March 31, 2010 | 1:37 pm

Cigarettes may contain pig blood

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

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Muslim and Jewish smokers, there may be more than just your health to worry about when you light up:

CIGARETTES may contain traces of pig’s blood, an Australian academic says with a warning that religious groups could find its undisclosed presence “very offensive”.

University of Sydney Professor Simon Chapman points to recent Dutch research which identified 185 different industrial uses of a pig - including the use of its haemoglobin in cigarette filters.

Prof Chapman said the research offered an insight into the otherwise secretive world of cigarette manufacture, and it was likely to raise concerns for devout Muslims and Jews.

Religious texts at the core of both of these faiths specifically ban the consumption of pork.

“I think that there would be some particularly devout groups who would find the idea that there were pig products in cigarettes to be very offensive,” Prof Chapman said today.

“The Jewish community certainly takes these matters extremely seriously and the Islamic community certainly do as well, as would many vegetarians.

“It just puts into hard relief the problem that the tobacco industry is not required to declare the ingredients of cigarettes ... they say ‘that’s our business’ and a trade secret.”

That’s definitely not kosher. Read the rest here.

March 31, 2010 | 11:38 am

Passover in Rwanda

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

How is this night different than all other nights? Well, this night, all the social workers in Rwanda are celebrating Passover. Turns out a lot of them are Jewish:

For the fifth year in a row, we’ll be sharing this holiday with our friends in Rwanda. We’ve mastered the art of home-baked matzo, printed up internet-available Haggadahs, and gotten over our longing for sweet kosher wine on the table. Unlike Ethiopia, and many other countries in Africa, there is no synagogue here and the community is fragmented. But the spirit of Passover is particularly strong. The holiday takes place just a few days from the start of the national commemoration of the 16th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide.

Rwandans feel a deep camaraderie with Jews. The connection dates back centuries and some Rwandans consider the Tutsis one of the lost tribes of Israel. One of the companies with which I work, Rwanda Ventures, employs an Israeli agronomist who is admired by farmers across the country (though he flew home for his Seder this year).

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The Passover story resonates strongly with our Rwandan friends—even those who know almost nothing about modern Judaism—not only because they have known unspeakable oppression, but also because so many in their country remain enslaved by another oppressor: poverty. As we sit around our Passover tables with friends and families and make our Hillel sandwiches of matzo, bitter herbs and sweet charoset, we’re reminded of the scholar’s words more than two millennia ago: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And when I am for myself, what am ‘I’? And if not now, when?”

Read more from Josh Ruxin of The New York Times here.

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March 29, 2010 | 8:59 pm

How Christian could a plot to kill police be?

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

I’m unfamiliar with the concept of a Christian militia, so please excuse any ignorance and appreciate the awe-inspiring elements of this story:

Nine members of a Christian militia group were indicted on charges of conspiring to wage war against the U.S. government, federal prosecutors said on Monday.

According to the grand jury indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the eight men and one woman were members of a group called the Hutaree that planned to kill a police officer in Michigan and then ambush the law enforcement officers who attended his funeral.

The indictment said the group believed the attacks would “serve as a catalyst for a more widespread uprising” against the government.

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The group’s website, hutaree.com, says the term Hutaree means “Christian warrior” and characterizes the group as “preparing for the end time battles to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ alive.” It also features a Bible quotation from John 15:13: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

I guess these guys never sang “Jesus Loves the Little Children” in Sunday School. The Detroit Free Press is already billing as something of a trend, though not of Christian militancy.

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March 29, 2010 | 5:41 pm

Carrie Prejean sued by Christian PR firm

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Carrie Prejean has been a bit litigious since she became famous—and then infamous—during the Miss USA pageant. First there was the lawsuit against Trump’s co for alleged religious discrimination; then she was ready to sue a porn distributor if they dubbed and marketed her home video.

Now, in an odd turn of events, Prejean is reportedly being sued by the ace Christian PR team she turned to for help massaging her public image:

The group—A. Larry Ross Communications—claims Prejean contacted them back in April, 2009 and logged “hundreds of hours” helping Prejean spread her “biblically correct” message.

But according to the lawsuit, filed earlier this month in Texas, Prejean’s actions were the opposite of Christian—because she never paid the $64,857 bill.

There is a lot more to read about Prejean in The God Blog archives.

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March 29, 2010 | 2:36 pm

Matzo Ball Olympics

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Speaking of matzo ... try playing some of these games after Passover.

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March 28, 2010 | 8:06 pm

The God Blog, three years later

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

The OG About

It passed without my noticing, but last Sunday marked three years since The God Blog was written into creation. That first post, titled “What’s in a faith?,” focused on the unique beliefs practiced by those at Temple 420.

It’s a post I’ve returned to several times when I’ve updated the religious, political and legal adventures of Temple 420’s founder Craig X Rubin. It’s also one I’ve looked to as a model for the type of journalism I’ve hope to disseminate via this blog. An excerpt:

It’s really a philosophical query, one reporters aren’t well-suited or aptly trained to answer. But the current case of Temple 420, a Hollywood congregation that reads the Bible and smokes marijuana to communicate with God, is begging the question.

