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Religion-Politics Mix Gives Rise to Fear
I grew up in a household where among our many guests were older people with tattooed numbers on their arms. They spoke with accents -- Polish, German, French.
These were friends of my parents who had survived Nazi concentration camps -- the Holocaust -- and lived to tell their stories. And what they spoke of, over and over again, was the danger that comes when government dictates which religion is good and which religion is not (and thus which religion's adherents are good or bad).
They had lived in countries where the very fact that you were a Jew meant you couldn't hold certain jobs, live in certain areas, attend certain schools -- where, ultimately, in its most horrific manifestation, being a Jew meant you were targeted for death.
I lived in a household where the memory and evidence of that Holocaust was directly and powerfully linked to the belief that America was a safe place because this country clearly separated religion and the state.
But these days, I see that changing.
I'm a Jew and I'm scared.
It's not just that Mike Huckabee, an Evangelical and self-described "Christian Leader," won the GOP Iowa presidential caucus last week.
It's the photos of his supporters praying and holding American flags.
Jews don't feel good or safe when flags and religion get all mixed up. Put government and the Church or the Koran or Bible together, and Jews usually lose. (You'll probably say the state of Israel -- whose flag bears the Jewish Star of David -- puts the lie to that theory, but I'd disagree. The very theocratic nature of the state of Israel has led to the current profound threats to its legitimacy, both as a nation and a democracy. I know, I'm half Israeli, daughter of two families that fought for Israel's establishment.).
But back to Huckabee.
My fear didn't really start with him, but it's flowered in the last few days of a presidential campaign that's been marked by candidates shamelessly pandering to the Christian electorate, falling all over themselves in the God stakes to demonstrate who's a better Christian.
It's been growing, though, over the last decade, when the principles that had kept me feeling safe and secure as a Jew in America have been under attack.
In elementary school, I remember how awful it felt to sing carols in our annual Christmas assembly -- because singing the words in praise of Jesus felt like I was doing something terrible, for which I would be punished.
And how much of an outsider I felt when Christmas trees went up in all our classrooms. And how really bad it felt when some boys locked my brother in a classroom and forced him to push a penny around on the floor with his "Jewish nose." Or when I got such anti-Semitic hate notes in my bookbag that I finally left the school I'd been in for only five months.
But in the years since I was a child, through court battles and the evolution of our consciousness as a democratic and pluralistic society, our country seemed to be well on the way to carrying out the promise of our founding fathers and the First Amendment, that America would be a society where no religion would be favored by government:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Christmas trees and churches in front of city halls were banned, Hanukkah and other religious minorities' holidays found their way into holiday celebrations at school, a Jew was selected to run for vice president.
Yet along with this evolution came counter-revolution.
Just as societies being forcefully modernized in Africa, Asia and the Mideast developed their own homegrown extremists, along came America's versions: the Moral Majority, the more violent fighters of the abortion battles, the growing electoral power of the Christian right, without whom, it seemed, Republicans felt they could not win the White House.
And then came the presidential primary race of 2007.
My jaw dropped when Mitt Romney said that "freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom." No, freedom doesn't require religion, Mr. Romney, and whoever has been giving you history lessons needs to re-read the Constitution and the First Amendment's Establishment Clause.
What is it about "no" (as in "no law respecting an establishment of religion") that you don't understand?
The otherwise rational and well-informed John McCain said he thought the Constitution established a "Christian nation."
Where does that leave folks like me and my children?
Hillary Clinton has a "Faith, Family and Values" team on her campaign staff.
Can we please stop hiding behind euphemisms and call "faith" what it really is: "religion"?
Democratic primary candidate Bill Richardson told a crowd of Iowa voters that their state needed to maintain its first-in-the-nation status "for constitutional reasons, for reasons related to the Lord." Oh, please. And the Lord wants New Hampshire to vote second, right?
And while Americans rail against the Taliban's atavistic treatment of women, Republican caucus voters in Iowa just chose a man, Huckabee, who has said that he agrees with the statement that "a wife is to submit graciously to the servant leadership of her husband."
America is not on its way to forming concentration camps.
