It’s loony for sure, but no loonier than some of the pronouncements by ultra-Orthodox Jewish rabbis. A few years back some rabbi representing the Cohanim (hereditary Jewish priesthood, i.e. “Cohen”) announced that it had been determined that the prohibition on Cohanim walking through graveyards meant they also couldn’t fly in an airplane that flew directly above a graveyard, and asked El Al to change its flight paths accordingly. El resisted, so some of the loony-bins went back to their scriptures and came to the brilliant conclusion that it would be permissible for them to fly in airplanes directly over graveyards if they were securedly zipped into body bags during that portion of the flight. So they informed El Al that at the appropriate times during flights, they would be getting out their body bags and climbing into them and zipping themselves in. El Al, to its credit, told them where they could stuff that idea (and some of the loony-bins found reasons why this plan wouldn’t satisfy their religious requirements anyway). Last I heard, El Al had caved, and re-routed some flight paths.
http://www.jewishmediaresources.com/ncarticle/247/
http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5762/vaera/VE62abengrion.htm
The cohanim also have issues with hospitals, roads, museums, and just about everything else, and have demanded accommodations including architectural changes and special signage. Muslims don’t have a corner on loonyism, especially in that part of the world.
http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5766/KRH66features.htm
And don’t miss this insightful explanation of the urgent need for pregnant women (not just of the cohanim families, but all followers of this particular brand of loonyism) not to come into contact with finger or toe nail clippings (excerpt: “Before Adam sinned, he was entirely covered by a protective nail-like substance. After sinning, he lost it and all that remained were the fingernails. Since Woman caused this loss of these “nails”, she is disposed to be punished through nails.”)
http://www.shemayisrael.com/pipermail/daf-discuss_shemayisrael.co.il/2007-January/001252.html
Oh, good heavens. There’s nothing in the Hebrew scriptures that would support such lunacy.
Are you standing in for US Admirer?