<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV>--- On <B>Fri, 10/30/09, Micha Berger <I><micha@aishdas.org></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
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<DIV class=plainMail>On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 01:55:35PM -0200, Claudia Gaspar wrote:<BR>: A friend of mine who is x-tian lost his 20-year old son in a terrible<BR>: motorcycle accident.<BR>: He invited me to attend a mass and I know it's very important to him I can<BR>: be present in a so painful time.<BR><BR>Ask your poseiq, of course. But speaking on a theoretical plane...<BR><BR>RYBS didn't allow watching JFK's Catholic funeral on TV. We're talking<BR>about actual AZ here, at least WRT our participation. (Shituf and 6<BR>mitzvos benei Noach aside, we're talking about you attending.) I expect<BR>a poseiq would tell you that you can't do one of the yeihareig ve'al<BR>ya'avor to save someone else some pain.</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
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<DIV>This is a difficult question to answer and well below my pay grade. But FWIW I agree with R' Micha. Even going into a Church is Assur - let alone listening to a priest deliver a sermon there.</DIV>
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<DIV>OTOH you should definitely ask a Posek. </DIV>
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<DIV>During the the President's inauguration he invited members of the clergy to speak at the National Cathedral in DC. He included members of all Jewish religious denominations which of course means Orthodox rabbis too.</DIV>
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<DIV>After several Orthodox rabbis politely refused, Rabbi Lookstein accepted. He was criticized for that by many but he offered a vigorous defense of it.</DIV>
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<DIV>I don't think it is as clear cut as it may seem. That's why I say you should consult a Posek about what to do in your personal circumstance.</DIV>
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<DIV>HM<BR><BR>Want <SPAN>Emes</SPAN> and Emunah in your life? <BR><BR>Try this: http://haemtza.blogspot.com/<BR><BR></DIV></td></tr></table><br>