An African-American has just been chosen as winner of the Iowa Democratic caucuses.
My children, both Jews, can largely join any club they want, go to any school they like, choose any profession to which they're suited.
This is not pre-Nazi Germany.
But we are on a dangerous path -- one that is fundamentally anti-democratic and un-American.
The growing population of Bible-thumpers on the campaign trail has distinct roots in American history, to be sure, but they are not proud roots.
They are the roots of prejudice and discrimination, of exclusivity and narrow-mindedness.
I have great respect for all this country's religions -- so much so that I chose to study religion in college and raised a child who has a master's degree in divinity. Religion is is a deep and profound part of our political culture in America and I have no argument with that fact.
Yet it is the emphasis on one, favored form of religion, one kind of belief that is so frightening to me.
Hand in hand with the growing public acceptance of professions of Christian faith on the campaign trail is the implicit idea that this is the one faith that is true and correct, and which qualifies its holder for the presidency.
Like me, I do not think that the majority of Americans believe this to be so.
Naomi Schalit is Opinion Page editor for the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel.
Copyright © 2008, Blethen Maine Newspapers, Inc.
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105 Comments so far
Show AllNaomi-You say:, "This is not pre-Nazi Germany."
Are you sure about that?
bigjoe31 January 10th, 2008 6:32 pm
"America is not on its way to forming concentration camps."
Really?? - they've been contracted for since 1999 and are presently underconstruction.
Exactly!
In elementary school, I remember how awful it felt to sing carols in our annual Christmas assembly — because singing the words in praise of Jesus felt like I was doing something terrible, for which I would be punished.
I, too, felt uncomfortable when Christmas carols were sung and prayers were said because my family did not attend ANY church. Always was judged on this fact by the good Christians who thought that we would not grow up to be GOOD people. I still have friends who sincerely believe that you will not go to heaven unless you belong to their particular Christian faith.
I agree.
"Faith and Family Values" is always a cover for a Peyton Place lifestyle. Hypocracy and Religion always sleep in the same bed.
Religion and Freedom will never go hand in hand. They are actually opposites. Once someone gets hooked on the religion drug, they immediately try to hook everyone else on it too. Religious people routinely try to tell others how to live and what to do based on their own distorted version of reality. Religious people care nothing about freedom unless you are part of their own little clique.
Religious people will willingly commit any crime, any atrocity, or violate any civil rights as long as they think it will benifit their church or their diety.
I'm not Jewish, but I'm just as afraid. When America dies it will be from getting crushed under the foot of religious fascism.
This is a well-written, well-reasoned article, thank you so much. The MSM is asking why Romney did so poorly in New Hampshire, being next door to Massachusetts - believe, as a Massachusetts resident we are well aware of his hyposcrisy, and religion is only one of many issues.
As a non-religious Jew, I have always loved singing Christmas carols and have had a Christmas tree most of my life - I don't begrudge Christians their "Merry Christmas". However, I bristle when I hear "Christian Nation" and I cringe when I think of Mike Huckabee as the Republican nominee - although I do like many things about him. If he could only get rid of the religion card...
Naomi may be right, that it's scarier than I'm willing to admit right now. I believe one of the reasons Kerry lost was that in the end he "found religion" and started spouting "God Bless Yous"; Hillary is doing the same thing, which will be her downfall.
You must have been aware of the Evangelicals waiting outside the Iraq border with packages that had little life support and more christianity once the US invaded Iraq.
The money in the churches goes to a whole bunch of missions in non christian countries.
Bush knows that the massive amount of monies he gives to "Relegious Institutions" for charity, there is only one mosque, synagogue or temple of worship in every city, while there are hundreds of churches, and several evangilical ones.
I agree with you, Naomi, that the religious fundamentalism issue in this country is becoming very scary. As a former Roman Catholic/Christian who is now an Earth-based-spirituality pagan, I may have more to fear than you do. The majority of people seem to equate paganism with atheism, both of which are protected by the Constitution. Native Americans were pagan and beleived in a Deity they called Great Spirit. I believe in my Higher Power, and I call her Goddess. Since no one really knows who or what "God" is, what does it really matter what the Deity is called or how people choose to honor what they believe.
