Thursday, February 10, 2011
Rabbi Motti Elon to be indicted for sexual offences
YNet
Jerusalem Prosecutor's Office tells Rabbi Motti Elon that it is set to file indictment against him subject to hearing over alleged sexual offenses he carried out against two minors. Attorney general supports decision [...]
Child abuse: The Irish Affliction
NYTimes
Of the various crises the Catholic Church is facing around the world, the central one — wave after wave of accounts of systemic sexual abuse of children by priests and other church figures — has affected Ireland more strikingly than anywhere else. And no place has reacted so aggressively. The Irish responded to the publication in 2009 of two lengthy, damning reports — detailing thousands of cases of rape, sexual molestation and lurid beatings, spanning Ireland’s entire history as an independent country, and the efforts of church officials to protect the abusers rather than the victims — with anger, disgust, vocal assaults on priests in public and demands that the government and society disentangle themselves from the church.
This past December a fresh bout of fury was touched off by the publication of the investigation into perhaps the worst clergy sex offender: the Rev. Tony Walsh, who raped and molested children while serving as a priest in Dublin and who was shielded by the Vatican even after Irish Church officials wanted him defrocked. Yet another large-scale report will be released shortly. And a 1997 letter — in which the papal nuncio to Ireland told Irish bishops that the Vatican had “serious reservations” about a plan for mandatory reporting of clergy sex-abuse cases to the police — came to light last month, causing further anger. [...]
Of the various crises the Catholic Church is facing around the world, the central one — wave after wave of accounts of systemic sexual abuse of children by priests and other church figures — has affected Ireland more strikingly than anywhere else. And no place has reacted so aggressively. The Irish responded to the publication in 2009 of two lengthy, damning reports — detailing thousands of cases of rape, sexual molestation and lurid beatings, spanning Ireland’s entire history as an independent country, and the efforts of church officials to protect the abusers rather than the victims — with anger, disgust, vocal assaults on priests in public and demands that the government and society disentangle themselves from the church.
This past December a fresh bout of fury was touched off by the publication of the investigation into perhaps the worst clergy sex offender: the Rev. Tony Walsh, who raped and molested children while serving as a priest in Dublin and who was shielded by the Vatican even after Irish Church officials wanted him defrocked. Yet another large-scale report will be released shortly. And a 1997 letter — in which the papal nuncio to Ireland told Irish bishops that the Vatican had “serious reservations” about a plan for mandatory reporting of clergy sex-abuse cases to the police — came to light last month, causing further anger. [...]
British Muslim pupils learn Jews plotting to take over world
Telegram
Up to 5,000 pupils attending weekend schools across Britain are being exposed to textbooks claiming that some Jews were transformed into pigs and apes, and that some offences could be punished with stoning. One book for six year-olds warns that those who do not believe in Islam will be condemned to “hellfire” in death.
Another text for 15 year-olds teaches that thieves who break Sharia law should have their hands cut off for a first offence and their feet amputated for a subsequent crime. Teenagers are presented with diagrams showing where the cuts should be made. [...]
Up to 5,000 pupils attending weekend schools across Britain are being exposed to textbooks claiming that some Jews were transformed into pigs and apes, and that some offences could be punished with stoning. One book for six year-olds warns that those who do not believe in Islam will be condemned to “hellfire” in death.
Another text for 15 year-olds teaches that thieves who break Sharia law should have their hands cut off for a first offence and their feet amputated for a subsequent crime. Teenagers are presented with diagrams showing where the cuts should be made. [...]
In utero operation for Spina Bifida better for baby but more dangerous for mother
Time
It's not unusual for a baby who has spina bifida to require a permanent shunt to drain fluid from her brain. Because the neural tube defect affects nerves in the lower back and pelvis, many such children are incontinent and never learn to walk. Then there's Anna Williamson, a basketball-playing, bike-riding, piano-playing 10-year-old.
Anna was operated on while still in the womb in an experimental fetal surgery that became the subject of an eight-year clinical trial designed to evaluate whether babies who receive corrective surgery prenatally have better outcomes than those who undergo the operation after birth.
The trial, led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), was stopped early because of clear evidence that operating in utero resulted in healthier children. Specifically, it led to a decreased need for permanent shunts to direct fluid away from the brain, improved mental development and motor function and a greater likelihood that some children with spina bifida will learn to walk. Results were published online Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.[...]
It's not unusual for a baby who has spina bifida to require a permanent shunt to drain fluid from her brain. Because the neural tube defect affects nerves in the lower back and pelvis, many such children are incontinent and never learn to walk. Then there's Anna Williamson, a basketball-playing, bike-riding, piano-playing 10-year-old.
Anna was operated on while still in the womb in an experimental fetal surgery that became the subject of an eight-year clinical trial designed to evaluate whether babies who receive corrective surgery prenatally have better outcomes than those who undergo the operation after birth.
The trial, led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), was stopped early because of clear evidence that operating in utero resulted in healthier children. Specifically, it led to a decreased need for permanent shunts to direct fluid away from the brain, improved mental development and motor function and a greater likelihood that some children with spina bifida will learn to walk. Results were published online Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.[...]
