I suppose it difficult for a Zionist to address the lack of understanding of Islam and certainly a lack of understanding of Islam by the western power structure that assisted in the creation of Israel. I believe now more than ever the subject is very heated and perhaps the most dynamic it has ever been.

The politicians are not effectual, it is on the street and engrained in the minds of so many. I get unnerved by a western politician approaching what is believed to be the gates of heaven and making a request of God. I have no trouble with an individual doing it, the problem is with the cameras and publicity of it.

What we do not know is if Obama felt compelled to, why would he, he is Christian, its not a Christian ritual belief. Did he know this? Did he know of the practice and felt compelled or was he told this would be a good photo op? Something to get some Jewish votes. That gets into hedging ones bets, it not his beliefs but what the heck it can not hurt in respects to getting into the gates of heaven? So wrong, so vane. But then again perhaps he was sincere, a sincere Christian that sincerely believes in a Jewish belief.

I attended a wedding once a catholic ceremony, then when the Eucharist was offered this person went to receive it and I stopped her, said no, she scoffed and went on to receive it. The ignorance is amazing sometimes, I did not receive the Eucharist, I can’t, outside of it not able to. The attitude was so offensive, the reckless disregard.

You are either all in or all out, I say, you can’t pick and choose and play the part when the mood strikes you or when its convenient or you believe the act serves you well.

It is so good to study the variety of faiths in detail, what is not is haphazard participation in rituals that are not inherently your own. It is a form of dissention, if that’s your goal go right ahead, but please do not call it acceptance or even respect, its not whether you realize it or not.

# 11 Muffet on July 25th, 2008 6:51 pm

You know, it’s just before Shabbat right now. I was talking with my husband, and I had a revelation. The student stole the note from G-d.

# 12 Jill Miller Zimon on July 25th, 2008 6:54 pm

Oy – Muffet – I can definitely see that, yes.

The concept of a prayer “stolen” from god is truly a victimless crime. I mean really now, even within the logically-challenged context of religious claims, let’s back up and be sensible. Stop and consider the theological implications of this claim.

When does any Wailing Wall prayer become the “property” of god? When it is inserted into the wall? When written? When first conceived with prayerful intent? Is it possible to “steal” an already-offered prayer? Presumably, once offered the prayer would have somehow found its way to its “all-powerful” audience. It makes no sense to claim that it was somehow “stolen” from a deity; such a contention implies that the rightful owner of a given property no longer owns said property. Is the efficacy of prayer considered to be dependent upon the medium and its undisturbed physical placement? How pagan, petty and small.

Think of the practicalities: it seems that given the number of people who visit the wall annually, there almost has to be some means of periodically removing the accumulated paper. If not, eventually there would be no more cracks between the stones to wedge one’s contribution into — it would become nothing but a mass of paper.

What happens to these prayers which exceed their “shelf life?” Are they merely left in place to disintegrate by the action of the elements? If so, what happens to the debris that would naturally collect around the wall? Is it swept up like trash and tossed in the nearest can? Are prayers periodically collected from the wall (manually) and disposed of more delicately, in order to free the wall’s crevices for continued use?

Not to say that (regardless of my opinion of the religious aspects) it wasn’t astonishingly presumptuous and rude to publish what was justifiably expected to be a private matter, of course. The thing is that this isn’t about religion per se. I think this is reprehensible more because it’s a violation of Obama’s dwindling scope of personal privacy, rather than some kind of religious sacrilege. Running for the White House, he can realistically have very little expectation of privacy. His personal prayers would have represented one of the few remaining instances where such an expectation would be reasonable. Now even that expectation has been extinguished, snuffed out by the messianic cult of personality which surrounds the man.

I did not read the prayer, I would not I am still clean.

I cannot convince myself that any prior president of the US or even presidential candidate historically has placed a prayer into the western wall, I doubt in sincerity that their has been many presidents that have even visited Jerusalem, the naiveté’ on that exists, then to wear a Yamika that could also very well be a first. In the big picture of all faiths it is for a measurable percentage of the population controversial. Furthermore that percentage is falling fast, less and less know less and less about their own faiths.

Could Obama travel to Mecca and touch the sacred stone?

I personally see it all as blasphemous, selfish vanity and ignorance.

I cannot respect any of it because the truly devote are inherently at odds, the remainder are in fact infidels are they not, if Obama is Christian then did he ask to visit Bethlehem? Oh no then that would be disrespectful and bring about the controversy of the other wall.

A Jew doing the stations of cross, a Christian wearing a Yamika and placing notes in the Wailing wall…its like Madonna wearing rosary beads like jewelry.

This is or was written to assist those that have some trouble understanding the dichotomy of these three faiths, the diversions of monotheism and that of orthodoxy and it dissention which would be its antithesis.

So what was the issue with the seminary student, that was dissention and for greed, self serving and vane, and to me so was Obama’s theatrics.

That is why the Rabbi said “Obama Jerusalem is not for sale” an Orthodox

Ditto Oengus – I vehemently disagree with your take on this – it’s a horrible precedent to suggest.

How about wiring up everyone in confession and releasing that?

Seriously.

Pfft.

Obama, Jerusalem is not for sale…but your prayer is.