Say what?

I was pa rousing some ads today when I came across an appliance ad that had Ovens. I have recently just bought an oven and was looking at the features of a specific oven, when I came across "Sabbath Mode". Immediately I thought, "This thing cooks for you on the Sabbath?" And how does it know what day I consider the Sabbath. Well I googled "Sabbath Mode" and I got my answer as to what this dandy feature is.

Per GE, Hotpoint, and a couple others:

"The oven will stay at the temperature the user selects when entering the Sabbath mode. The digital control display will not show time, temperature, or selected oven function until the Sabbath mode feature is manually De-activated at the conclusion of the Sabbath or holiday. This makes it possible for observant Jews to serve warm food on holidays, the underlying principle being that it is permissible to use electricity that is already on but not to turn it on or off during the duration of the holiday. Observant Jews are thus prohibited from turning on or off the oven, or taking an action that causes the oven control display to change during the Sabbath or religious holidays."

So in other words, the oven is turned on, you know its on, but nothing tells you the oven is on. So that's where Faith comes in. You turned it on, there is no indicator light for your religous observance security, no clock, no alarms, nothing to tell you its on. You just gotta have faith its on. This brings up another thing. God must not want Jews to be thrifty, Power is expensive. He must not want them to care about wasting energy which goes against all the green theories of "saving energy" and "global warming". Climate Change be damned! I have a Religious Holiday to observe!

Something else I find very interesting. Here is what About.com says for this situation.

Question: Why do some Jews not use electricity on the Sabbath?

Answer: The Bible says one should refrain from work on the Sabbath, and the Bible includes the kindling of fire as work (Exodus 35:3).

Observant Jews (primarily orthodox Jews) consider electricity to be a form of fire. These Jews do not turn on lights, ovens, televisions, radios and other electrical appliances on the Sabbath. Instead, prior to the start of the Sabbath, they often plug their electrical appliances into special "Shabbat clocks" which turn the lights, air conditioners, ovens, ... on and off at pre-set times.

Some authorities believe that electricity is not truly fire. However, they still believe in banning the use of electricity on the Sabbath as a way to prevent Jews from violating the Sabbath by doing work that can stem from the use of electricity.

So serving food from a "Hot Oven" isn't work stemming from an oven that uses electricity to get hot? Or is it just easier to pretend the food just appears there and ignore the things that dont fit into your predisposed conception of your Religion.

Also like so many other Religions who take the whole "Work on the Sabbath" ahem, seriously, its ok to enjoy the fruits of others work on the Sabbath, just not your own. Its ok to start the fire in your car and get your butt to church. And to labor your lazy Sabbath ass into a pew, but don't work at it.

Come to think about it, trying to figure out "What Would Jesus Do" every Sunday when yet another situation or dilemma arises, seems a lot like work to me. Do I answer that phone that is ringing off the hook right now? While I am not working, eating hot wings from the oven that's been on since Saturday, and I am watching this Football game on this Television that has been on since Friday? Why yes I should. But No! Wait! WWJD? No, I can't answer it since the phone company has employees working today to make the phone work. Well if I pretend not to know that, I'm good. Pretend Television Producers aren't working today to bring me this Broadcast. There is no one at the Power Plants making the electricity I am consuming. This stuff all just magically works.

Being Jewish was so much easier in the 1600's before Electricity was discovered. And the 1700's when it's principles were being applied to practical uses.
Im sure just being a Christian was much easier as well.