SC - list newbie/Seasonal food.

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Ted Eisenstein wrote:
> 
> If one were a Jew who kept closely to Judaism, why would you want
> to follow a purely Christian custom?

For the same reason that I attend a seder every year, while
theoretically a Christian. Because it's no skin off my nose to observe
customs that are not inherently antithetical to my beliefs, because my
social time with my friends is precious to me, and because I am happy to
be made welcome and participate in upholding the ancient traditions of
my hosts, and even presume on the possibility that I may actually be
adding something to the occasion.

It occurs to me that sitting at a seder (again, an example) would be a
bad place for me to come over all hostile and say, "Hey, I'm just here
to keep warm, and I'm not eating that stuff -- I've got a Bayonne ham
sandwich on a nice, light baguette, so you can keep that matzoh stuff
over on the other end of the table."

Basically, it comes down to some degree of compromise and the desire to
interact in a civilized manner, or to eat alone or exclusively with
others of one's own faith. I suspect that Jews in period would either
have found other Jews to eat with, or they would have dealt with it in
one way or another, and probably without expressing much public disdain
for the customs of the local majority.  

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com