From: shimoff@umbc4.umbc.edu (Eliot Shimoff)
Subject: Ending O-C-R Wars
Organization: University of Maryland Baltimore Campus
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 18:11:43 GMT

O-C-R flamefests intermittently break out on scj; invariably, they
include some intemperate comments,  offend several people, and
end either by petering out or by with someone leaving in a huff.

What events typically initiate O-C-R wars?  My own recollection
suggests two kinds of precipitating events:

    1. Serious questions that inflame the passions.  Often these
       questions are posed sincerely and reflect someone's real
       search for information.  "How can advocates of Reform adopt
       patrilineal descent and expect it to be accepted by the
       Orthodox or Conservative communities?"  "How can otherwise
       informed human beings accept Orthodoxy's  attitudes towards
       women?"

       Such questions appear  on scj because, for many (most?)
       scj readers, the net seems to be the easiest place to get
       an answer.   In most cases, we should not be offended simply
       because the question is posed.

    2. Some flame-fests are initiated by inadvertent mis-statements.
       If I recall correctly, one recent battle began with a question
       about the Jewish position on abortion, and someone quoted a
       prominent Reform rabbi (Rabbi Brickner?) to the effect that
       "Halakha does not prohibit abortion."  Rabbi Brickner's statement
       did not adequately represent the Orthodox perspective, and the
       battle began.

       Couldn't this whole thread been shortened if Rabbi Brickner's
       statement had been qualified by the term "Reform?"  (On those
       relatively rare occasions on which I refer to halakha, I always
       try to add the adjective "Orthodox.")


What maintains the O-C-R battles?  Many of us passionately believe in
the brand of Judaism we practice -- and we necessarily (I think) thus
disagree with others.  I practice (to the best of my ability) Orthodoxy
(no adjective); implicit in this is the assumption that there are some
inadequacies in the practice of Reform, Conservative, or Reconstructionist
Judaism.  Daniel Faigin (just an example, but an able and articulate
proponent of Reform Judaism) practices Reform Judaism; I assume that he
sees some inadequacies in Orthodoxy.

Are O-C-R battles ever productive?  I suggest (with great temerity) YES!
I have learned a great deal from Daniel Faigin's postings about the
CCAR's position on various issues.  I found last year's swordfish
controversy informative.

Are anyone's beliefs ever changed by O-C-R threads?  Probably not.
I don't think that Sam, or Hillel, or Herman, or Stan, or Daniel,
or Nora, or any of the other posters are likely to "switch," at least
not because of scj.  But _some_ readers might be tempted to start
thinking about their own practices.

I, for one, don't expect to be _inspired_ by scj, but I would
like to be _informed_.

Is there anything we can do to keep scj informative rather than
embarrassing?  (If your suggestion is to keep Orthodox posters off,
or to eliminate the "Reformers [joke, Daniel, _joke_ :-)] then
you've missed the point.)



-- 
Eliot Shimoff                  |    n   n   n
   shimoff@umbc3.umbc.edu      |   X + Y = Z .  Easy to prove no solutions
Ashamnu, bagadnu, gazalnu ...  |   for n greater than 2.  Darn.  Can't fit
Better luck next year!         |   it into this little .sig file.  Oh well.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish