and now that there is understandable backlash, instead of apologizing, you're voicing your sense of entitlement.

[mamadeb]

But I *didn't*. Or I didn't intend to do so.

And I am sorry. After being under attack for *whining* for three days, to have someone who was defending me be attacked in turn was more than I could handle.

You had legitimate arguments.

[maraceles]

used the word "most", so she's not ignoring your existence, although I can understand how it can feel that way.

Oh, so does that apply to you, as well? As in, the Yuletide mods made the announcement available to "most" people, so you shouldn't feel like you were being ignored or excluded, even though it might feel that way?

That "most" people are Christian, so that you, a Jew, shouldn't feel excluded by that blanket statement, just like I shouldn't be offended by my denomination being excluded from "most" Christians?

How interesting. /sarcasm

Does this logic only work for you when you're excluding other people? Is this really going to be your reasoning, that my religion wasn't being ignored by that missed announcement, but yours was?

That's a pretty weak argument.

[ladycat777]

You're right -- I did. That wasn't my intent, but that's sure as hell what came out, and I'm sorry for it.

[maraceles]

Eh. I guess everyone's just fired up about this whole thing. I've had foot-in-mouth disease many times, myself. *headdesk*

[ladycat777]

I think the internet is fertile breeding ground :)

But truly -- I am sorry. That was magnificently bad phrasing on my part, and I'm still not sure how I got to talking about the merits of the holidays, which was not my intent, ever.

Most of what I know about Christmas comes from Hollywood. I'm pretty sure that's an unreliable source.

[maraceles]

Seventh-Day Adventist.

We keep Sabbath (on Saturday), we have restrictions on food and drink (no unclean meat, no drinking EVER)--actually, hard-core SDAs won't eat meat at all and will not consume caffeine, let alone alcohol. We have modesty restrictions--no jewelery, no skin showing (too much).

On Sabbaths, everything is turned off. No work--and people in my church can get pretty legalistic about what this "work" entails.

We have random days of fasting and prayer. Most of us have prayer meetings during the week. Actually, many hard-core SDAs won't EVER use computers, TV, ect for any purpose other than researching religious beliefs. (I regularly had my sci-fi/fantasy books thrown out as a child. I had Sweet Valley Twins thrown out for being too secular. I had to hide them in my mattress

[mimi_sardinia]

Now I feel glad the worst I had was a couple of novels I read when I was 11-12 were confiscated by my teacher (he kept them in his desk and I eventually liberated both of them - and other confiscated items - from it's draws).

I know there's debate over whether to observe Christmas but I'd never heard of Adventists who observe only Jewish holidays. Maybe that's because I'm Australian though.

Oh and don't forget, if you're an Aussie Adventist, you must be raised on copious Sanitarium food.

[maraceles]

Ick, ick, ick!!!

What I love? We don't eat meat because of "health" requirements, but they'll load food down with cheese and more cheese. Not to mention salt.

University cafeterias were HELL.

The observing Jewish holidays might be new? I really don't know, I only saw it in others when I went to Andrews University. They wore the head-thingies and shawls and I'm just as confused about it now as I was then. But a lot of people were doing it.

[mimi_sardinia]

Well it depends on how health conscious the given person is. Too much salt may be bad but absolutely none tastes terrible.

Cheese is a different kettle of pirahnas for me - mid-90s Mum heard cheese caused higher ear wax production so she cut it right out of her diet (and as a result, the diet of the household). She not only reduced her earwax problem but also cut back the headache she got - cut back mine too.

Personally I do eat meat, but it's a personal choice.

[maraceles]

In the US? We had Little Debbie and Loma Linda foods.

Talk about unhealthy. *headdesk*