In Jerusalem there is starting to be a huge conflict with keeping old religious ways and laws. Every sun down Friday to sun up Saturday everything is shut down for the Sabbath. These are the tradit…

[Christopher Aleksandr Griffin]

 

In Jerusalem there is starting to be a huge conflict with keeping old religious ways and laws. Every sun down Friday to sun up Saturday everything is shut down for the Sabbath. These are the traditional ways of the Ultra- Orthodox Jews, when it comes to rules they are very strict. But it seams that the younger generation is rebelling and finding a new way of living life. They do not agree with the Sabbath and would like for everything to stay open for them. Nonreligious people stood outside of a movie theater and protested against the closing of all stores. They said, “Nonreligious people are equal too!” So because the nonreligious people are offended and hurt by these acts not changing they are moving away to place that does not practice that. The younger people are feeling like they are not even being tolerated which is another reason why a lot of the young people are leaving. The mayor is trying to find a way for both Ultra-Orthodox Jews and the nonreligious people to coexist.

 

Right now people in Jerusalem are really struggling with freedom and what that really is as well as how to go about teaching their religion and how to implement the rules or laws of their religion to the public.

 

This is a different situation for me to put my self into, but I would most definitely still implement the rules or laws of my religion and do my best to teach and show others the way. If anyone has a problem with what I have to say or what is going on in the city I honestly don’t know how I would take action. My first response would be to kick them out and tell them to find some other place to live, but that’s just me saying that not being in the situation. If I ever was put in that situation all I can say is that I am going to stick as close to what the word of God says and try to continue to lead people to him.

[Rose Escobedo]

My thought when reading this, is that Jerusalem is going through the same secularization as the U.S. has gone through in the past decades. The so called tolerant people have no tolerances for religious practices or culture differences. The young people of today can easily forget the benefits they have to enjoy today because of the generations past and the devotion to honor a commandment from God. This article serves as a mirror to view how far our country has come from honoring God in our community and our nation.

Just as Daniel did not defile himself while in Babylon as a Christian there should be clear traits that we are Christ followers and will not compromise to the culture or new norms.