When our Constitution is dishonored by politicians and those people who are in power, there is a cause for fear. As a pagan, I would certainly be a target for reproach by those fundamental religious who believe that they own the "truth." The real "truth" is that there are many "truths" and each one is valid, except when fundalmentalism turns it into something that is no longer spiritual, non-judgmental, and truly holy.
I think we must each pray in our own way (and atheists certain pray when they send good thoughts out to the Universe) for this country to elect leadership that will set the Ship of State back on calm waters.
I agree with you Naomi, and thank you for your courage in saying it. It's not just America, but the whole western world is seeing the rise of fundamentalism. You would think, seeing the problems fundamentalism has caused in the Middle East, that western leaders would be ony too keen to keep religion out of politics. Instead pandering to the evangelicals is seen as a way of getting extra votes, and building fundamentalist schools, funded by the public, is one of the demands that is met. Given your school experience though, I wonder how you feel about schools that cater only to students of a particular religion or sect (http://www.blognow.com.au/mrpickwick/Religion/) - part of the problem or part of the solution?
The premier "family values" issue we should work for in America is universal health care (that's the CARE, not the "insurance" that needs to be universal.) The status quo (Republican) religious presumption that a man's wife or children shall get health care IF the man is "successful" and wealthy (enough to be insured by the moneychanger crowd), or IF we demean both the man and the family with a WELFARE PROGRAM and a six-hour wait in the ER, is about as off-base from Christianity as we could get. And yet it lingers.
Pretty is as pretty does. Christian is as Christian does. Jesus is not to blame and He has not changed. But many faux followers, however, are stuck on the "thee and thou" of King James English, stuck in the rut of ritual, stuck on somehow kicking the butts of others in rival Christian or Non-Christian factions, and don't know a family value from a communion wafer. Most of them lean Republican, too, for lack of better preaching of the real gospel at the church they attend.
"Family Values" are more than cutting taxes in the high brackets and using the anti-abortion speech platform to elect the taxcutters. We need the taxes to do the CARE that is the real valuing of family. The CARE, not the "insurance."
Roger Williams, the founder of the Rhode Island colony in the 1630's was a deeply spiritual person, he considered himself a Christian. He was kicked out of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (rapidly becoming a theocracy) for being too radical and a danger (a "corrupter of minds") to others because he adamantly believed that the civil government (the state) should never legislate a persons belief, it was a "matter of conscience". It was his belief that Christianity was a personal matter and to impose it on others was blasphemy, and in fact was sacrilegious. In his mind you either "got it" or you didn't, and to legislate belief was an insult to his religion.
He, along with Anne Hutchinson, (also banned from Massachusetts), set up the first colony based on the separation of church and state, which eventually influenced the likes of Jefferson and others.
Rhode Island had the first Jewish synagogue, the first Quaker settlement and eventually became the home of a wide diversity of believers and non believers. All that diversity drove Williams and others crazy but they still allowed it because they believed that only in a completely free society could one find the truth.
See "Liberty of Conscience; Roger Williams in America" by Edwin Gaustad
Also an excellent recently published book is "Religious Freedom and the Constitution" by Christopher L Eisgruber and Lawrence G. Sager, who argue for "Equal Liberty".
And a good web site is Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. www.au.org
I'm not an athiest, but my biggest fear for most of my adult life has been of the religious fanatics, brought about naturally by my interest in history.
What I know of the many activities of them in our society today, and all the things they're striving for, and I'm even more scared.
I think it's a little late to be noticing this trend!
Most of us have been concerned about this Fundie religious movement in America for the past two decades.
Flags and Bibles simply signal corruption in government --- nationalizm and religion --- home of the scoundrels.
Patriarcy and organized patriarchal religions have won out of the millennia thru violence.
How could any feminist belong to or support organized patriarchal religions?
And -- to be noted --- under the covers of war, fear, nationalizm, "god" talk -- Halliburton has been building what look like concentration camps.
And, we do have corporate-fascism ---
All fascism is based on exploitation of someone ---
and upon myths of inferiority --- of people of other religions, of females, of homosexuals, of immigrants.
