User talk:Halakhic-Jews-Only

Welcome!

Hello, Halakhic-Jews-Only, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will automatically produce your name and the date. If you need help, check out Wikipedia:Where to ask a question, ask me on my talk page, or place {{helpme}} on your talk page and someone will show up shortly to answer your questions. Again, welcome! Jayjg ^(talk) 23:45, 29 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Netzarim[edit]

I understand how you feel about them, and sympathize, but we have to adhere to Wikipedia policy regardless of our feelings. I'm sure you'll have a great time anyway on English Wikipedia; kol tuv. Jayjg ^(talk) 00:08, 30 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Hi HJO. The policy I was referring to with the bad link was actually Wikipedia:No original research; sorry for the confusion. Jayjg ^(talk) 14:58, 30 Mar 2005 (UTC)

A note to a new user[edit]

Halakhic Jews Only writes:

I cry inside when I see discussion about Yahadut and the nation of Israel by people blatently ignorant concerning HaLakhah. Please for the love of HaShem don't be so arrogant as to feel you can make difinitive statements until you have at least graduated from Yeshivah

Dear newcomer: We can always use new and learned contributors. But it is not polite to come to a project of many people, and immediately lecture most of us in this way. One may not say that vast majority of people on this project stop editing Judaism articles unless they conform to your personal understanding of halakha. Further, you should not label us as "arrogant". Finally, you cannot say that people should refrain from editing these articles unless they graduate from a yeshiva! This is not an Orthodox Jewish publication, or even a Jewish publication of any kind. It is a secular encyclopedia that is being written for a worldwide, English speaking audience. Please review our NPOV policy. As our NPOV policy states:

NPOV policy often means presenting multiple points of view. This means providing not only the points of view of different groups today, but also different groups in the past. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia. One important task for encyclopedias is to explain things. In the case of human beliefs and practices, explanation encompasses not only what motivates individuals who hold these beliefs and practices, but an account of how such beliefs and practices came to be and took shape. Wikipedia articles on history and religion draw from a religion's sacred texts. But Wikipedia articles on history and religion also draw from modern archaeological, historical and scientific sources.

Many adherents of a religion will object to a critical historical treatment of their own faith, claiming that this somehow discriminates against their religious beliefs. They would prefer that the articles describe their faith as they see it, which is often from a non-historical perspective (e.g. the way things are is the way things have always been; any differences are from heretical sects that don't represent the real religion.) Their point of view must be mentioned, yet note that there is no contradiction. NPOV policy means that we say something like this: Many adherents of this faith believe X, which they believe that members of this group have always believed; however, due to the acceptance of some findings (say which) by modern historians and archaeologists (say which), other adherents (say which) of this faith now believe Z. Unsigned by User:RK.

Username[edit]

Hi new user, I would strongly encourage you to get a different username. I applaud your endeavour to correct any factual inaccuracies, but I must warn you (like RK did above) that as an encyclopedia this project attempts to mention all viewpoints, including all those that are contrary to halakha. It is not the job of an encyclopedia to convince its reader of the veracity of one particular viewpoint. NPOV is a highly-held principle, for the violation of which people have been blocked from editing Wikipedia. JFW | T@lk 11:54, 30 Mar 2005 (UTC)

I'll say one thing from my pov, and one thing only. Barukh Atah Adonai, Elohaynu Melech Ha'olam, for Reform Judaism, and Amen to that. Rickyrab 21:25, 31 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Okay, what I meant here is that there needs to be leeway in Judaism for all sorts of viewpoints on the issues, so long as they are based on already empirically reported facts. Rickyrab 21:39, 31 Mar 2005 (UTC)