"Spotlight" - Is it a good or a bad thing ...

[Tumah]

And I'm not really even saying it's inherently a bad thing to avoid all TV. It's just an example of what I consider extreme religious behavior. Many things with religion blow up into an extremely serious all-or-nothing proposition.

So if I wouldn't be doing it for religious reasons, but let's say because it makes secular meditation more difficult, then you would have no problem? Besides for some generalizing and double-standard, I don't really get your issue. It kind of sounds like you're saying, "the only way to become a well-adjusted adult is to watch TV". That's kind of odd and a more than a bit sad that its reached such a degree as to become a central part of your living standard.

One could say that if it were true, and for some folks I suppose it is. I was raised devoutly Catholic so I know as much as you can know about that doctrine. I maintained a strong interest in religion and studied it in college. I worked for a pretty orthodox Jewish family that did the whole pre-ripping of the toilet paper, set their light timers and all that the night before the Sabbath so they didn't have to do any "work." I currently live in Brookline, MA, home of a large population of Hasidc Jews. I may know more about your doctrine that you think, though I don't claim to be an expert. Still, all I'm judging in what you're telling me, and I find much of it odd and disturbing.

Watching people perform rituals, and studying the reason for rituals are two completely different things.
But again, I kind of feel like you are being very closed minded. Possibly your religious upbringing is at cause, but you seem to have difficulty accepting that there are other ways of doing things, that you may not choose for yourself but still work for others just as well, if not better. I have a beautiful happy family, I live in a great, clean neighborhood. My life seems to be moving along just spiffily, despite the issues you seem to see. I mean, you're going to have to work a lot harder to prove that there's a problem here.

I guess, but it's a tough pill to swallow when you say you're against TV and movies because it's better to interact socially with your fellow human being, and then learn that you try not to talk, be around, or even look at, women.

These are two separate things. Human beings do not become well-adjusted when their social interaction is limited to machines. Interacting with other people regardless of gender seems to alleviate that problem.

Again, trying not to be judgmental, to each his or her own, but that's pretty strange behavior that in my eyes is detrimental to living a normal life.

Count about 12 lines up from this line and tell me again that you're not trying to be judgmental.
But yes, I would imagine that when you grow up in a specific society, other societies are going to seem strange. I think sticking rings into ears and lips as practiced in Africa is quite strange. But I'm sure their culture allows them to see beauty in that and I don't begrudge them that. I think gauging your ears is weird. But I'm total ok with you doing it. (That's called being non-judgmental.)
Now, if you'd like to put forward the argument that it is detrimental to living a normal life, please set the standard for 'normal' and then point to the specific problems that are occurring in my life that prove your point. Broaden your horizon and you'll realize that MA, or the US does not hold the industry standard, objective definition of normalcy. Do some backpacking or something.

What would you do if you had to work with women to make a living?

The same thing I do now when I have to interact with a woman in person. Avert my eyes, no physical contact and speak as tersely as I can without being rude.

What about when you're invited to social events?

The only social events that I attend are either at other familys' houses (where I speak to the husband and my wife, the wife) or events that are already separated by gender. Otherwise I sit with my family off to the side.

What if you're children marry someone who isn't in your sect?

What if they decide to be astronauts? Should I start getting them ready in advance of that?

And besides the appearance of being poorly adjusted socially, you're missing out on lots of wonderful people. So many women I know are smart, strong, inspirational, funny and kind. I'm happy to call many great women my friends, coworkers, running teammates, etc. You're missing out on meeting great people because your doctrine teaches you to shun them, presumably because of some sexual issue. Again, the extreme behavior I mentioned. It's not enough to learn to control lust and sexual feelings...you have to completely cut all women out of your life as much as possible. I just don't see how that can be a good thing overall.

Well you said you lived near a Hasidic enclave, did you notice a lot of bitterness and maladjustment in comparison to other neighborhoods? There are plenty of nice people and my wife knows many of them that are female. I don't see any particular gain to meeting every single nice person in the world, so why not settle for just the males and leave the rest for my wife?
Again, I don't expect you to see how that can be a good thing because you are not living in my society as a part of my society. But I'm quite confident that were that to ever change, it would make perfect sense to you and you and your neighbors would be quite happy about it.

And this, perhaps, in a nutshell is the absolute worst thing about religion. All religion, not just your faith. We should all be one happy family. The human race. Religion puts everyone in their own little silos, fearful and distrustful of 'outsiders'. It creates division where there need not be any.

I don't see any reason to live as one big happy family. Do all the bears live together? Do all the eagles? I'm no sheep. Religion doesn't breed fear and distrust. Have you heard about the Jain, Buddhist or Hare Krishna that feared you? Xenophobia is what does that. 2,000 years of persecution can do that. But religion as a whole. That's just a generalization. It is equally possible to fear insiders and even family members. And religion doesn't breed that either.

Yeah but maybe it's a more interesting discussion than how Spotlight the movie was.

Ok. but its not nice.