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Robert Reich’s Religion Problem
National Review Online ^ | July 6, 2004 | Ramesh Ponnuru

Posted on 07/06/2004 5:18:34 PM PDT by buckeyesrule

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Reich makes the mistake even most Christians make, thinking of a dualism "between those who believe in science, reason, and logic and those who believe that truth is revealed through Scripture and religious dogma."

We have historical, eyewitness, independent sources internally and externally validating the truth claims of Christianity. It's easy, for anyone willing to study, to objectively find the errors in false claims, false religions.

But Christianity's claims have never been disproven. Jesus really rose, He really is God, therefore what He says is true. Being God, what He has to say about how to deal with people should be accurate, eh?! Precisely because Christianity is not just "faith", but "faith founded on facts", it provides a great way for dealing with people individually and governmentally.

Christianity teaches that BOTH now and the future are important. It is a false dichotomy Reich makes between those who value the here and now, vs those who hold the future life as more important. God is always to be served. And, we are always to love our neighbor. It's not either/or, but BOTH!


21 posted on 07/06/2004 10:37:23 PM PDT by gentlestrength
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To: buckeyesrule

Reich standing is still beneath contempt reclining.


22 posted on 07/06/2004 10:51:29 PM PDT by Old Professer (Interests in common are commonly abused.)
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To: Jonah Johansen
Exactly. President Bush is a symbol for them. It is you and I and our beliefs they hate. At its very root this Bush bashing is not political it is anti-Christian bigotry.

Yep, they had the exact same vitriol for President Reagan as well.

23 posted on 07/06/2004 11:12:55 PM PDT by dfwgator (It's sad that the news media treats Michael Jackson better than our military.)
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To: buckeyesrule

The little fella reminds me of the guy Benny Hill used to pat on the head (rapidly).


24 posted on 07/06/2004 11:30:11 PM PDT by Finalapproach29er (" Permitting homosexuality didn't work out very well for the Roman Empire")
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To: Revelation 911; The Grammarian; SpookBrat; Alamo-Girl; P-Marlowe; betty boop; Dust in the Wind; ...
Absolutely sinister paragraph by Robert Reich, one of Clinton's old cronies, and a regular on different news talk shows.

But then comes Reich's conclusion:

The great conflict of the 21st century will not be between the West and terrorism. Terrorism is a tactic, not a belief. The true battle will be between modern civilization and anti-modernists; between those who believe in the primacy of the individual and those who believe that human beings owe their allegiance and identity to a higher authority; between those who give priority to life in this world and those who believe that human life is mere preparation for an existence beyond life; between those who believe in science, reason, and logic and those who believe that truth is revealed through Scripture and religious dogma. Terrorism will disrupt and destroy lives. But terrorism itself is not the greatest danger we face. This goes well beyond the common denunciation of "fundamentalism" where that term is meant to describe an ideology that seeks the imposition of religious views on non-believers. (That's what Andrew Sullivan means when he uses the term.) It is a denunciation — as a graver threat than terrorists — of people who believe that the world to come is more important than this world, or that all human beings owe their allegiance to God.

Reich has just said that the ultimate enemies are: those who believe in God.

Spread this wide. To TV, radio, print, churches, etc.

It is the MOST sinister comment EVER made for a former national level secretary.

25 posted on 07/07/2004 6:41:21 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army and Supporting Bush/Cheney 2004!)
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To: xzins
between those who believe in science, reason, and logic and those who believe that truth is revealed through Scripture and religious dogma.

Roughly translated Reich could've said "religion is the opiate of the masses"...

Make no mistake, this is a battle between good and evil. Reich, and the terrorists are on the same side.

26 posted on 07/07/2004 6:51:24 AM PDT by Corin Stormhands (Botox/Breck '04 - "better" governing thru chemicals...)
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To: xzins

xzins,Here's a bump.


27 posted on 07/07/2004 6:52:32 AM PDT by fatima (My Granddaughter Karen is Home-WOOHOO We unite with all our troops and send our love-)
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To: xzins
But then comes Reich's conclusion:

Quotes are missing so I don't know which are Reich's words and which are interpretive. But one can see that Reich's attack is based on marginalizing and demonizing his opponents, a revered and often-used liberal tactic.