The Rev. Craig X Rubin, a minister ordained by the interfaith Universal Life Church and founder of the temple, sued the LAPD for $30 million Wednesday, claiming his religious and civil rights were violated when narc officers raided his sanctuary/head shop in November and purportedly told him it was not a “real religion.”

But what is a real religion?

“There is no standard in nature to which one can go to decide if a group is a ‘real’ religion,” says Dan Olson, chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Indiana University South Bend. “It all depends on whether people in the society that they are part of are convinced they are a religion. When different parts of society don’t agree, like so many other things in life it often comes down to the group that has the most influence and power to determine whether the group will be persecuted and harassed or given respect and resources by others in society.

Since then, I’ve published 2,839 posts—51 mentioning “South Park” and an unknown many more sports related—mixed up my facial hair and received a bit of recognition as a religion blogger and as a blogger in general. Better yet, I’ve had a lot of fun.

Here’s to many more overlooked anniversaries.

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March 28, 2010 | 2:55 pm

Passover profiteering

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Probably my least favorite part of law school is being removed from the Jewish community (as much as one can be at a law school in Los Angeles). One of my favorite parts of working at The Jewish Journal was being in touch with the Jewish world around me. This was particularly true around the holidays.

Last year I spoke on “Which Way L.A.?” about Obama’s implementation of a White House Seder. Before that I celebrated Passover at Wilshire Boulevard Temple with Daphna Ziman and the Rev. Eric P. Lee, who were trying to reconcile an allegedly anti-Semitic speech that Lee gave at a dinner at which Ziman was honored. A blog post about that Seder prompted the best comment this blog has ever received: “The true meaning of Passover.”

Go further back and you get to the most controversial Passover of the past decade—the one challenging the actual occurrence of the Exodus.

This Passover The Jewish Journal opts for something introspective and personal: Rabbi Finley’s call for a private Seder.

I, however, offer this report from Benyamin Cohen, whose name you likely recognize. Writing for Slate, Cohen talks about Passover profiteering:

In general, Passover food is marked up an additional 20 percent over regular kosher prices, hence the $24 box of matzo I saw at that same grocery. It seems we should add another question to the traditional four associated with Passover: Why is this food so darn expensive?

Many blame exorbitant costs on a complex price-fixing scheme among the three major Passover food manufacturers—Manischewitz, Streit’s, and Horowitz—which came to light in the early 1990s. Nobody served jail time, but Manischewitz pleaded no contest and was forced to pay a $1 million fine in addition to donating another $2 million in kosher food to charity. It was a PR nightmare, which drew national attention to the problem (at least briefly). But it didn’t affect business practices that much in the long run. After Manischewitz repented, they hired an executive from RJR Nabisco to run the company and eventually bought out Horowitz, all while continuing to keep prices high.

To many, standing up for the Passover manufacturers is like defending Wall Street bankers. There are, however, a couple of valid reasons for the seasonal markup.

First, most reliable kosher agencies require full-time supervision for Passover production (as opposed to occasional pop-ins by rabbis for year-round kosher items). And it’s not just for the finished product, but for each of its ingredients. Take, for example, that expensive bottle of ketchup. It’s comprised of multiple ingredients sourced from other manufacturers. Not only does the ketchup have to be made under full-time supervision for Passover, but so do the spices, vinegar, and oils that flavor it. And someone’s got to pay for the rabbi’s time. Second, in just about all the cases, companies must clean production equipment thoroughly to get rid of any non-kosher-for-Passover ingredients. This process often requires a costly 24-hour downtime for the production plant.

Read the rest here. And have a happy pesach.

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March 28, 2010 | 11:33 am

Cornell, basketball and Judaism

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

The Kentucky Wildcats have been bounced from the NCAA basketball tourney—and with them my hold on my bracket pool. At least now I don’t have to watch John Calipari boast and wonder whether it was worth the $100 I made.

After today, only the Final Four will remain. The reluctant Jewish hooper John Scheyer may be among the lucky, but the Cornell Bears will not. And that means former Jewish Day star player Eitan Chemerinski won’t either.

Chemerinski, who can solve a Rubik’s cube in a ho-hum two minutes and speaks only four, averaged just 2.7 minutes per game as a freshman this season. At 6’9”, Chemerinski is more Goliath than David. But he’s no Philistine. And it’s safe to say Cornell will have around for another three years.

Why did he choose the Ivy school? The Washington Post explained in a profile last year:

“My parents’ number one priority has been and always will be academics,” said Chemerinski, who speaks three foreign languages (Spanish, French and Hebrew). He has also taken up Mandarin—on his own.

“For him, really there were no other school choices than the Ivies,” Feldman said. “He could have easily played in Division I in many conferences, but it was important for him to get the best education possible.”

