Rabbi: Gays Responsible For Bird Flu

[Isaac]

I found this on my Madonna message board & had to share:

March 21, 2006 - 1:00 pm ET

(Jerusalem) A prominent Kabbalah leader says that gays have brought a plague of bird flu on Israel.

Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism, is practiced by thousands around the world - including stars such as Madonna and Sandra Bernhard and Roseanne - although it is not part of mainstream Judaism.

Rabbi David Basri, head of the Magen David Yeshiva in Jerusalem, on Tuesday lashed out at the left of center Meretz Party for running election ads supporting same-sex marriage.

Israelis elect a new government this month and Meretz is the only party supporting gay marriage. (story)

With at least two cases of deadly bird flu reported in Israel, Basri said the outbreak was God's punishment for the promotion of same-sex marriage.

"The Bible says that God punishes depravity first through plagues against animals and then in people," Basri said in a religious edict.

In an interview with the Reuters news agency Basri's son quoted the rabbi as saying the bird flu outbreak stemmed from the leftist pary "strengthening and encouraging homosexuality."

Both Basri and his son are already under investigation by Israeli police over remarks he made about the establishment of a bilingual school for Jewish and Arab students in Jerusalem.

"The nation of Israel is pure and the Arabs are a nation of donkeys. They are an evil disaster, an evil devil, and a nasty affliction," allegedly told followers.

Hate speech is illegal in Israel, although gays and lesbians are not included in the law.

Basri is no stranger to attacks on gays. In 2004 he lashed out at gays on the eve of pride celebrations in Jerusalem.

"This is not a disease or a deviation, but a straight-out abomination. Even animals don't behave this way... There is no place in the Holy City for such a phenomenon," he said.

©365Gay.com 2006

[SacTown Chronic]

God sounds like a self-hating 'mo to me.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Yeah, a "Rabbi". That's like saying, "Chrsitian leader: Katrina was punishment for New Orleans depravity" to refer to Pat Robertson. Except that the modern Kabbalah, ahem, sect doesn't hold quite the sway in Judaism that the CC or the 700 Club hold in American Christianity.

[innerSpaceman]

Yahweh was never a very progressive One God. Pretty neanderthal in his thinking and actions, if you ask even his most prominent and respected interpreters. An imposter of a diety, if you ask me.

Nice idea though, the jews had upteen centuries ago. One God is a great notion. They just, ya know, picked the wrong One.

[SacTown Chronic]

I don't think most folks want a progressive god, iSm.





I was watching Walking The Bible on PBS the other day and discovered that it's chronologically impossible for the Jews to have built the pyramids. I did not know that.

[Prudence]

Why should christianity and islam have all the self-righteous fun?

(Does the 700 Club hold much sway in American Christianity? Am I just so close to the left....I mean west coast that I don't notice?)

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by zapppop

^ That smilie sums it all up.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Prudence

(Does the 700 Club hold much sway in American Christianity? Am I just so close to the left....I mean west coast that I don't notice?)

Not sayin' it represents anywhere near the majority of Christians in the US. But Kabbalah bears a closer resemblance to Scientology than it does to the likes of the Christian Coalition, the 700 Club, Oral Roberts University, et al in terms of acceptance and influence.

[Gemini Cricket]

Do you know how popular I'd be if my first name was Oral?

[Isaac]

Oral Redenbacher ?