See other Religion Articles
Title: Jewish Leader Blasts 'Religious Right'
Source:
The Tampa Tribune/AP
URL Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie ... RVATIVES?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US
Published: Nov 19, 2005
Author: KRISTEN HAYS
Post Date: 2005-11-19 22:10:42 by Dakmar
Keywords: Religious, Jewish, Leader
Views: 134
Comments: 18
HOUSTON (AP) -- The leader of the largest branch of American Judaism blasted conservative religious activists in a speech Saturday, calling them "zealots" who claim a "monopoly on God" while promoting anti-gay policies akin to Adolf Hitler's. Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the liberal Union for Reform Judaism, said "religious right" leaders believe "unless you attend my church, accept my God and study my sacred text you cannot be a moral person." "What could be more bigoted than to claim that you have a monopoly on God?" he said during the movement's national assembly in Houston, which runs through Sunday. The audience of 5,000 responded to the speech with enthusiastic applause. Yoffie did not mention evangelical Christians directly, using the term "religious right" instead. In a separate interview, he said the phrase encompassed conservative activists of all faiths, including within the Jewish community. He used particularly strong language to condemn conservative attitudes toward homosexuals. He said he understood that traditionalists have concluded gay marriage violates Scripture, but he said that did not justify denying legal protections to same-sex partners and their children. "We cannot forget that when Hitler came to power in 1933, one of the first things that he did was ban gay organizations," Yoffie said. "Yes, we can disagree about gay marriage. But there is no excuse for hateful rhetoric that fuels the hellfires of anti-gay bigotry." The Union for Reform Judaism represents about 900 synagogues in North America with an estimated membership of 1.5 million people. Of the three major streams of U.S. Judaism - Orthodox and Conservative are the others - it is the only one that sanctions gay ordination and supports civil marriage for same-gender couples. Buy AP Photo Reprints Yoffie said liberals and conservatives share some concerns, such as the potential damage to children from violent or highly sexual TV shows and other popular media. But he said, overall, conservatives too narrowly define family values, making a "frozen embryo in a fertility clinic" more important than a child, and ignoring poverty and other social ills. One attendee, Judy Weinman of Troy, N.Y., said she thought Yoffie was "right on target." "He reminded us of where we have things in common and where we're different," she said. Yoffie also urged lawmakers to model themselves on presidential candidate John F. Kennedy, who famously told a Houston clergy group in 1960 that a president should not make policy based on his religion. On other topics, Yoffie asked Reform synagogues to do more to hold onto members, who often leave after their children go to college. He also said the Reform movement, which is among the most accepting of non-Jewish spouses, should make a greater effort to invite spouses to convert. --- AP Religion Writer Rachel Zoll contributed to this report. --- On the Net: Union for Reform Judaism: http://urj.org
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: Dakmar (#0)
With all the investigations, something's got to pop here in the States...Dropping the rapture monkey wing is a big sign...
He used particularly strong language to condemn conservative attitudes toward homosexuals. He said he understood that traditionalists have concluded gay marriage violates Scripture, but he said that did not justify denying legal protections to same-sex partners and their children. 1) This dork hasn't read his own Torah. 2) Since when did we start handing out special status based on a behavior? Who's next in line for these special, behavioral privilidges? Coke Addicts? Rapists? Bank Robbers?
Zogby Poll- "By a margin of 53% to 42%, Americans want Congress to impeach President Bush if he lied about the war in Iraq."
That could be a religion...tax exemptions, special books.
And I'm optimistic. See, I think you can be realistic and optimistic at the same time. I'm optimistic we'll achieve -- I know we won't achieve if we send mixed signals. I know we're not going to achieve our objective if we send mixed signals - gwbush
Please just go home to Israel and take your weak shit with you. Shalom, dipwad.
Note that this is a Rabbi who is saying this. The sheer magnitude of this hypocracy is on a scale best measured in light-years.
“kol Yisrael areivim zeh b’zeh"
#2. To: Dakmar (#0)
Yoffie did not mention evangelical Christians directly, using the term "religious right" instead. In a separate interview, he said the phrase encompassed conservative activists of all faiths, including within the Jewish community.
#3. To: Jhoffa_ (#2)
Coke Addicts?
#4. To: Dakmar (#0)
#5. To: Dakmar (#0)
"What could be more bigoted than to claim that you have a monopoly on God?" he said during the movement's national assembly in Houston, which runs through Sunday.
 | Gold and silver are real money, paper is but a promise. |
#6. To: Jhoffa_ (#2)
I am! didn't you read the local papers?
Who's next in line for these special, behavioral privilidges? Coke Addicts? Rapists? Bank Robbers?
#7. To: Dakmar (#0)
Oh, yeah--a Rabbi blasting a bunch of Israel First Zio-Christian rapture monkeys. OY!! Like the 700 Club are the Rabbi's enemies!?! BBWWAAAHHHH.
If you love America, you'll hate Israel.