And it wins thru violence ---
Personally, I think all we have to do is look at the political violence America has suffered over the past 45 years to understand that fascism is crossing our threshold in America.
"America is not on its way to forming concentration camps."
Yes we are. In fact, we've already got 'em.
Gitmo and various "holding facilities" throughout the world are concentration camps, where unnamed people go to die. The are held, tortured, and killed by our government.
Thanks for speaking out on this important topic! As an atheist, I'm happy to share the world with you :)
Naomi-
Thank you for a well-written article.
Years ago,the Repugs assisted right-wing fundamentalist Christians in taking over the public perception of Christianity by making media darlings out of Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell.
Today, the Repugs are assisting right-wing fundamentalist zionists in taking over the public perception of Judaism by making media darlings out of Bill Kristol and Tim LeHay.
You are right to be afraid but please remember the words from Dune: "Fear is the mind killer." Keep learning and keep speaking out Naomi. Your voice is the voice of the silent majority.
I couldn't agree more with at least 90% of what you say, but there is a glaring mistake that I'm frankly surprised that no commenter has pointed out. You say
"... The very theocratic nature of the state of Israel has led to the current profound threats to its legitimacy, both as a nation and a democracy..."
Not true. Not even close.
What has led to what you describe as 'profound threats' is not its theocracy. The land that is now Israel had been the home of Jews, Muslims and Christians for thousands of years, without any notable problems. And then Israel was established as a Jewish nation, after WWII, and Palestinians were forcibly ejected from their land, homes and livelihoods without compensation. That's where the refugee crisis in Gaza came from and that's the cause of the overwhelming outrage among Arabs. Well, that and the continuing settlements by Israel on Palestinian land. And the fact that Israel's legitimacy rests on continuing military threats, subsidized by the U.S., to it's neighbors.
This blog will probably be taken down and I'll be charged with anti-Semitism. The fact remains, whether or not anyone is listening, that there are perfectly legitimate ways to guarantee Israel's survival but first Israel has to become a decent neighbor.
The fact that the U.S. is so closely linked with Israel's defense poses a 'profound threat' to America. This fact was the subtext of the 911 report, and was later acknowledged by its authors. I'm worried about us.
I think the scariest thing for Israel is the current tide of public opinion which seems to be turning toward fair treatment for the Palestinians. There are headlines daily detailing Israel's lastest bad behavior. I think that's what you should be afraid of, if you want to be afraid. Better yet, why not give up being afraid and start working with numerous other Jewish Americans to change Israel.
ALL religions, are an embarrassment to humanity.
They have been shit disturbers, ever since they were invented. Their "love", consists of bigotry, racism, hate, and violence, against those who do not submit to their 'one true path".
A pox on all their houses.
Chump II, as an evangelical, believes the chosen people need to be protected.
Since "Judeo-Christian values" impart a favorable glow to any candidate, we're going to hear and see advertising.
No more fear is necessary in the US; cordoning off and disenfranchising people today is achieved with more sophisticated mechanisms (including fear.) Naomi's kids can attend any school they want if they have the front money, as can muslim children. (un-American is meaningless)
The greatest sin is being unwilling to consider the possibility that you may be mistaken.
If I can't be wrong, especially if God has assured me of my infallibility, I am capable of anything. Everyone always has been.
"America is not on its way to forming concentration camps."
Really?? - they've been contracted for since 1999 and are presently underconstruction.
Get informed - get real.
http://www.alternet.org/rights/32647/
jolyjuly,
I wouldn't say you were anti-semitic. A revisionist moron, maybe.
The Palestinians are in such a sorry state, because they never miss a chance to screw up. They and their Arab neighbors keep picking a fights and getting their butts kicked. A sane group of people would have figured it out after the third or fourth go around, but no.
From the time they first tried in 1948, until the last major war in 1973, they have been on a mission of extermination. I defy you to tell me the Israelis would have fared better than the Palestinians if the Arabs had won just one of those wars. You can't, because you know if they had won, they would have committed genocide. It was part of the PLO's mandate up until the Camp David accords.
