My parents were both raised by Jews, but before we moved to NYC I lived in a town with few Jews. My parents never pushed religion on me. I remember Chanukah as a kid when evryone else has Christmas, and I was the kid who told them that Santa wasn’t real. Even at age 4 I related Santa to god and I was an atheist before I knew the meaning. Finding Carnivore was important to me as a kid in High School. Atheists didn’t have many like-minded peers or role models, but I had Carnivore. Much like MI, I was terribly upset when I heard that Peter exchanged his drug addiction for a Jesus addiction. Shortly thereafter, Peter’s death traumatized me like losing a family member.

I find many of the replies to be sad, selfish and pathetic. I’m happy for people who have religion in their lives and manage to gain something from it, and I’m sad for people whose religion is an albatross around their neck. Why is it so difficult for religious people to be happy for people who live without religion? Why does everyone need to impose their god upon those who see your god the same way you see Zeus? MI did it in the article to Josh (“as a Jew”), and many of the replies to the article did it more blatantly. Please try to learn tolerance and respect for the beliefs and values of others. Despite what you may think, Atheists don’t have a hole in them waiting to be filled by dogma. Last comment- There is no Jewish race just like there is no black race or white race. There is only the human race. Human genetic variation exists but is not sufficient to classify races. Jews should think of the Eugenics program before using the term “race”.

I think Josh would be a better man if he jumped into Judaism head first, and stopped worrying about corrupt/dishonest rabbis and what may not be perfect about Jews and the Jewish faith. I think he’s guilty of something I dealt with for a long time-idealism (he’d hate me for saying that-lol). In other words, “I’m not going to commit to any religion or faith b/c they all have problems and they all are far from perfect.” This tenet keeps you from God-not the other way around. Like New Agers and those that cling to the “spiritual-not religious” mantra, it lets themselves off the hook. Being non-commital keeps you at arms length from God. The essence of Judaism isn’t corrupt. Any corruption was done by humans. That’s not a valid reason to shun religion. Most people don’t want to give up doing things that they like doing-that’s the real reason most people don’t want to commit more fully to God. Too much ‘free love’ and ‘live for today’ (thanks Baby Boomers!) has given us entitlement issues (that we should do what we want when we want to). “With freedom comes responsiblity”, and living without certain things is good for us. It teaches us discipline and brings forth our will power. Plus, it shows our children (I have 2) that they can be happy without hedonist thinking and behaving, and that a relationship with God is crucial to real meaning in their lives.

Lastly, I wonder how Josh has been with his new job and how things are with his family. He appears to take being a father and husband seriously-so much the better for his kids and his wife. He strikes me as someone who would be a good EMT. I pray he is successful.

Sorry, one last thing. I was a huge TON fan since first reading an article about them in ’96 and went out and bought OR and BK. Those albums helped me through some tough times and are fantastic, unique statements of art and passion. But they’re just music. There are WAAAAY more important things in life. I hope Josh will look into having a relationship with God again. We were not meant to live a sarcastic and aloof life away from God. Some of us just choose it. Give God another chance, Josh. Find someone who has the kind of relationship with God that you (secretly) would like to have. Spend time with them. If it can happen to a stubborn, thick-headed person like me, it can happen to anyone.

Off the stage? Good question. I watched interviews with various members of the band and more often than not, Josh would take a backseat and let the others do the lion’s share of the talking. He never appeared comfortable with Pete’s answers nor did he appear that comfortable in his own skin. This interview fills in a lot of the “blanks” that I had about their political, social and religious overviews. I think if Josh was MORE religious. .particularly to the Jewish faith, that he would find it unfathobable to play with Type O. Yet, his good natured personality and queit demeanor must have allowed him to overlook things he may or may not agreed with. Bullshit is still BS.

But his comments are honest and refreshing. He minces no words and makes good points. I find it a bit sad that the state of music has deteriorated so much that truly GREAT musicians find it harder and harder to survive. Much less earn a living. In a seperate interview, Johnny Kelly reiterated the same feeling. Josh is close to becoming a licensed paramedic (in NJ I think). Doubly ironic that he ends up SAVING lives when he couldn’t help Peter Steele save his own. Josh even stated that he didn’t think a “couple of his bandmates would even be around in a few years.” Prophetic. Pete Steele put his own life on a fast track to finality with his alcohol and drug abuse.

I wish Josh well and hope he can continue to make music . .on his merits. He’s a helluva talent on keyboards. Looking forward to the second interview. Good job.

WHAT COUNTRY SHALL AGREE TO RECEIVE ROCKETS WITHOUT REACTING ?

That appears serious to me to see that the anti-Semitism is considered as an opinion and worse as an art, yes it is very artistic to calumniate a nation without reason!!!!
Some people will say it’s not anti-Semitism it is just anti Zionism ” I have nothing against the Jews but they must be stateless, the Christians have Vatican and ……. the Muslims have Mecca and …….… .but the Jews do not have the right to have only one country in the world, how do you call this?
A self-proclaimed state : disgusting words proclaimed, the leader of TON can be what he wants Christian, Buddhist, satanic atheistic or to idolize a jar it is not a problem but it becomes a problem when he slanders nation without shame.
Often people as this “leader” ” have the luck to have the freedom of expression and they only make use of it to be harmful.

Second of all, it’s not since the disengagement–it just got WORSE with the disengagement. It was happening for years before that.

Third of all, even a Qassam rocket is plenty damaging if it lands on, say, A PERSON. Yes, people have been killed by the Qassams.

Fourth of all, if people have even heard about this going on–and that’s a big if–they see that hundreds of people have been “injured” and they think “Ok, sad, but not terrible.” I don’t think they realize that injured, in many of these cases, means things like amputated limbs and other debilitating injuries.

Fifth of all…interesting interview