#8. To: wbales, Brian S (#7)
How long before AP is shut down for "anti Semitism" for simply reporting this creepy bullshit?
HOUSTON (AP) -- The leader of the largest branch of American Judaism blasted conservative religious activists in a speech Saturday, calling them "zealots" who claim a "monopoly on God" while promoting anti-gay policies akin to Adolf Hitler's.
And I'm optimistic. See, I think you can be realistic and optimistic at the same time. I'm optimistic we'll achieve -- I know we won't achieve if we send mixed signals. I know we're not going to achieve our objective if we send mixed signals - gwbush
#9. To: Dakmar (#0)
Since Judaism is extreme group narccism, and male homosexuals in particular are extreme individual narccisists, it would seem that Judaism has found a natural ally in it's war of words against bible thumpers. The adoption by gentiles of old testament morality is baffling, yet many jews promote this scammery as a way to popularize militant Zionism. Jews want judeo-christian gentiles to support Zionism, based on biblical propaganda, but they don't want them to also support any of the other stupid/evil moral trappings in the bible. Bolshevik and Zionist Jews thought they had this problem licked when they invented the Political Correctness religion, but modern adherents of PC aren't sufficiently enthused by PC morality enough to support the most extreme offenses of militant Zionism. Such a quandry for Judaics....oh what a web they weave in their practice to deceive.
#10. To: Googolplex (#9)
I would remind you that some of us who oppose the Iraq war are doing it based on "Thou shalt not murder" a supposidly "Judaic" Commandment. (I believe that the ten commandments come direct from god and apply to ALL PEOPLE, not just Jews.)
Check out my new site (Coral Snake's Guns, Linux and Liberty Blog))
#11. To: Coral Snake (#10)
Though you ignore Talmudic Law Coral Snake...something is in the grass, and it isn't good...
“kol Yisrael areivim zeh b’zeh"
#12. To: Eoghan (#11)
Talmudic law is ORGANIZED RELIGION, a creation of man and not God. The 10 Commandments of God and the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus and the parts of the Bible, Torah, Koran or whatever that agree with these are the Scriptures of GOD. All the "hate" passages in these books are of organized religion and man. (As a forinstance Scientific Archeology tells us that the battles of Jericho and Ai could NOT have happened when the Bible says they did. Therefore I would conclude that these "Kill the Caananites" tales were put in there by man and NOT God.)
Check out my new site (Coral Snake's Guns, Linux and Liberty Blog))
#13. To: Coral Snake (#12)
Do you prefer to go through a line of questioning...or out yourself now?
“kol Yisrael areivim zeh b’zeh"
#14. To: Coral Snake (#10)
You call it a Judaic commandment, but also call it a commandment from God to all people. Which is correct...is it a judaic commandment or a universal commandment? I know what Jews consider it to be, a commandment between Jews exclusively. That's one of the reasons organized jewry consistently oppose the posting of the 10 commandments in any public venue, because the 10C's apply to jew-jew interaction only. What makes you think you know any better than the people that invented and follow the Judaic religion? By the way, judaics didn't invent anti-murder morality....surprise! It is typical narcccism on their part to believe they did. The Code of Hammurabi has been around alot longer than the ten commandments.
#15. To: Eoghan (#13)
Out myself as what a Jew or a member of a Christian/Zionist rapture monkey "church"? Can't because I'm neither. While I hold to Christianity more than any other faith I don't belong to ANY "organized religion" of that faith because I feel that all of them I've seen so far are corrupt, cults or both.
Check out my new site (Coral Snake's Guns, Linux and Liberty Blog))
#16. To: Coral Snake (#15)
What other faiths do you hold to. Jesus said he is the only way.
While I hold to Christianity more than any other faith
#17. To: Coral Snake (#10)
Did the Code of Hammurabi get sent by God too? Moses wasn't even born before 1400BC, yet the Code of Hammurabi was developed in 1700BC, 300 years before Moses was born. Once again, I ask you, was the Code of Hammurabi sent by God too? From Wikipedia: The Code of Hammurabi, created ca. 1700 BC (short chronology), also known as the Codex Hammurabi, and Hammurabi's Code is one of the earliest sets of laws found, and one of the best preserved examples of this type of document from ancient Mesopotamia. Other collections of laws include the codex of Ur-Nammu, king of Ur (ca. 2050 BC), the Codex of Eshnunna (ca. 1930 BC) and the codex of Lipit-Ishtar of Isin (ca. 1870 BC).
#18. To: A K A Stone (#16)
I hold to the HISTORIC (not 1830 "rapture monkey") Christian faith but NOT through any organized religion. (The organized religions I've seen so far tend to promote "rapture monkeyism", unitarianism or other cult beliefs or seem to only be in it for power over or money from their adherants. If I had to be a part of a religious organization it would probably be the Eastern (Greek or Russian) Orthodox church because those are the closest in history to the time of Paul and Jesus.)
Check out my new site (Coral Snake's Guns, Linux and Liberty Blog))
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest