<sigh> It's just frustrating. When I am trying to convey this message, one of the following occur:
1. I am called an anti-Zionist. Despite my sandals, and some times jeans, I guess they focus on my black cap and pants, and white shirt. 🤷🏻♂️
2. It's like I'm talking to a wall, like they have never heard of what I am talking about.
3. I am "one of those" extremists.
4. I need to leave such discussions to the "rabbis." It's above both our knowledge and spiritual levels.
5. I am a Bibist (pro-Bibi), no matter what.
6. I am anti-Bibi, no matter if he does something good.
When I mention halakhah, and sources, and ask for them to refute my opinion with sources, and throw something at me completely irrelevant, then I am accused of "picking and choosing" or "playing halakhic games." 🙄
Brainwashing is brainwashing.
Note: I do not put all "Religious Zionists" into this category, just most of them.
I've come to the conclusion that many of these people don't actually believe in much of anything at all (including God, in meaningful, practical ways that conflict with all-out "hishtadlus"). Because they don't believe in much of anything, they pull rejoinders out of a hat to deflect all substantive arguments against them.
They get a kick out of using cheap debate tactics to score points and degrade those who disagree with them, but they are not intellectually honest and have no interest in learning, growing, or drawing closer to objective Torah truth. I don't think many of them even believe in objective Torah truth anymore. Their minds have been poisoned by Amalek.
If citing a Torah source is convenient, they will do so with great authority, and pretend that is the basis of their core belief. If someone cites a Torah source against them, they will casually dismiss or explain it away, stripping it of authority.
If a rabbi makes a statement that aligns with their position, they will quote the rabbi with pretend reverence. If the same rabbi makes a statement that doesn't align with them, they will ignore it or heap scorn on him.
If they have a study that supports them, they will cite the study with great authority, but your studies don't count for anything.
If someone makes a really strong argument that they cannot contend with, they will attack him personally, dismiss him for his background (whatever it may be), cherry-pick a line to attack, complain about his "tone", set up a straw man, or, if all else fails, dismiss everything with a snarky remark.
Since they have no objective standard of truth, there is no way you can make inroads with them. They believe the IDF is the holy of holies because they believe the IDF is the holy of holies, and nothing will ever change that. They must learn the hard way or not at all. As I've often noted, 80% of Jews died in the plague of darkness, with no memorial, and the Jewish nation marched forward without them.
I wonder if they will ever see that Ya’aqov Avinu did his best to do what HaShem wanted. His brother Esau did whatever he wanted according to how he felt.
Feelings, including loyalty to hashqafah have nothing or next to nothing to do with the determination of halakhah.
Being guided by feelings is a Western invention.
The Jews who rejected the authority of the Oral Law, and who began the path toward creating Christianity, I believe, were guided by their feelings.
We see this in how they, and the Kairites, and the Reform, and others, understand the Torah.
Many groups of Jews are guilty of this. I believe to be a fundamental error which needs to be corrected, or else we’re in big trouble.
Regarding your last point, I really hope this hashtag I created takes off.
<sigh> It's just frustrating. When I am trying to convey this message, one of the following occur:
1. I am called an anti-Zionist. Despite my sandals, and some times jeans, I guess they focus on my black cap and pants, and white shirt. 🤷🏻♂️
2. It's like I'm talking to a wall, like they have never heard of what I am talking about.
3. I am "one of those" extremists.
4. I need to leave such discussions to the "rabbis." It's above both our knowledge and spiritual levels.
5. I am a Bibist (pro-Bibi), no matter what.
6. I am anti-Bibi, no matter if he does something good.
When I mention halakhah, and sources, and ask for them to refute my opinion with sources, and throw something at me completely irrelevant, then I am accused of "picking and choosing" or "playing halakhic games." 🙄
Brainwashing is brainwashing.
Note: I do not put all "Religious Zionists" into this category, just most of them.
I've come to the conclusion that many of these people don't actually believe in much of anything at all (including God, in meaningful, practical ways that conflict with all-out "hishtadlus"). Because they don't believe in much of anything, they pull rejoinders out of a hat to deflect all substantive arguments against them.
They get a kick out of using cheap debate tactics to score points and degrade those who disagree with them, but they are not intellectually honest and have no interest in learning, growing, or drawing closer to objective Torah truth. I don't think many of them even believe in objective Torah truth anymore. Their minds have been poisoned by Amalek.
If citing a Torah source is convenient, they will do so with great authority, and pretend that is the basis of their core belief. If someone cites a Torah source against them, they will casually dismiss or explain it away, stripping it of authority.
If a rabbi makes a statement that aligns with their position, they will quote the rabbi with pretend reverence. If the same rabbi makes a statement that doesn't align with them, they will ignore it or heap scorn on him.
If they have a study that supports them, they will cite the study with great authority, but your studies don't count for anything.
If someone makes a really strong argument that they cannot contend with, they will attack him personally, dismiss him for his background (whatever it may be), cherry-pick a line to attack, complain about his "tone", set up a straw man, or, if all else fails, dismiss everything with a snarky remark.
Since they have no objective standard of truth, there is no way you can make inroads with them. They believe the IDF is the holy of holies because they believe the IDF is the holy of holies, and nothing will ever change that. They must learn the hard way or not at all. As I've often noted, 80% of Jews died in the plague of darkness, with no memorial, and the Jewish nation marched forward without them.
I wonder if they will ever see that Ya’aqov Avinu did his best to do what HaShem wanted. His brother Esau did whatever he wanted according to how he felt.
Feelings, including loyalty to hashqafah have nothing or next to nothing to do with the determination of halakhah.
Being guided by feelings is a Western invention.
The Jews who rejected the authority of the Oral Law, and who began the path toward creating Christianity, I believe, were guided by their feelings.
We see this in how they, and the Kairites, and the Reform, and others, understand the Torah.
Many groups of Jews are guilty of this. I believe to be a fundamental error which needs to be corrected, or else we’re in big trouble.
Regarding your last point, I really hope this hashtag I created takes off.
#Torahisnotacompetativesport
I am not optimistic