By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Most people would be surprised to hear that the charge of drinking blood was a common accusation made against the nascent Christian religion in the first three centuries of its existence. Yes, this historical fact is true and recorded in the annals of ancient history. [...]
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The accidental burning of the Quran in Afghanistan raises some important questions: How does one dispose of old religious literature? The 18th century Muslim scholar Allamah Haskafi, author jurisprudence text Durr-Mukhtar, wrote of the disposal of the no-longer wanted Qurans: “If one decides to get rid [...]
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — The Coen Brothers made a movie in 2009 called A Serious Man. The film would have no premise whatsoever without its extended opening, supernatural sequence featuring a “dybbuk” (an evil spirit in the form of a recently deceased person) visiting an unfortunate and hapless couple. Bad luck and [...]
Itamar Makes Friends: A Children’s Story of Jewish Brotherhood by Josh Hasten, illustrated by S. Kim Glassman, Geffen Kidz, Jerusalem, 2011, ISBN 978-965-229-567-5. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – This is a simple morality tale, but as is true with this genre, it raises some important questions, possibly even controversy. In brief, the story [...]
Jesus of Nazareth, Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection by Joseph Ratzinger, Ignatius, San Francisco; ISBN 978-1-58617-500-9 ©2011, $24.95, p. 293 plus appendices By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California–Nearly two thousand books on the Amazon website are linked to the words Jesus and Passion. With so many books one might wonder [...]
NEW YORK (Press Release)– The Interfaith Coalition on Mosques (ICOM) has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of a Muslim congregation in Georgia whose mosque expansion project was unlawfully blocked. The brief supports the contention of congregation Dar-e-Abbas that the city of Lilburn, Georgia affirmatively prevented the congregation from building a new house of worship, and [...]
The Jew is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths That Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism by Tarek Fatah, McClelland & Stewart, Toronto; ISBN 978-0-7710-4783-1 ©2010, $24.95, p. 208 plus notes, bibliography, and index Reviewed by Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Like most people with an Internet account, I receive quite a few emails each day. Most [...]
NEW YORK (Press Release) — The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) welcomed as “an important and historic moment” the publication of a new book by Pope Benedict XVI that includes a sweeping exoneration of the Jewish people for the death of Jesus. Pope Benedict’s book, Jesus of Nazareth – Part II, excerpts of which were released on [...]
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–House Speaker John Boehner’s plan to subsidize religious schools in the District of Columbia would undercut civil rights and civil liberties and add to the federal budget deficit, while failing to improve education, according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Boehner has announced that he will unveil a bill [...]
HOUSTON (Press Release) – In a show of solidarity with the nation of Israel and the Jewish people, Joel and Victoria Osteen will travel to Israel to hold “A Historic Night of Hope” at the Jerusalem Theater on Thursday, February 3, at 7:00 p.m. The event will be broadcast around the world by the Trinity Broadcasting [...]
