The (Culture) War of the Word - (chasm between secularists and conservatives;Bible&Torah)

LA TIMES.COM ^ | MAY 29, 2005 | DENNIS PRAGER

[CHARLITE]

A number of years ago I discovered a root cause of America's culture war. It came to me as I debated professor Alan Dershowitz about issues of Jewish concern before a 1,000 Jews at the 92nd Street "Y" in New York City. With the exception of support for Israel, Dershowitz, a Harvard liberal, and I agreed on nothing, political or religious. Toward the end of the evening I came to understand why.

"Ladies and gentlemen," I announced, "the major difference between Alan Dershowitz and me is this: When professor Dershowitz differs with the Torah, he assumes that he is right and the Torah is wrong. When I differ with the Torah, I assume that I am wrong and the Torah is right." Dershowitz responded that for the first time that evening he agreed with me.

That realization was an epiphany for me. I have come to realize that the great divide in values is not between those who believe in God and those who do not but between those who believe in a divine text and those who do not.

This explains in large measure the great culture war in the United States. Americans, of course, are divided not so much by religion as between right and left. Jews and Christians on the left agree with each other on just about every political and social question, and Jews and Christians on the right do the same.

So what distinguishes leftist Jews from rightist Jews and leftist Christians from rightist Christians? It essentially comes down to their belief in the Bible, not their belief in God.

Jews who believe that the Torah is from God agree on almost every important issue of life with Christians who believe that the Torah — and the rest of the Old Testament — is divine.

[Tribune7]

bump

[woodb01]

If you'd like to read Congressional Testimony the TOTALLY describes the specifics of the culture war, where it comes from, who's behind it, and the agenda, see the Congressional testimony here:

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=view&id=954

For other information on the total corruption of the left, in their own words, see:

http://www.nodnc.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=list_pages_categories&cid=14

ANTI-DNC Web Portal at ---> http://www.noDNC.com

[brivette]

A wonderful observation.

[Red Sea Swimmer]

A religious/spiritual person believes that they have to answer to a higher force.

The secularist/atheist believes that they are the higher authority.

[Just A Nobody]

I would read the last 3-4 paragraphs of the article before judging this piece.

More divide and conquer strategery, IMHO.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Give me a rightest Jew over a leftist Christian any day of the week!

[brivette]

Reads like the DNC platform.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Divide and conquer "strategery"? How so?

[knuthom]

At the bottom of the LA Times article is a Google ad for "Jews Nude". I find this offensive. People who want that kind of thing can find it easily enough. Does it have to be advertised everywhere?

[NYer]

Jews and Christians who believe that God revealed the Torah, for example, are far more likely to believe that marriage must remain defined as only between a man and woman, and cannot be redefined to include members of the same sex. They believe that people are not basically good, that human life, not animal life, is sacred (because humans, not animals, are created in God's image), and that murderers should be liable to the death penalty (the only law that is in all five books of the Torah is to put murderers to death).

On the other hand, Jews and Christians who believe that people wrote the Torah are far more likely to support a redefinition of marriage, to view human nature as basically good (and therefore more likely to ascribe human evil to outside influences), to be more receptive to seeing human beings as essentially another animal, and to oppose capital punishment for murderers.

Marvelous! What the latter individuals forget is that the "people" who wrote the Torah were Divinely inspired. Perhaps they now lump themselves into that same category.

Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[Cicero]

This is basically right. As a Jew or a Christian, do you take the Bible as God's word, or not? If not, then you can rewrite it as you please and make it over according to your desires.

[msf92497]

"So what distinguishes leftist Jews from rightist Jews and leftist Christians from rightist Christians? It essentially comes down to their belief in the Bible, not their belief in God."

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I may be reading this wrong. But, I choose to believe in the God who has revealed Himself in the Bible, not the extra-biblical god that people create to suit their whims.

There is an ENORMOUS chasm between the two: God vs god(s).

[TAdams8591]

"Americans, of course, are divided not so much by religion as between right and left"

Absolutely agreed.

[TAdams8591]

"So what distinguishes leftist Jews from rightist Jews and leftist Christians from rightist Christians? It essentially comes down to their belief in the Bible, not their belief in God."

Brilliant point!

[truth_seeker]

I imagine the religious leaders behind the Inquisitions, Witch burnings, and Slavery could cite biblical justifications.

IOW they looked at the words in the book, and claimed it directed them to take certain actions.

Splain at me, how to be absolutely certain the Bible direct me to support capital punishment, for example. Or oppose it.

Catholics will claim their popes are divinely inspired.
Mormons will claim their high officers are divinely inspired.
A Native American will claim his shaman is divinely inspired.

Were/are all Bible translators divinely inspired?

What about the chapters left out of the Bible? Who compiled/edited the Bible? On what basis? When? Where?

I think if our Founding Fathers had intended the Bible verbatim to be the Law of this land, they would have just made it so, word for word.

They did not, however.

Ready, shoot, aim.

[glowworm]

No shooting here.. It is very much the case I have come to accept. The New Testament, for instance, is relativly short to read and comprehend. If you go into a typical pastor's study you will find hundreds of books of commentary, All conclusions on someone's "study". There are many known problems with the translations and ommisions on Every One of the translations.

Then there are the complications of the "traditions" of major church groups that fight everyone to have ppl believe in their version.. especially when the topic of their belief is in question. The evil among us have a habit of arranging ppl's beliefs to let THEM be in "charge"..

I believe Science is the way ppl find information about God's creation and it is not in conflict with what I believe, at all, as a Christian.. Many recent discoveries show more truths as we learn more about creation.. (If we keep an open mind).

[truth_seeker]

Dennis Prager, a Jew, coined the term "ethical monotheist" and I like it.

While raised in the Christian tradition, I don't preclude the possibility (or even probability) that an all powerful God gave divine inspiration multiple times, to various peoples.

That allows me to see the "good" in many faiths, which embrace generally beneficial rules. Ethical behavior which pleases the Creator.

(Remain unconvinced about Islam, with all the present religiously sanctioned conflicts; religiously sanctioned deception, in order to advance a system that endorses killing the raped female, instead of the rapist; encourages children to commit suicide in order to murder innocent civilians.)

[SaltyJoe]

Concerning the Word of God and the Holy Eucharist.

Jesus: "This is my body."

Clinton: "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is."

My sincere hope is that the Clinton couple recognize the presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist and convert to Christ's Love. It's not a human or realistic hope that I want such, but it would be un-Christian of me not to pray for such a conversion.

[siunevada]

Divide and conquer "strategery"? How so?

Many of us have read those paragraphs several times and are still wondering about the 'divide and conquer' comment.

Don't leave us hanging, J.