Neville: I generally like you — so — you dont need to attack me.
You wrote: “It’s still probably upwards of 5 times the size of the Orthodoxy in America. You just don’t live in that world now and don’t realize it. Also, 90% of them only go to shul 3 times a year, so you wouldn’t realize it.”
I respond: I dont know. But, i do know that Conservative Shuls are closing yearly on Long Island and Queens. The movement is no where near where it was. Now i dont believe that about reform — i think it is huge.
You: “This idea you apologists keep peddling that the poskim only had a problem with it because it “posed a threat” is completely insulting and shows that you probably don’t actually care about what rabbonim say because you’ll just inject your own “ulterior motive” theories when you don’t like their psaks.”
Me: I am not sure i am an apologist for the Conservative Movement. I think its true that i have hakarat hatov for the synagogue i grew up in and the people i met there. I do believe that there you can view “psak” in an historical context. Now — i am not saying that necessarily changes the psak (but it may) — but in the 1950s and 1960s — the Conservative Movement was considered a threat to Torah so the psak was harsh. (Rav Soloveichik was very strong on this issue at the time). I would also say that now that the Conservative Movement is not even remotely a halachic movement — i dont think that the same issues apply. (I would say that perhaps these issues and concerns may apply to certain orthodox synagogues that dont conform to halachic norms.)