Is Israel perfect? Hardly. Their invasion of Lebanon was as huge a mistake as our invasion of Iraq. Their settlements on the West Bank and in East Jerusalem are ridiculous impediments to peace.
There is a group of former fighters and current snivelers trying to rewrite history and you have bought it hook,line, and sinker.
Ken
soon the mounting American jobless will have no other option to find a meal other than at Christian churches(Faith Based Initiatives) 3 "squares" a day to fight the cold homeless nights.
I would rather starve to death and go to hell.
Theocracy + Nationalism = Reactionary Conservative Dictatorship
The historical account is soaked in blood for what's been done in religion's name. Anyone who likes choosing their lovers, what they believe in, how they think, what they read, who they congregate with, and the ideals they identify with would have a problem if the authoritarian Christian reich takes over... and tragically, it is making progress. The catch 22 here is that people cleave to such belef systems, religious versions of "father knows best" when they become afraid. Thus when an administration, beholden to weapons' producers and suppliers sells fear to guarantee profit, the fearful rush to patriarchal houses of worship. Leave it to the father/fuhrer to guarantee their "safety" and "security."
If the rules of these religions really edified anything, we'd not see holy war this late in mankind's game, i.e. the 21st century.
I call upon DOOM & GLOOM to once again apprise the forum of his rather original "Bible thumper," a must have... if only to humor ourselves in times of a rising Dark Age.
I hate to say this, but I think what our country needs is Mike Huckabee. He'll sort of be our "Pearl Harbor" of religion...the thing that really wakes us up to the true dangers of religion. It'll be a tough pill to swallow but at least it'll help get the disease out of our system.
siouxrose - "If the rules of these religions really edified anything..." Very good point. Along these lines, something that always befuddles me is how the Catholic Priest issue never causes Christians to make this leap: If my religion can't stop someone who has devoted his life to its teachings, i.e. priests, from commiting immoral acts with young boys, how effective can it be?
"My children, both Jews, can largely join any club they want, go to any school they like, choose any profession to which they're suited".
True for Jews not so true for Muslims. Look at Barack Obama getting flack because his father was a Muslim. Look at the fact that Muslims make up as much as 6% of the population and there are no Muslim Senators and no Muslims who hold high office in this country.
In some ways this is worse than Germany when it went fascist. We knew better then. We have the ability to communicate ideas to almost all the people. We have all history to review for good and bad examples. We have a tradition of some level of democratic tradition.
We have other choices. Not all good, but FASCISM - HOW STUPID ARE WE?????????
The Constitution demands that church and state remain separate. President Thomas Jefferson penned the phrase "wall of separation between church and state" - and no number of re-tellings of the lie that this is a recent interpretaion of the Constitution will change that. (When they were a minority, the Baptists were quite grateful for that protection. How times have changed.)
Jesus told his followers not to be too deeply involved in worldly kingdoms, but rather to focus their attention on the "kingdom of god." Remember, Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and unto god, that which is god's; or Be in the world, but not of the world. He also spoke out against public displays of prayer/piety in public: Go alone into your closet to pray. (Can anyone offer more?)
So, just how can these people possibly be accepted as either good Americans or good Christians? Why are they allowed to flaunt their hypocrisy, essentially without challenge?
Organized religions have nothing to do with faith or spirituality: they are all about power, wealth, and control. Is it surprising that religion and politics are so attractive to the same sort of people?
Call out the phony religious whenever you chance upon them.
In India where I lived for two years during the 70's as a teacher at an international school, I was aware of the sadnesses of their religious culture (eg the caste system). However, one thing they got right was their whole-hearted celebration of the religious holidays of all religions - Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Christian etc.
We might do well to embrace the traditions of many groups. And besides, living at peace with others is a rather pleasant notion. When Christians buy into that line, they could truly become the religion of love. Until then, too often just another way to control people; sincerely misguided.
United States Forces are providing security to Iraq borders with Syria - no Iraqi authorities in sight.
Very recently they began a new procedure for younger Iraqis crossing to Syria:
1. Retinal scan to be added to a database.
2. Very thin bar coding about 2 inches long printed on back of right hand in indelible ink which does not come off.
Practice for U.S. ?
And now they got their own Air Force, too!