Rav Moshe Sternbuch - Protest against acceptance of invalid converts
My translation of a letter of Rav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita which appeared in the Yated. This is to protest the horrible decision to permit thousands of non-Jewish soldiers who serve in the Israeli army to be given the full status of Jews. This despite the indisputable fact that these soldiers have never agreed to observe mitzvos. In addition the majority of the conversion instructors are Reform or secular Jew who have taught them views that are total heresy. There is absolutely no justification to permit these conversions. In addition issuing a halachic ruling that these are valid converts is itself a terrible chillul haShem because it gives the false message that with proper pressure it is possible to change our holy eternal Torah We today are in great danger surrounded by enemies and therefore we are in great need of Heavenly mercy. Our Sages (Yevamos 109b) state that accepting gerim is an enterprise fraught with danger. And at a time when Jews do not have the proper relationship between them - the Divine Presence departs from us as is stated in the fourth chapter of Kiddushin. If we remain silent to this great travesty then we are truly endangering our existence in Israel. Therefore we need to be aware that if we stand by silently it is tantamount to not keeping the Torah. On the other hand all those who act and make efforts are included in those who are blessed. Therefore we need to encourage and praise all activities to ameliorate this matter and support those who make efforts to improve the situation. Our spiritual welfare is truly dependent upon how successful we are in dealing with this matter
Is Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, shlita pulling a Tropper?
BHOL
Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, shlita has accepted the validity of army converts based upon the ruling of Rav Ovadia Yosef, shlita. But Rav Ovadia Yosef, shlita has clearly poskened that a ger is only kosher if he fully accepts mitzvos. In reality the vast majority of army converts do not and on that fact there is no disagreement! Rav Yosef also writes in his teshuva that even though the Rambam says that a ger that reverts to non observance is still kosher - but that is only if there was a clear period where he was actually observant. But there is no doubt that the majority of these converts were never observant!
Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, shlita has accepted the validity of army converts based upon the ruling of Rav Ovadia Yosef, shlita. But Rav Ovadia Yosef, shlita has clearly poskened that a ger is only kosher if he fully accepts mitzvos. In reality the vast majority of army converts do not and on that fact there is no disagreement! Rav Yosef also writes in his teshuva that even though the Rambam says that a ger that reverts to non observance is still kosher - but that is only if there was a clear period where he was actually observant. But there is no doubt that the majority of these converts were never observant!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Generation net: The youngsters who prefer their virtual lives to the real world
Mail
Children are often happier with their online lives than they are with reality, a survey has revealed.
They say they can be exactly who they want to be – and as soon as something is no longer fun they can simply hit the quit button.
The study also shows that, despite concerns about online safety, one in eight young people is in contact with strangers when on the web and often lies about their appearance, age and background.
Researchers for children’s charity Kidscape assessed the online activities of 2,300 11- to 18-year-olds from across the UK and found that 45 per cent said they were sometimes happier online than in their real lives. [...]
Children are often happier with their online lives than they are with reality, a survey has revealed.
They say they can be exactly who they want to be – and as soon as something is no longer fun they can simply hit the quit button.
The study also shows that, despite concerns about online safety, one in eight young people is in contact with strangers when on the web and often lies about their appearance, age and background.
Researchers for children’s charity Kidscape assessed the online activities of 2,300 11- to 18-year-olds from across the UK and found that 45 per cent said they were sometimes happier online than in their real lives. [...]
Maharam Schick - scientific facts are not final even for Chazal
from Daas Torah - translation copyrighted
Maharam Schick (E.H. #7): My opinion is that these matters of planetary motion were not received by our Sages as halacha l’Moshe m’Sinai (Divinely given on Sinai) but rather were said according to their own reasoning. In such matters which are not part of our Tradition and have no root in our Torah but rather are the result of investigation and experience – it is difficult to determine if it is actually true. There are many times when sages decided matters according to their own intellects, but later generations investigated deeper and rejected the findings of the earlier generations. Therefore all matters that are based upon experience are impossible to decide unequivocally but can only be described in terms of whether most people agree with it. That is why in Pesachim (94b), Rebbe says that, “the view of the secular sages appears to be correct.” He did not simply say that they were correct. That is because they only produced logical proofs and thus it is impossible to declare that the matter is finally resolved…. Final resolutions are only relevant concerning the laws of the Torah where we are commanded to do according to that which appears correct – “a judge can only decide based on what he sees” – and G d agrees to the decision of man. This is not so concerning investigations of nature and science.
Hospital Under Fire for Discharging illegal alien Surgical Patient
Fox
A Texas hospital is under fire for allegedly telling a surgical patient she had to leave the hospital immediately because she was an illegal immigrant.
Maria Sanchez, 24, told the Houston Chronicle that she had been at John Sealy Hospital -- part of the University of Texas Medical system -- for six days when a doctor told her on Jan. 12 that she should go to Mexico to have surgery on her growing spinal tumor. The hospital discharged her that day, the paper reported. [...]
A Texas hospital is under fire for allegedly telling a surgical patient she had to leave the hospital immediately because she was an illegal immigrant.
Maria Sanchez, 24, told the Houston Chronicle that she had been at John Sealy Hospital -- part of the University of Texas Medical system -- for six days when a doctor told her on Jan. 12 that she should go to Mexico to have surgery on her growing spinal tumor. The hospital discharged her that day, the paper reported. [...]
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Romania may toughen its laws about witches
JPost
Legislation being debated in Romania would require witches to get a permit and make it possible to fine or even imprison one whose prediction turns out to be false.
The draft bill has just started its way through Parliament in Romania, where witchcraft has been part of its culture for centuries.
On Jan. 1, Romania changed its labor laws to officially recognize witchcraft as a profession, angering some witches.
Legislation being debated in Romania would require witches to get a permit and make it possible to fine or even imprison one whose prediction turns out to be false.
The draft bill has just started its way through Parliament in Romania, where witchcraft has been part of its culture for centuries.
On Jan. 1, Romania changed its labor laws to officially recognize witchcraft as a profession, angering some witches.
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