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Matri's avatar

Ahh yes, this little “loophole”.

Seriously, the amount of loopholes they keep creating in order to get around religious restrictions is enough to make even hypocrites blush.

First, this one to create a “private domain”, and then the one for Lent in order to eat red meat that they aren’t supposed to have.

Have you heard how “Islamic banking” works in regards to loans? They aren’t allowed to charge interest, so they loophole that too: You “sell” a certain amount of imaginary goods to the bank in return for a certain sum of money, with a contract that states you will “buy back” those imaginary goods at a higher price after a specified amount of time.

Religion is so deeply entrenched in loophole abuse culture.

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Joe King's avatar

Loopholes: for occasions when the cherry-picking is too obvious.

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Jedi Senshi's avatar

They must think their god is really stupid to attempt to get past his laws. Love to ask them since their god is all-knowing & seeing how are they going to explain it to him in their afterlife.

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Brian's avatar

So an islamic loan is a futures contract in reverse?

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Matri's avatar

It’s how it was described to me.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Can't mention religion and loopholes 'round here without the obligatory Garfunkel and Oates linkage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8ZF_R_j0OY

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ericc's avatar

𝑌𝑜𝑢 “𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑙” 𝑎 𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑦, 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 “𝑏𝑢𝑦 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘” 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑠 𝑎𝑡 𝑎 ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑎 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒

That's not religious insanity, unless you consider short selling on the stock market to be insane. Because it's extremely similar.

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Runfastandwin's avatar

Context, none of those people are short selling. They are borrowing from a bank. Side rant, easy credit is what made the USA the most prosperous nation in history and it's not even close.

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oraxx's avatar

Organized religion is culturally sanctioned mental illness. I cannot imagine what good these people think they're contributing to the world. They do not fill me with hope for the future of our species.

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Bill Wilson's avatar

Cruelty is a feature not a bug in the human species. The Roman gladiatorial games were sold out shows.

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Donrox's avatar

So were lynchings on the court house lawn.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Picnics, the barbaric voyeurs treated hangings as fucking spectacles!

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Psittacus Ebrius's avatar

And after 2500 years we still have cage fighting and dog fighting. Further evidence of intelligent design.

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oraxx's avatar

+++

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Stephen Brady's avatar

And, being required to look and act differently has caused 2000 years of misery for the Jewish People. Obviously the solution in my family was to just assimilate, but still acknowledge the heritage. Some years I even keep the fast for Yom Kipper. Not because I am religious, but to acknowledge that I knew what my ancestors were doing on this day 3000 years ago.

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oraxx's avatar

+++ They have chosen to self-isolate and reinforce the us against them mentality.

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Moon Cat's avatar

It's the Chosen thing. It always does that no matter what group. The Puritans and Calvinists come to mind. If you are chosen then others aren't and they don't matter very much.

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oraxx's avatar

Nothing divides people more effectively and unnecessarily than religion.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

All orthodox, of every stripe do so.

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Marilyn Lemons's avatar

I have worn a Star of David for 50 years after I found out at the age if 31 that I was Jewish, 1. to honor my ancestors and 2. to make a small note for all oppress people on the planet.

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Joe King's avatar

If the Milwaukee Orthodox Jewish community takes verifiable steps to ensure this does not happen again, let them have their superstition. It also won't be a real apology until Lein offers Ekker compensation for his injuries. Catering to your imaginary friend's silly rules causes real harm? Take some actual responsibility and pay for it.

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SeekingReason's avatar

I hope he sues them and wins a substantial sum as punishment for dangerous needless stupidity of religious superstitious nonsense! I am livid to hear this story and if this happened to my loved one, I would be relentless going after these people. Religion is dangerous! Proof positive!

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Holytape's avatar

If I were a lawyer, I would almost be salivating over a story like this. There is clearly a multimillion dollar unlosable lawsuit here. That cyclist clearly interfered and oppressed the legal first-amendment-guaranteed-right of freedom of religious expression of the orthodox community. This cyclists is going to be taken to the cleaner. For seven generations, his family will feel the pain for his frankly antisemitic cycling.

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Sue Munda's avatar

Lol!😂

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Lesley Fenton Aiwerioghene's avatar

I think it’s the other way around. He should sue the fuck out of them!

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Donrox's avatar

Please read Holytape's response knowing that they are the snark king/queen of Friendly Atheist.

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Lynn Veit's avatar

Holytape would agree, as he is the king of snarcasm.

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Rachel Baldes's avatar

Can't they use imaginary string and imaginary poles for their imaginary fence?

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

That might just please their imaginary deity!

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Truth Will Set You Free's avatar

One word: lawsuit

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Brian's avatar

Do you know what would be a better way to ease the lives of women in orthodox judaism (or as orthodox jews call them, "possessions")? Making it illegal to enforce the rules of orthodox judaism, subject to serious jail time.

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xenubarb's avatar

I think it was Brooklyn where they painted over the new city bike lanes because the orthodox objected to "scantily clad" bicycle riders rolling through their neighborhood. Can't let the kiddies see secular people out having fun, it would mess with their indoctrination!

