Dog to be stoned!

[Tuor]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13819764

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

A Jewish rabbinical court condemned to death by stoning a stray dog it feared was the reincarnation of a lawyer who insulted its judges, reports say.
The dog entered the Jerusalem financial court several weeks ago and would not leave, reports Israeli website Ynet.
It reminded a judge of a curse passed on a now deceased secular lawyer about 20 years ago, when judges bid his spirit to enter the body of a dog.
The animal is said to have escaped before the sentence was carried out.
One of the judges at the court in the city's ultra-Orthodox Mea Shearim neighbourhood had reportedly asked local children to carry out the sentence.
An animal welfare organisation filed a complaint with the police against a court official, who denied reports that judges had ordered the dog's stoning, according to Ynet.
But a court manager told Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot the stoning had been ordered as "as an appropriate way to 'get back at' the spirit which entered the poor dog", according to Ynet.
Dogs are considered impure animals in traditional Judaism.

Have Jews always shared this belief in reincarnation, or did I miss something?

EDIT: Given that this media story has been retracted, this deserves an edit. Talk about the ethics of the media and why they might have blown up this story in the first place instead, I suppose.

[John ''True Grit'' Wayne]

nutjobs

[Doyle141]

Truly disgraceful. Another score for irreligion.

[Yosemite]

Truly disgraceful. Another score for irreligion.

surely you jest

you meant a score for moderation right

[SonOfOdin]

Humans are weird.

[Exarch]

when i read the title, i was wondering why dogs needed to smoke pot

[leeho730]

And they think Muslims are backwards...

[(s)AINT]

Barbaric ers.

Only in the Greater Jerusalem area...

And they think Muslims are backwards...

I think that ALL of them are backwards. Specifically the 3 Abrahamic Religions.


_I_ --> The Big 3.

[Ancient Aliens]

I think that ALL of them are backwards. Specifically the 3 Abrahamic Religions.

Agreed.

Events like this are why Israel is becoming more and more atheistic. Believe it or not Israel has the 13th largest percentage of atheists, and interesting figure for a holy site of three major religions, no?

[(s)AINT]

Agreed.

Events like this are why Israel is becoming more and more atheistic. Believe it or not Israel has the 13th largest percentage of atheists, and interesting figure for a holy site of three major religions, no?

I'm not fimilar with Israel and its demographics - but is it legal for Israeli citizens to proclaim atheism?

I guess I'm comparing Israel to Saudi Arabia - were if you claim you're an atheist you're pretty ed.

[Ancient Aliens]

I'm not fimilar with Israel and its demographics - but is it legal for Israeli citizens to proclaim atheism?

I guess I'm comparing Israel to Saudi Arabia - were if you claim you're an atheist you're pretty ed.

Here are some demographics I pulled up, they seem to be old but they correlate Israels relatively high percentage of atheists.

http://www.impactlab.net/2006/03/26/...e-of-atheists/

Here is an interesting article on the concept of ethnical Judaism but religious atheism. Remember that many of these people consider themselves to be Jewish (and thusly some of them state that they are religious). This is a very popular belief in Jewish communities in Los Angeles and the East Coast of the United States. I believe the specific term is hilonim (sp?):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_atheism

Why should it not be? The state was founded by Zionists who were not religious.

Indeed. Most people forget that the Jewish people were persecuted as an ethnically inferior group thanks to the works of people like Martin Luther and Henry Ford. The Jewish ethnic group has the third largest atheistic population, below people of Nordic and East Asian ancestory. An event like the Holocaust can collectively shake an ethnic groups faith in a god, I'm sure.

[basics]

" Indeed. Most people forget that the Jewish people were persecuted as an ethnically inferior group thanks to the works of people like Martin Luther and Henry Ford. The Jewish ethnic group has the third largest atheistic population, below people of Nordic and East Asian ancestory. An event like the Holocaust can collectively shake an ethnic groups faith in a god, I'm sure. "

Ancient Aliens,

I can get the link with Luther but where Ford comes in I can't quite grasp. It is written that the Jews need or seek signs and wonders to make God relevent to them and this has been seen throughout their history, today being no exception. Since the Law never had any influence on them or most of them it stands to reason that many have turned to atheism.

I mean that socialism always played a great part within the tribes it surely follows the next best step being atheism for many yet not all. Despite these things there has been and always will be a small enclave that cling to the Law and commandments although in this case I don't know where reincarnation comes in. To them the dog is an unclean animal just as it was way back when the Law was delivered.

[Trax]

Reminds me of this movie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hour_of_the_Pig

[Trax]

I'm not fimilar with Israel and its demographics - but is it legal for Israeli citizens to proclaim atheism?

Why should it not be? The state was founded by Zionists who were not religious.

[(s)AINT]

Yes I know quite a few Atheists who came from Jewish decent/ethnicity.

People still call them Jews though....

Thanks

[Col. Tartleton]

Yes I know quite a few Atheists who came from Jewish decent/ethnicity.

People still call them Jews though....

Thanks

That's because Judaism is a diverse ethno-religious culture. Which somehow doesn't require you to be of the ethnicity, religion, or culture

[Requies]

Religions, nuff said.

[SonOfOdin]

Yes I know quite a few Atheists who came from Jewish decent/ethnicity.

People still call them Jews though....

Thanks

I think they refer to Jews being "Jews" in regards to culture and ethnicity, rather than religion.

[John ''True Grit'' Wayne]

its a law court so does that mean its legal to kill this dog in israeli law?

[mw2xboxplayer]

A Jewish rabbinical court condemned to death by stoning a stray dog it feared was the reincarnation of a lawyer...
It reminded a judge of a curse...

Religious superstition of an "impure animal", mixed in with fear about "curses" and other nonsense.

Pure illogical trash. And we wonder why this region can never get its act together?