silentbattle wrote on 08 Feb 2010 15:27:
I think that GYE has never had trouble running 100% in line with the torah - and at the same time, we can lovingly accept our brothers who are not orthodox. We're helping them get closer to hashem, too, certainly in this area.
We don't have to pressure them to become frum tomorrow, and they don't have to justify themselves. Obviously, people who disrespect torah and hashem need to find another avenue...but showing respect for the people that you're with and the place that you're in isn't very demanding, and people from ALL sects can appreciate that.
The beauty of GYE has, for me, always been the fact that so many different types of people can join together, share, and grow together.
We, of all people, should know better than to exclude people because of their level of observance - for years, we've been violating the worst aveiros. Its easy to point fingers and feel good about the fact that we're "better" than someone else, but then we lose sight of what we're really here for. To learn, and grow - not to reassure ourselves that there are other people on a lower level than us (when generally, we're wrong about that, too).
Totally agree!
And with Guards response too.