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Bill Wilson's avatar

The eruv is inspected weekly by the orthodox community and inspected daily by an unfortunate citizen who encounters a fallen wire. Incidentally the word eruv comes from the strangled cry of the ensnared - "AY-roooov". And if the cyclist takes his injuries to court the defense will be "Tradition!".

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xenubarb's avatar

Yeah, just like the Flag of the Third Reich is "tradition." Or that jackass flag of the southern losers. (not the white one)

I don't give a rat's ass about someone's ridiculous ancient traditions, it's 2024 ffs!

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mechtheist's avatar

I'm betting there's a ton of electric power and communications cables all over the place, why not just designate a selection of those to designate the eruv? It's all a trick that their god is gullible enough to buy anyways so why not?

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Moon Cat's avatar

Bless the paint and have the City paint one wirev or cable the proper color whatever that is. They are spending $150,000. a year anyway.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Quick OT before I forget:

Today would have been John Lennon's 84th birthday. Never forget that it was a born-again Christian named Mark David Chapman who took John from his wife, sons and the world. If Yoko has her way, Chapman will never taste freedom again.

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Kay-El's avatar

Nor should he, but I also thought the same about John Hinckley.

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C. A. Goss Jr's avatar

I'm with with Yoko.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

May Chapman rot in prison until he dies.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

R'Amen!

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Liz's avatar

As a cyclist this makes me absolutely LIVID.

He is truly lucky. He did not sustain more injuries or substantial damage to his bike, for which he probably paid thousands of dollars. If this happened to me, I would be suing the fuck out of these people.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

As another cyclist, I totally agree. We have enough to deal with, considering traffic and drivers who can't be bothered to actually LOOK for bikes and motorcycles as it is. If we have to keep an eye out for improperly strung eruv as well ... that's is a bridge too far.

And the more I think about it, the more I hope that Ekker DOES sue!

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xenubarb's avatar

Sue their yarmulkes off! Absolutely.

It amazes me that people CHOOSE to follow idiotic rules of ancient religions. I've seen Amish people dressed in their simple outfits. I've seen horse buggies on Pennsylvania roads. I've seen orthodox Jews in their cute costumes and bewigged female property. Hare Krishnas all with shaved heads and berobed, doinking around on street corners downtown.

I CHOOSE to follow laws of the land (well, most of them, lol) because there's a purpose to them. All this religious batshittery don't seem to have any real purpose but to impose controls on followers; isn't that what most of religion does? And these gullible twits CHOOSE to follow these meaningless dorkfests, from eating fish on Fridays to magic strings slung up so you can get around your own religious rules.

An it harms none, do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. Well, the bicyclist definitely looks harmed! Feh!

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cdbunch's avatar

I hit a boy on a bike when I was 16. I had had my license barely two months. I was second in line at a stop light. The boy (9, IIRC), his mother, and his sister were walking their bikes across the intersection on a stale light. The boy was having trouble getting his bike up the curb and had squatted down. The light changed. The car in front of me went and swerved around the boy at the last minute. The first I knew he was there was when I saw a flash of white over the fender. By the time the cops were through with me, I was in tears, afraid I'd done this boy permanent damage. I'm always nervous around bicyclists, compounded by living in a college town for 17 years and seeing tons of bicyclists, who, I swear, had a death wish. And now, I see the city marking narrow streets with no shoulder as 'bike routes'. I see bicyclists out at night, with little or no lights. It makes me crazy.

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Moon Cat's avatar

Bikes definitely should have lights and reflectors at night. And it helps to at least wear white. I'm so sorry for your experience. That would devastate me.

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cdbunch's avatar

The boy had a broken leg and ended up in traction, but seemed fine 2 years later when his parents sued me because they didn’t like what the insurance offered.

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ericc's avatar

He definitely should (IMO). Both the people who put it up and the city. Even if he's not about the money, he should use a civil suit to extract a legal agreement from both for safe regulation and maintenance in the future.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Depending of the height of the injured cyclist and if he was hunched or straight on his bicycle, it could have been a child.

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RegularJoe's avatar

I have a solution that should solve everyone's problems with these. I set up a tiny eruv in a corner of my garage, out of the way of everything. It's a smidge over 2¼ centimeters in diameter. As the Earth is a sphere (technically oblate spheroid), I declare that circle encompasses all but about 4 square centimeters of the surface of the Earth. Now none of the other eruvs are relevant, being fully contained within mine. Problem solved; you're welcome. 🙂

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larry parker's avatar

God would see right through that. /s

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RegularJoe's avatar

'e's too busy with wossname.....sparrows, eyes on 'em, peepin'. Trick is to keep 'im busy with sparrows and keep the tiny eruv in that corner of the garage where junk gets piled but inconveniently forgotten come trash day.