28 posted on 07/07/2004 6:58:34 AM PDT by AndrewC (I am a Bertrand Russell agnostic, even an atheist.</sarcasm>)
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To: Corin Stormhands; xzins
Roughly translated Reich could've said "religion is the opiate of the masses"...

It's worse than that. What he is saying is that "belief in God is the root of all evil."

29 posted on 07/07/2004 6:58:49 AM PDT by P-Marlowe
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To: xzins

It is a truly chilling opinion piece by Reich...


30 posted on 07/07/2004 6:59:21 AM PDT by MEG33 (John Kerry has been AWOL for two decades on issues of National Security)
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To: xzins; PhilDragoo; risk; sport

.

NEVER FORGET


When student REICH was at Oxford University with CLINTON he stated that his group of Rhodes Scholars were so upwardly purposeful that...

...they were ABOVE Fighting Terrorism on behalf of the Freedom of Others in Vietnam.

REICH hasn't changed for our new World War against Terrorism on behalf of the Freedom of Others...

...even though it's now our own Freedom that's at
stake here at home.







BUSH's 21st Century =

The Freedom Century


REICH's 21st Century =

The Anti-Freedom Century







The Enemy is now Within...
and always has been.


NEVER FORGET

.


31 posted on 07/07/2004 7:07:01 AM PDT by ALOHA RONNIE (Vet-Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.LZXRAY.com)
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To: gentlestrength

.


Praise GOD that...


LOVE is the Only Reality and that...


GOD is LOVE.


.


32 posted on 07/07/2004 7:09:18 AM PDT by ALOHA RONNIE (Vet-Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.LZXRAY.com)
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To: AndrewC

Andrew, I checked on the quotes problem. In the original National Review piece it is offset in a "blockquote" as I have done. The poster of this thread just did a "copy/paste" and did not include the "blockquote."

So...it is a quote.

And sinister.


33 posted on 07/07/2004 7:09:42 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army and Supporting Bush/Cheney 2004!)
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To: Kerberos
"Well if you look at Christianity from a political perspective it is predominantly socialist. It certainly does not have a capitalist bent to it."

Oh we don't have an axe to grind, do we?

34 posted on 07/07/2004 7:09:57 AM PDT by Sam's Army (Reject Materialism)
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To: Kerberos
And let's not forget it was the Christians who started introducing socialism into this country in the late 1800's

It was theologians that pushed evolution, before it was accepted by the mainstream scientific community, ...so what does that prove?

It was also the pilgrims that tried the commune approach, which almost wiped them out. They then switched to private ownership, and became very successful. This lesson was not lost on our founding fathers, which were also Christians. Seems to me that you are painting with too broad a brush.

35 posted on 07/07/2004 7:12:52 AM PDT by D Rider
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To: xzins

Thanks for the ping.

Many think this, RR was 'brave' enough to publicly state it. Others just live it and seek to implement policy in support of these views.


36 posted on 07/07/2004 7:15:38 AM PDT by Blueflag (Res ipsa loquitor)
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To: xzins

"It is the MOST sinister comment EVER made for a former national level secretary."

Bump!


37 posted on 07/07/2004 7:23:52 AM PDT by windchime (Podesta about Bush: "He's got four years to try to undo all the stuff we've done." (TIME-1/22/01))
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To: no one in particular

I think we might be reading too much into Reich's statement.

The only religion the uses terrorism as a core belief, that wants to roll back civilization 700-1000 years does not worship the God of Abraham, the God of primary glory and truth.

It worships a moon god, the god of reflected glory and lies.

That, and a rock that "fell from Heaven like lightning"...


38 posted on 07/07/2004 7:28:47 AM PDT by null and void (Flush twice. It's a long way to Washington...)
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To: null and void

Although, now that the caffine is kicking in, maybe not...


39 posted on 07/07/2004 7:33:17 AM PDT by null and void (Flush twice. It's a long way to Washington...)
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To: Sonny M

"But the liberals hatred of Bush is not just for Bush but it extends to the people that vote for and support Bush. "

...and, (OF COURSE) that hatred is really a hatred of God and Jesus, to whom GWB gives all credit due....


40 posted on 07/07/2004 7:36:30 AM PDT by Al Simmons (GWB - A Strong Leader in a Turbulent Time)
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