Folding on Shabbat And Other Implications

Question

Kavod Harav: I was reading some responses you made to questions regarding the folding of clothing on Shabbat and how it relates to Hachanah for the week. These were questions you answered on 2/5 and 2/6. My question is a little different. On Shabbat, many of the men in my synagogue do not fold their tallit after Shacharit until after Amidah in Arvit when they say the Havdalah (Atah Chonantanu). I read in Shemirath Shabbat K'Hilchatah that one is not allowed to fold their Tallit on Shabbat. I am assuming that the reason these people do not fold their Tallit is because if it is one they wear during the week it is a Hachanah. 1. Is my assumption correct? Is it also a problem of laundering? 2. If my assumption is correct, would this be considered something that is an unecessary Chumrah? I am sure that this is an Issur D'rabanan only. 3. If not an unecessary Chumrah, would it be OK to fold it in an un-ordinary fashion, like backwards on the creases, i.e., a shinui? 4. By not folding a Tallit, to me, having nothing to do with Halachah, is showing disrespect to a D'var Kadosh, all for the sake of a chumrah. What is your opinion? Sorry for the elaborate question, but I am always extremely bothered by people who get mired in the details of halachah that they forget common sense and decency. In this case that would entail demonstrating respect for an item used in Tefillah. Think about it: what would the impression be of an Am Ha'aretz seeking his roots in Judaism and seeing that the men just dump their Tallit on their seats on Shabbat? I know that I would be turned off seeing the lack of respect people are showing to a "holy" item. If you couple that with the way some people just talk and talk during tefillah in certain synagogues and nobody cares if they do, is it any wonder why we are not bringing more and more people back to Judaism and losing our numbers? All from not folding a tallit. I know that seems extreme, but again, this idea of not folding the Tallit to me seems extreme and encompasses a whole array of issues beyond just folding a piece of cloth. This idea of lacking common sense and decency has found its way in so many other areas of Jewish living. For example, Kashrut, as demonstrated by the nonsense going on in the Kashrut industry. Kosher fish or spring water are things that come to mind. Or people who are more concerned about the wideness of the brim of their black hat or the length of their skirt or for that matter do not care about their manner of dress, but have no problem with immodest manners of speech and behavior as shown by the prevalent problem of Loshon Harah in so many communities today. Or people who are more concerned by the kosher symbol than they are about overeating and violating the principle of "Teshmaru Meod Et Nafshoteichem". Or people debating about the Kashrut of an Eiruv in a community and choosing their affiliation to one orthodox synagogue or another based on where the Rav holds or even breaking from a synagogue based on this? Is it not more important that a Jewish community remain united? Or people judging religious observance based on whether one has a TV or not in their home and whether because of this their children can be admitted to Yeshiva X or Yeshiva Y? Maybe some people do not have a TV because their neshamah needs the extra siyag against the things you see on the TV or if they had a TV they would be involved in less Torah learning?But does that mean that Ploni Almoni is any less religious? Maybe he/she can succumb his/her Yetzer Harah better than someone without a TV and does not need such a preventive measure? Or this idea that a curriculum based solely on gemorah is good and should encompass 90% of limudei kodesh while ignoring lessons in Mussar, basic Dinim, etc., the things that would contribute to lessening the ignorance among Jews today making a Kiddush Hashem to the goyim? I have met and dealt with a lot of goyim in business and in the workplace, etc. that have better morals and ethics than some so-called Orthodox Jews. Need I go on and on? Well, I had my personal "soap box" oration for the day. What are your impressions? Toda Rabah.