Sparrows. ;-)

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Donrox's avatar

Curses for getting that wretched song in my head! For non-protestants the sentimental slop song is called "His eye is on the Sparrow (and I know he cares for me)"

Pardon me while I puke and seek out music to kill off that ear worm!

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RegularJoe's avatar

Here, maybe this'll help....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyhrYis509A

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NOGODZ20's avatar

This should clear your head of that unwanted earworm

youtu.be/mOYZaiDZ7BM

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Think of the theme from Baretta "eye on the sparrow".

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Lynn Veit's avatar

Well we see right through Fluffy the invisible pink dragon, so God has nothing on the rest of us.

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bcb's avatar

I also set up an Eruv in *my* garrage. It's invisible and pink, and breathes heatless fire just like the dragon next to it.

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CozmoTheMagician's avatar

All hail Fluffy the invisible pink dragon!

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CozmoTheMagician's avatar

Wonko the Sane built the asylum to house the entire world, except the small part that is outside the asylum. It is of course 'inside out' as most people see it, but they are not as sane as Wonko.

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Patrick O'Brien's avatar

Is a baby considered a possession as opposed to a family member that is simply too young to walk to temple? And as for keys I thought Orthodox Jews were forbidden to operate a car on Sabbath and that is why they live within walking distance of their temple? Aren’t they supposed to be restricting all activities during the sabbath?

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

Yeah, and aren’t there restrictions on turning on lights and cooking during the sabbath? It seems the traditions they follow strictly and those they don’t are pretty cherry picked.

I have heard other stories about eruvs, some of which were others overreacting to this and some of the Jewish people being obnoxious about them. Like one story where a person was utilizing a park and being run off by some Jewish folks because they put the eruv around the park and that means the park belongs only to them.

Personally, I’d rather not add to the mess outside. There’s plenty visual noise in any community, big cities especially, that makes them feel dirty. Eruvs only add to that. I’ve suggested something similar to ericc’s suggestion before, having the rabbi bless the existing electrical/phone/cable lines that run through a neighborhood as an eruv. I dislike it for aesthetic reasons, safety reasons, and because all religion is nonsense and this is just a workaround for the nonsense you want to pretend you follow. I mean, you choose to be Jewish (religious not cultural), you choose the orthodox version, but then you decide it’s too much to follow the rules of your orthodox Jewish religion. Why bother?

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Moon Cat's avatar

Oh they'll ask their neighbor to turn on their lights and then ignore them if they say Hello on another day.

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bcb's avatar

I think by keys they mean house keys, to lock or unlock your house's door. I don't drive but I take my keys with me when I leave my home.

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Moon Cat's avatar

Uh. I think it could be the key to their house. I don't think you'd want to leave your house open for hours on the Sabbath on schedule in a big City like Los Angeles or New York.

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Die Anyway's avatar

> "I don't think you'd want to leave your house open for hours on the Sabbath ..."

Why not? Just put up your mezuzah and ask God to protect your belongings and you are good to go.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Here's an alternate solution: buy an empty lot. Put up four poles on the lot, and string an eruv wire around the poles, safely off the road where nobody can garrote themselves on it if it collapses.

Now designate everything 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 the poles as the 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 of the eruv. Problem solved! Now 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 is the eruv, and neither you nor anyone else will ever have to stress about this complete and utter silliness again.

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Vanity Unfair's avatar

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8871790-your-wife-said-arthur-looking-around-mentioned-some-toothpicks-he

I have also promised to wear a red belt every Sabbath (sunset Friday to sunset Saturday) for a consideration of £1/ person/ week for anybody who wishes to take advantage.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

OT- Donald Trump is gonna be tough on China! Tough as leather! Like the (fake) leather Trump Bible covers are made of... in China! https://apnews.com/article/trump-god-bless-usa-bible-china-32a80611605d4052d8238064bbcace4c

Is anybody surprised by this? Anyone? C'mon, I have the deed to a 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦 old suspension bridge burning a hole in my back pocket, here!

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Guess where his caps, t-shirts and other merch are made? That's right. Jina.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

MAGAt gullibility knows neither limits, nor borders, nor how to read the perfectly legible manufacturing labels on their merch.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

They should also check the labels on all those American flags Trump loves to kiss, fondle and hump.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

Did the MAGA minions just beat up a black MAGA minion for selling made in USA merch? They want the hypocrisy. They want the lies. They want the cruelty.

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larry parker's avatar

Thanks for reposting. I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. Started scrolling and posted about this on yesterday's thread.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Must've missed it- I turned in early last night. 👍

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Do as he says, not as he does. 😝

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Considering how incoherent what he says has become, how would anyone even accomplish that?

...okay, how 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 than clamping their head in a paint mixer for a couple hours while simultaneously huffing glue and licking toads?

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

About right. 😖

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Moon Cat's avatar

Anyone remember that they found a secret, unreported Chinese Bank account for Trump. Read it once and then crickets.

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xenubarb's avatar

Scientology will sell you a bridge. The "Bridge to Total Freedumb."

I always thought that was hilarious!

They sell you a bridge, and their logo is a double cross!

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