In the Chemerinski household, as far as priorities go, basketball is third behind religion and education. When those overlapped, basketball was often forsaken—a big reason he didn’t compete in AAU until last summer.

“For us, to lead an observant Jewish life was limiting from the basketball perspective,” said Debbie Chemerinski, Eitan’s mother. “The main reason why he never played [AAU] basketball [growing up] was because joining any of those leagues meant competing on Fridays and Saturdays.”

Though the Ivy League is defined by it’s unique back-to-back weekly schedule of games on Fridays and Saturdays. So I guess Chemerinski isn’t Orthodox. Few Jewish athletes are.

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March 26, 2010 | 5:11 pm

‘The Simpsons’ head to the Holy Land

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

After the long wait, it’s finally here.

I mentioned in September that Sacha Baron Cohen would be appearing in a Jerusalem-bound episode of “The Simpsons” this season, and this Sunday Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie will visit the Holy Land. The GeekHeeb has a synopsis of the episode. Would you guess that Homer believes he’s the Messiah? Here’s an excerpt:

In addition to his role in the episode, Baron Cohen, who lived for a year in Israel with the Habonim Dror Shnat, joined the writers for an hour to pitch jokes for the show.

“He would ad lib just amazingly,” Jean said of the “Borat” actor. “As funny an actor as I’ve ever worked with. He’s just brilliant.”

In one scene, tour guide Jacob (Baron Cohen), presses the Simpsons for positive marks on a comment card. When Marge accuses him of being “pushy,” he snaps back, “Try living next to Syria for two months and see how laid back you are.”

Ned Flanders, the Simpson’s neighbor who has taken it upon himself to redeem Homer, is the one who invited the Simpsons on a Christian tour of the Holy Land.

“[Flanders] feels that when Homer sees the sacred sites that he’ll become a good person,” Jean said in a phone interview.

When the family visits the Western Wall, Bart reads some of the notes and responds: “Nope, not gonna happen.” At the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Homer’s behavior gets Flanders banned for life.

But it is the Israeli hotel’s opulent breakfast buffet that appeals most to Homer.

In the end, Jean said, “Homer tries to unite the faiths through a message of peace and chicken, because everybody eats chicken, no matter what religion they’re in.”

Watch the episode Sunday at 8.

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March 26, 2010 | 11:12 am

A downside of divination—fortuneteller convicted of child rape

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Some people get far selling snake oil. Cesar Duran is going to prison for up to 30 years. The 47-year-old fortuneteller was just convicted on nine felony sex counts for convincing two teenage girls that he could improve their bleak futures—if they slept with him:

Prosecutor Lana Kim said the Inglewood man tricked the girls into having sex with him by telling them bad things would happen and he could help by having sex with them.

Defense lawyer Gregory Humphries insisted the girls were lying and says a cold interrogation room led to Duran’s videotaped confession.

Guess whose future looks bleak now.

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March 25, 2010 | 11:10 am

Clergy sex scandal keeps touching the Vatican

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Following the news earlier this month that the pope, when he was a cardinal in Germany, didn’t take action against a pedophile priest among his ranks comes this touching story:

The Wisconsin case involved an American priest, the Rev. Lawrence C. Murphy, who worked at a renowned school for deaf children from 1950 to 1974. But it is only one of thousands of cases forwarded over decades by bishops to the Vatican office called the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, led from 1981 to 2005 by Cardinal Ratzinger. It is still the office that decides whether accused priests should be given full canonical trials and defrocked.

In 1996, Cardinal Ratzinger failed to respond to two letters about the case from Rembert G. Weakland, Milwaukee’s archbishop at the time. After eight months, the second in command at the doctrinal office, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, now the Vatican’s secretary of state, instructed the Wisconsin bishops to begin a secret canonical trial that could lead to Father Murphy’s dismissal.

But Cardinal Bertone halted the process after Father Murphy personally wrote to Cardinal Ratzinger protesting that he should not be put on trial because he had already repented and was in poor health and that the case was beyond the church’s own statute of limitations.

“I simply want to live out the time that I have left in the dignity of my priesthood,” Father Murphy wrote near the end of his life to Cardinal Ratzinger. “I ask your kind assistance in this matter.” The files contain no response from Cardinal Ratzinger.

The New York Times pieced this together with newly uncovered documents. Read the rest here.

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March 25, 2010 | 2:46 am

Biden’s big f—-ing deal

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Vice President Joe Biden is one of a few politicians who can be counted on to routinely make a very public gaffe. His most recent occasion was upon introducing the president after the health care bill passed.

Right now if you start typing “Biden” into your Google search box in Firefox, the first suggested result is “biden f bomb video.” I’ve embedded it above. Here’s an excerpt from CBS News:

Vice President Joe Biden couldn’t resist telling President Obama yesterday that signing comprehensive health care reform into law was a “big f***ing deal.” It turns out, a number of people on the Internet agree with him.

After the vice president’s apparently foul choice of words started to earn some attention, Hotsheet noted that White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs embraced the moment, Tweeting, “and yes Mr. Vice President, you’re right…”

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