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"Religiousity" of Israelis

Reader comment on item: Did Divine Intervention Fell Ariel Sharon?

Submitted by Daniel Bairey (Israel), Dec 31, 2007 at 07:05

You (or the poll you quote) fail to specify how religiousity was defined, a murky issue in the best of cases. I doubt that there are very many people in Israel who would classify themselves as "Traditional" who would attribute anything to divine intervention, much less a blood clot and overdose of koumadin or similar medicine in an elderly man, known to be prone to strokes. In a country where 20% are Arabs, 20% mostly Secular Russians, one also wonders who was included in the poll.

On the other hand there is probably no lack of religious people who would be classified as merely "Traditional" due to a lack of sufficient obervance of religous practices.

The results probably indicate more political inclinations and wishful thinking than anything else.

What is surprising in the poll is how many religious people, including ultra religious, do not attribute the insident to divine intervention: perhaps a sign that many of them are more skeptical and perhaps less right wing than one might think.

As for your conclussion, that Israel is more religious than some perceive it to be: "Jewishness" surely is a defining issue in Israel but that does not seem to always imply religion or a belief in God. On the other hand, the wide variety of threats of almost every ilk and colour that permeate Israeli reality make one wonder if anything but divine intervention ensures an otherwise non-sustainable situation to be otherwise: so if you believe what Sharon did endagere Israel, perhaps attributing the unfortunate turn of events to divine intervention does not require a very large leap further. I would venture that if this implies religious or not, in the sense of the Reverend Robertson and his flock, is another matter altogether.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (31) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Poo to Pat [90 words]Peter HerzJan 31, 2008 09:09119366
Where's Divine Intervention when you really need it? Like with Olmert, the Jewish anti-Christ? [35 words]DrRJPJan 3, 2008 20:55117477
Read the Book [198 words]AbijahJan 5, 2008 12:34117477
apples and oranges [232 words]John W McGinleyJan 2, 2008 15:41117365
You said: "... what is wrong with an Israel being dominated by religious Jews?"... [213 words]YnnatchkahJan 3, 2008 02:54117365
Pat Robertson [120 words]Bart WillruthJan 2, 2008 09:12117333
Mixed feelings about Pat Robertson's comments [254 words]Rachel GarberDec 31, 2007 15:46117235
"Divine Intervention" [249 words]Chef MikeDec 31, 2007 14:18117226
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! [151 words]DrewDec 31, 2007 11:11117220
"Religiousity" of Israelis [292 words]Daniel BaireyDec 31, 2007 07:05117207
For a religious Jew, every act and event is by the Hand of God [555 words]Ken BesigDec 31, 2007 05:50117204
To Ken Besig [192 words]AbijahJan 5, 2008 13:11117204
1PAT ROBERTSON [68 words]DAVID R. GROESBECKDec 30, 2007 20:08117166
God laughs at the nations:Psalm 2 [381 words]MichaelDec 30, 2007 19:36117160
Robertson may be right about God. If he is, he is negligent; complicent even [218 words]SteveDec 30, 2007 18:31117156
Judgment or Coincidence? [279 words]Roy WeinbergDec 30, 2007 17:31117150
DIVINE INTERVENTION [23 words]MJDec 31, 2007 10:35117150
Judgment or Coincidence? [558 words]JaneMar 5, 2008 04:37117150
Pat Robertson arrogance [186 words]janusz KowalikDec 30, 2007 16:47117145
Not "Dividing" but Sub-Dividing The Promised Land [89 words]Mike RamirezDec 30, 2007 15:16117138
Divine intervention and Pat Roberston's remark on Ariel Sharon [144 words]Eugene McCarleyDec 30, 2007 14:46117135
Reaction of secular Israelis [60 words]Yaakov WatkinsJan 2, 2008 00:47117135
Sharon's "Sin" [49 words]Dan FriedmanDec 30, 2007 13:53117131
Scandal of Scandals! [307 words]David SabghirDec 30, 2007 13:31117129
You said it so well. And, critics to Pat Robertson come as a shot Israelis' and Jew's feet [299 words]YnnatchkahDec 31, 2007 00:54117129
Reply to ynnatchkah [343 words]David SabghirDec 31, 2007 18:42117129
DESTINY [117 words]MJDec 30, 2007 12:51117124
Now Olmert has prostate problems [54 words]James BurkeDec 30, 2007 12:38117119
Warriors vs. Politicians [232 words]Moshe MonesDec 30, 2007 12:38117118
Divine Intervention [135 words]Marvin KravetskyDec 30, 2007 12:29117117
I Love Pat Robertson. [170 words]YnnatchkahDec 29, 2007 22:23117101

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