On Mar 14, 11:00�pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
> pavane <pavane >> wrote:
> > "Sqwertz" > wrote in ...
> >| Jonathan Kamens <Jonathan Kamens >>
> >| wrote:
> >|
> >|>http://www.snopes.com/racial/business/kosher.asp
> >|>
> >|> "Claim: Certain symbols displayed on the packaging of a variety of
> >|> grocery items signify that their manufacturers have paid a secrete tax
> >|> to the Jews.
> >|>
> >|> "Status: False."
> >|
> >| I prefer to call it extortion, but it's all in the name of God
> >| so it must be OK.
> >|
> >| Extortion is what it is.
>
> > We are glad that you set us straight on that. �It is good to have
> > a definitive explanation that a few thousand years of religious
> > and traditional history are extortion. �Thank you for your service
> > to humanity.
>
> What else would you call these private corporations set up to
> certify your products kosher for large, reoccurring fees, or else be
> subjected to a boycott by the Jewish community?
>
> If it was truly for religious reasons, wouldn't it be done on a
> volunteer basis as an act of goodwill?
>
> There doesn't seem to be any basis for these arbitrary dietary laws
> in the first place, except to keep you aware of your faith and the
> threat of going to hell if you don't obey these laws.

There's no extra costs for keeping kosher, most foods on stupidmarket
shelves are kosher by default anyway and it costs nothing extra to
refrain from consuming non kosher foods and mixing meat with dairy.
And most who claim to eat kosher meats don't, there are very few
kosher butchers anymore... many go through the motions of salting is
all, same as before there was ever a kosher butcher shop... kosher is
primarily a mindset, a very plastic mindset that stretches as far as
one chooses.... it's really like kids playing marbles, folks make up
new rules and bend the old rules on the spot as they go. Kosher costs
nothing extra.

The only time one pays more for kosher is eating at restuarants, but
then all specialty restaurants are expensive.