"'Our purpose for Campus Crusade for Christ at the Air Force Academy is to make Jesus Christ the issue at the Air Force Academy and around the world,' Scott Blum, the former Academy Campus Crusade for Christ director."
God blesses death from above, don't ya know. American death from above, that is. If the "Christians" in this country actually led a Christ-like life, the poor would be fed, we'd all have free health care, greed would be an anomaly and not the norm, war would be eradicated, the Earth would be in tip-top shape, and obesity would be unheard of.
Hypocrites unwilling to walk the talk.
But back to Huckabee.
A 'flat' tax so that the rich can eat the poor? That's compassion for you.
What did Jesus charge to heal the lame or cure the blind? What was the bill for that Happy Meal of loves and fishes to feed the hungry?
Immigration Amnisty. What was that parable about the laborors in the vinyard? Amnisty?
Next on the Evilgelical's list is a constitutional ammendment to deny automatic citizenship for people born here. Cute. How about limiting citizenship to only those whose ancesters were here before Columbus. If we do that then I think most of America's problems would be solved.
It's not a lack of faith (blind trust) but a lack of experience of the spirit. We are not the center of the universe but just part of the one.
America has re-entered the dark ages where priests and kings will avow their allegiance to religions, even they themselves don't believe in, so as to control the world.
This is the reason Europeans hazarded themselves across the Atlantic Ocean in the 1600's. To get away from the fanatical inquisition-ors. To get themselves out of that European nightmare of mental disease known as mandatory conformity to one religion.
Just say No to Christians: tell them to their faces that they have the belief system of little children. Most of them know this to be true: but since no one has ever taken the kool-aid out of their hands like that, they keep on bible thumping louder and louder because they know it is popular with such a dick-headd in the whitehouse as we now have.
Oh great gods of past and future fake religions!
Return us, I pray, to a new age of reason!
pac "enlightenment" plyer
They don't care what your religion, ethnicity, race, sexual preference or political preference is; if you let them invade your home, if you let them detain and torture you, if you let them murder you, they will.
Hitler; Stalin; Mao; Bush.
If you let them, they will.
Amen!
Amen Amennnn!
AAAAAAAAAAAmmmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnn!
Naomi must be either very naive or in denial. Religious Zionism drives politics in Israel, and the dream of Greater Israel is behind the land grabs and the drive to push the borders out to fufill the Bible prophecy! "the subject of the Messiah has become increasingly central to many religious Zionists in Israel.. It is precisely when the belief in the Messiah's coming starts to shape political decisions that the messianic idea ceases to be inspiring and becomes dangerous." Joseph Telushkin. Jewish Literacy
Not all people are monsters.
Those people who choose to be monsters, are.
If you allow monsters to run your religions and prey on you, they will.
If you allow monsters to run your companies and prey on you, they will.
If you allow monsters to run your country and prey on you, they will.
If you don't, they won't.
Stevieray49:
Please refer to my post above for hi-tech version of your fears
Wow,
Alot of comments here. Well I was raised in rural Maryland and attended a mainstream protestant church. In my teen years I had other priorities, and was free not to attend. I went into the service in 1975 and started attended Sunday services on base. Before long I was being not asked but visited constantly to attend Sunday evening services, mid week services etc. I too was told if I only went on Sunday's I was not truely a "Christian". The Chaplain as well implied that. That was the first of many times I would be turned off by religion. Now days it is being pushed on people again in the public media and politics, that it makes me very Anti Christian, and "Turns me off" again.
Naomi is right. This is not pre-Nazi Germany. It is, however, a parallel and equally frightening universe.
The religious crowd only wants 10%?
That's the funniest statement i've read in a long time.
Lets get real here. They want it ALL, and they have no tolerance, for anyone who does not buy into their extreme doctrines.
It's their way, or no way at all.
History bears this out.
What is called religion now is merely another form of politics.
I went to church for many years. I no longer do. It is not that I no longer believe in God. I do. I have my doubts about whether much of organized religion does. The focus has moved away from God and into politics and political power.
