Orthodox Jewish Couple Imprisoned By Superstition, Blames Motion-Sensing Light Instead

Gizmodo ^ | Sun Jul 19 2009 | Jack Loftus

[MyTwoCopperCoins]

Was that headline mean? I'm sorry, but the silliness of this story, which centers around one couple's quest to annoy/sue the hell out of their entire apartment building, warranted it. The ridiculous story unfolds like this:

On Saturdays, Dr. Dena Coleman and her husband Gordon claim they are imprisoned in their condo because the landlord went and installed a motion-sensing security light to save energy and money. As Orthodox Jews, they say triggering the light violates a Sabbath rule, so they sued. Which rule? The Promethean one:

[The couple] claim they cannot leave their holiday flat on the Sabbath because when they do they automatically trigger the light in the communal hallway - contravening a religious ban on turning on electrical items from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday because it constitutes 'creating fire'. They say their human rights are being breached and are now suing the flats' management company - their neighbours - for failing to accommodate their religion.

Of the 35 other owners in the complex, not a single one of them supports the Colemans' lawsuit or their suggested fix, which entails forcing the management company to install a custom override switch. Oh, and management and the other tenants must pay back all the legal costs too.

Adding insult to injury is the fact that this is just the couple's holiday flat.

The case is scheduled for later this year. May the management install even more motion-sensing lights in that span.



[Read full: Daily Mail, UK]

[betty boop]

I merely pointed out the fallacy (and danger) of interposing the fallible opinions of men (no matter how "wise") as authoritative "legislators" between the "partners".

Good to know that, dear brother in Christ! Thank you ever so much for the further elaborartion/clarification of the issue at point! Certainly I have no problem with it. To put it mildly....

No man can claim (or be said) to be "wise" who thinks he is free to chart his own course, without reference to the truth of reality. Which he does not/cannot make. Himself.

All thanks and praise and glory be to God!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so very much for sharing your insights, dear brother and sister in Christ!

My brother and his branch of the family are observant Christians who celebrate the Sabbath. As I recall, they tape over the light switches to avoid doing work by reflex. But perhaps they also think it would making a fire, which it is not as you have explained. I'll need to discuss that with them.

The rest of my family, also Christian, does not observe the Sabbath and instead observes the Lord's Day (Sunday.)

Personally, I look forward to Christ's 1,000 year reign on earth as the prophesied Sabbath (Genesis et al)

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ. - Colossians 2:16-17

To God be the glory!