Jewish Leader Blasts 'Religious Right'

[David_Paul]

By KRISTEN HAYS, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 15 minutes ago

HOUSTON - 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 . . .

continued here:

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051119/ap_on_re_us/reform_jews_conservatives_2

 

[Lizzie]

Rabbi Yoffie speaks as though the religious right are putting homosexuals in concentration camps. He certainly knows how to be insulting…and intolerant.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

ADL’s Foxman Warns of Efforts to Christianize America but TT’s Lapin Warns of Friendships Shattered by Efforts to Secularize America.**
**
Rabbi Lapin has an interesting discussion of Jewish attacks on the Christian Right.

The director of the ADL, one of the large Jewish organizations in America, attacked Christianity as an intolerable threat to religious tolerance. He denounced several famous Evangelical organizations by name accusing them of wishing to implement their Christian worldview. He demonized Christians and assured his audience that “they intend to Christianize all aspects of American life…their vision of America is far different from ours.” (Just imagine what would happen to a Christian leader talking thus about Jews!)

Mr. Foxman has yet to apologize for how wrong were his dire predictions of what Mel Gibson’s Passion would bring in its wake. Yet off he goes again defaming the only people left on the face of the planet who actually love Jews.

There is one reliable rule that most people learn in grade school: If you consistently bully your friends and treat them disrespectfully, pretty soon you won’t have any friends left.

Leaving aside the fascinating analysis of the pathology that makes a Jew alienate our best and only friends, maybe the attack itself needs to be refuted.

 

[stillsmallvoice]

Hi all!

Well, I disagreed with the ADL’s approach to Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ (see forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=384289&highlight=Gibson#post384289 & forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=384369&highlight=Gibson#post384369) and I disagree with Abe Foxman on this issue as well. I’m glad to see that Rabbi Lapin isn’t the only US Jewish leader to have spoken out; see tinyurl.com/aa7qg, jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=16036&intcategoryid=5 & thejewishpress.com/news_article.asp?article=5688.

“Rabbi” Eric Yoffe is a leader of “Reform” Judaism in the US; in addition to being very left-wing; he has a history of running off at the mouth.

Traditional, normative Judaism is orthodox (orthodoxy being a far broader spectrum than many non-Jews, and many non-orthodox Jews, seem to realize; see jewfaq.org/movement.htm#US for a good summary on orthodoxy & the other, so-called, “movements” within Judaism). The Reform, Conservative & Reconstructionist “movements” are newfangled movements that developed in Europe, in reaction to the Enlightenment. They have junked so many core Jewish beliefs and, in effect, make it up as they go along, influenced by whatever happens to be trendy at the moment & taking care to be “politically correct”. This is Judaism??!! Orthodox Judaism believes that the Torah comes from God; the Reform movement does not. The Conservative movement tries to straddle a middle ground that does not exist. If one does not believe that the Torah is from God, then what’s the point? Judaism is not, and never has been, an everyone-for-him/herself religion. Orthodoxy recognizes that there is a certain set of core beliefs that are immutable & which serve to bind all Jews everywhere, much as they have for thousands of years.

Roman Catholicism & orthodox Judaism (despite our rather obvious differences) have much in common. Our views on many ethical & moral issues are similar. But beyond that, ours are faiths with rules, with authority & structure & with discipline. Ours are not make-it-up-as-you-go-along faiths & never have been (I suppose Protestantism & Reform Judaism are like that). Rather than mold the faith to fit the individual, I think that we believe that it is the individual who must mold him/herself to fit the faith. The late former Chief Rabbi of the British Commonwealth, Lord Immanuel Jakobovitz (of blessed memory) once said that a faith which demands nothing is worth nothing. To be an orthodox Jew demands a great deal & I have learned to be a Roman Catholic is similarly very demanding.

Don’t take anything “Rabbi” Yoffe says very seriously.

Be well!

ssv

 

[spiritblows]

So, one liberal Jew gave his opinion, throwing around the ‘Nazi’ accusation irresponsibly to advance his own agenda… Is anything else new under the sun?

 

[Darrel]

liberal Union for Reform Judaism

Is this an oximoron? Secularism is so rampant these days.

-D

 

[stillsmallvoice]

Hi all!

Darrel:

Secularism is so rampant these days.

Secularism & relativism plague both our faiths.

Be well!

ssv

 

[Darrel]

stillsmallvoice:

Hi all!

Secularism & relativism plague both our faiths.

Be well!

ssv

Very very true,

On a side note I bought some hand carved woodwork from one of your fellow Israelites today. A rosary and Christmas decorations for the tree. He lives in Betheham most of the year. Very good craftsmanship and a very nice guy.

Peace,

-D