Renegade rabbi embraced by GOP in D.C.

Washington Post via Miami Herald ^ | Jul. 09, 2005 | HANNA ROSIN

[bayourod]

Every few weeks or so Rabbi Daniel Lapin finds a reason to fly east from his home in Mercer Island, Wash., near Seattle, and spend a few days in Washington, D.C. He might be leading a Bible study on the Hill, having dinner with his ''close friend'' House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, breakfast with Karl Rove. Last year he came for a private Shabbat dinner with President Bush. ''The president recognizes my enthusiasm for his faith,'' says the rabbi.

[Northern Yankee]

Gee...if he's conservative, me must be a renegade.

Don't ya just love the MSM? (Pardon me, Miami Herald, but your bias is showing...)

[bayourod]

"'The principles of the Republican Party and the convictions of our president more closely parallel the moral vision of the God of Abraham than those of anyone else,' Lapin said "

This I believe, at least the way the Jews and Christians view the God of Abraham. Some Muslims?

[aynrandfreak]

How long until others in his community start calling him Uncle Haman.

[jla]

Toward Tradition

[ChiMark]

Ditto! Renegade is not an Orthodox Jew. Reform is renegade. But the MSM always has it wrong.

[sofaman]

Fewer and fewer Jews see him in that light...I know him and his family from South Africa. His father was my Rabbi in Cape Town. Objections to him in the Jewish community are 2 fold:

1. A distrust of the fact that he is very actively involved with the Christian right, which some Jews see as a problem. There is a long held distrust for the Christian right stemming from attempts to convert Jews to Christianity.

2. He's a conservative. That scares the daylights out of Jewish liberals, who view him as dangerous.

I've listened to his lectures and read some of his writings, and I find him to be quite brilliant. The fact is that in today's America, Jews have no better friends than the Christian right. Certainly the left in this country has become, imho, outwardly hostile to Jews.

There is a very real sense of discomfort amongst more "progressive" Jews about the direction that the Left has taken with regard to Jews and Israel. With the result that many Jews, have finally started to take a look at the right and the Republican Party.

Many "progressive" Jews are socially very liberal, but are extremely hawkish when it comes to Homeland Security and the security of Israel. They see that Democrats are far more reticent and reluctant to use military power to destroy our (America's and Israel's) enemies. There comes a time for action and Republicans tend to be unequivocal when it comes to security both here and in Israel.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. This one touched a cord.

[aynrandfreak]

I grew up Jewish, and it sickens me to see a majority of Jews still vote dem with all of the anti-semitic sentiment coming from the left. IMO, if you are Jewish and still vote dem, you have no right to say, "Never Again".

[sofaman]

Certainly the majority of anti-Semitism currently, emanates from the Left. No question about that....

[Jeff Chandler]

The left considers the anti-American muslims to be their friends, as in The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

In order to be against the U.S., they side with the muslims against our ally, Israel.

[Dark Skies]

Politics is nothing other than the practical application of your most deeply held moral and spiritual values.

I can see why folks like this guy.

[maryz]

Gee...if he's conservative, me must be a renegade.

LOL! The only reason I clicked on this was to find out WTH a "renegade rabbi" was! I was picturing maybe six-shooters and all.

[Northern Yankee]

Isn't it something?!