The final blow for me was "Justice Sunday" when a US senator said "Democrats are against people of faith.". I am an independent, not a Democrat. Nonetheless, if the comment was meant to refer to religion, it was a serious violation of the commandment that tells us not to bear false witness against one's neighbor. If the comment was meant as pure politics, it was a explotation of religion.
Do not confuse the so-called religion of today with the real thing. It's not.
As the saying goes:
You protect your power when you protect the power of others. What have you done for the Palestinians lately?
I am choosing to write this in another section, because I want to say to all those whose identification is Jewish and who have worked so ardently for the human and civil rights of others that the above comment does not pertain to all Jewish people. You stand among the best with people of all cultures, ethnicities and nationalities, as our brothers.
She has every reason to be scared! Every Christian, Moslem, Buddhist, Hindu, Jew, Scientologist and Atheist should be terrified half out of their wits too! But I see far to many who aren't. When a government starts dictating you have a religion in order to be a moral person. When they start berating people who don't believe the same as they do. That's when every patriotic American should start quaking in their boots. Because we are well on our way to becoming a theocracy. The biggest reason it goes against everything our founding father's believed in and tried to establish over 200 years ago. It goes against the Constitution and Bill of Rights both. It means we have made the tragic mistake of allowing to much religion in government. Something that will likely destroy us in the end. Because it's only a matter of time before religion's start bickering among themselves and the blood shed starts. When George W Bush decided to start down that road after he was elected he should have been slapped back into place by every man, woman and child. American's should have rejected his intrusion with every thing they had.
RIGHT ON: TUMBLEWEED, FRANK, and ASCOT.
KANE JEEVES: I would argue that the sexist foundation of Catholicism--making SEX a sin--is the reason why so many that enter its "calling" to serve as priests are themselves twisted in a manner that subverts their very humanity. With all due respect to gays (my spiritual beliefs are such that our souls are composed of strands of masculine and feminine archetypal components) I believe that intercourse is God's own poetry. (I should preface this by stating when it's acted on for love, or "high lust," and represents positive desire on the part of BOTH consenting parties.) To demonize the basis for how creation continues to create itself is grounds for any theology shooting itself, and mass human psychology, in more than the foot! Wilhelm Reich as onto something when he recognized a link between a society that loses contact with its own instinct, and its embrace of an external authority figure then telling it what to do and how to act. In other words, the conscious orchestrated suppression of our sexual natures leads many to abandon their power as individuals and become easy subservients to authoritarian institutions, be these church or state, or the ugly marriage of the two. Making love is a radical act when nations teach hatred, divisiveness, and fear of the human body and the instincts placed therein.
To me there is a certain myopia in this article. First let me say that Christianity is frightening to my people as well. We are American Indians. We lost over one hundred million people to christian invaders. There is a problem with the Jewish People claiming the Holocaust as exclusively their own with no recognition of the American Holocaust. It demonstrates a selfish and purposeful exclusion of the American Indian Genocide. So as an Indian I fear both Christians and Jews. When Christians and Jews get together, Indians lose. Witness the continuing "Quiet Genocide," against the American Indians.
Too bad the author failed to mention the candidates from both parties that agree with the authors sentiment; ones that follow the first amendment baring state sponsored religion.
Granted that it is important to point this issue out i think it is important that we also know, who is on the side of freedom, our govt has truly done some horrendous things, we should be proactive to make sure history does not repeat itself.
RE: StevieRay -- hahahahahahahahaha. You're an idiot.
RE: The editorial. I wish we'd see more alarm about the issue in the mainstream media. I hear too many people arguing the "Christian nation" stance when that is obviously directly counter to our founder's intent and to common sense.
HR888 -- JUST SAY NO!
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.RES.888:
stevieray, Your post is a classic example, of the christian claim of superiority. Superior work ethic, with just a touch of bigotry towards the french for good measure. Perfect.
why don't you argue my point..
You had no point -- you were just blathering some bigoted nonsense which deserved nothing but derision in return.
RE: HR888
No kidding -- Common Dreams should cover this frightening resolution. It attemps to revise history and officially call this a Christian Nation, all under the guise of a "Religion Appreciation Week."
HR888 — JUST SAY NO!
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.RES.888: